What a whopper of year 2020 has been. So many life-altering changes have happened and we know the world is far from subduing more large events that affect millions. 2020, so far, has taught us the value of those important to us, what slowing down can benefit and beauty in simplicity. This is what the consumer will crave as we move through 2021 with the string of wild chaos that 2020 has brought down upon us all.

Nostalgic Design

So many treasured local and small businesses have closed their doors through 2020, as they tried to survive in a global pandemic. An overwhelming sense of loss, confusion, and frustration consumes the masses and this sense of bringing back what once was great about communities will echo through to marketing campaigns to embody what people will be pleading for – the memories of what was once before.

How can companies achieve this? Below are different ways of how designers will be able to incorporate aspects in pieces.

Colors and Gradients

Muted color palettes will be strong 2021. Design will be reminiscent of sitting in the local library smelling the pages of books or pulling out the Little Golden Books from your childhood. A sense of security and calmness will encompass the design from the muted colors.

For this fall and winter lover, I am going to love 2021 because for me it will feel like every day is going to be filled with fall days leading up to the holidays.

Illustration Aspects

The use flat illustrations that will move through 2021, will be suggestive of vintage (mid-century modern) design elements that can add fun components in a creative way to stand apart in your logo or specific marketing elements of your brand. There has been a move toward a more delicate touch to illustrations, with use of natural elements (and use of a muted color palette), hoping to embody and evoke a warm, homey feel from the consumer.

Within these illustrations or infographics (that still are very popular and widely used) the use of simple icons to embody a certain category or data point make it easily digestible for the consumer.

Incorporating shapes in to design always give pieces dimension. In 2021, shapes, especially those with more rigid lines, will be a great contrast to the muted color palette.

Classic Fonts

From 2019 through mid-2020, bold fonts were in the forefront. These fonts were used to convey innovation and “against the norm”, but through the end of 2020 and in to 2021, we will see classic fonts on the rise as it sticks with the nostalgia theme the consumer seeks in the New Year.

Why are fonts important? Well, in order to make most designs work, there must be a way to convey the message through more than just imagery. The way words are shown in the design should be well thought through if the typography is adhering to brand guidelines while matching the look and feel of the creative.

One font that seems to always keep a prominent stance is the serif fonts. These fonts date back to the 15^th century and in the public eye is seen as classic and trustworthy. We see many financial services companies use this font for this reason.

To the Point

2020 has brought many complex societal issues and data to the forefront of our minds, which most of the time can be very hard to comprehend all the information being tossed our way.

Data visualizations are great tools to take the complex, hard to read data and place it in to an easily digestible format. Many call these infographics, as they showcase data using graphical treatments.

Our world has become very data heavy with everyone being able to collect, review and analyze data on some of level to increase efficiency and effectiveness in their respective fields. Gone are the days of siloed jobs where one team only does data and one team is for design only. Everyone must be versed (to different degrees) of being able to read data and interpret it for their necessary roles.

Social Media Design

Where would we be if we didn’t include design trends for the social media platforms? This channel is bursting at the seams with advertisements and sponsorships as it very cost effective to display ads. However, the creative behind those advertisements is where the work gets put it.

2021 can see a rise of image decks on the social platforms that allow it and is highly used in the story feature of Instagram and Facebook. It allows for multiple pictures in one post versus creating a collage of images, which enables the creator to tell a better and fuller story of the post subject matter.  Many companies use this tactic (sometimes called an image carousel) on main pages of websites or special pages within the site to highlight specific products, people or services. This is transitioning the tactic to channels where the people are and how they like to be communicated to.

Videos are another main marketing piece that has increased popularity through the last couple years. What 2021 can be ready for with video is that they will become more animated with text vs casted with actors.

Production costs decrease and messaging is simple and clear. With guidelines around in-person production become hard through different public health crisis, this is a great alternative to engage customers through a popular channel. This is where the flat illustration design can be very beneficial to your campaigns.

Next Steps

2021 is gearing up to be a year of a sense of home, seriousness, and comfort; which will leave minimal room for design changes that hopes to push the envelope.

When determining your branding and marketing efforts for your campaigns, contact Colleen Eakins Design to set up a consultation to learn how we can best support you.