In today’s digital landscape, visual content reigns supreme. An overwhelming 91% of consumers now show a preference for video content from brands, marking a significant 6% increase over the past five years. With 86% of marketers leveraging video content and witnessing its direct positive impact on sales, the message is clear: visual appeal isn't just desirable; it's essential.

As we stand on the cusp of the new year, it's time to delve into the evolving world of design trends. This article will explore the dynamic directions these trends are taking, preparing you to navigate the visual demands of the upcoming year.

I. Sustainability, Environmentally friendly- but reimagined

If you’re a brand hustling in this day and age, but you have no branding that highlights sustainability or respect for the Earth, you’ve been missing out on a big green flag for consumers.

When we think of sustainable brands, there are always these trademark Brown hues and blue with green combinations.

2024 marks the branding of sustainability in a more artistic and captivating manner.

But this doesn’t always denote amazing artwork integrated into the overall branding, it could also be simpler and cleaner with just the use of a good San serif font.

Eager’s rebrand by Ragged Edge, via Dieline

II. Going Past into the Future

The retro vibes are real!

You would have noticed it in the way people are dressing- crop tops are back, boujee tracksuits, mix-and-match fabrics on clothing, denim and more are the trend nowadays.

While this design trend began a while back, it is still going strong and is definitely a strong contender for a brand to consider while styling.

Even Pepsi designers found out that the first image of Pepsi that came to their consumers’ minds was the older Pepsi design from the 1980’s.

The vintage feels often consist of warm red, brown and orange colours, along with playful doodles, stamps and playing around with fonts.

Y2K aesthetic is on a roll with bold, tacky pastel colours paired with vibrant fonts- kitsch is one way to describe it, but it works!

It pulls the ‘nostalgia’ card on customers and creates an allure that most people can’t resist.

Vintage-inspired branding, via Design and Paper

III. Minimalism

This trend is definitely something to keep in mind as we enter 2024.

In essence, minimalism involves a sense of simplicity straying away from the desire to fill in the spaces with strong and bold fonts and imagery.

But keep in mind — minimalism does not mean easy.

Minimalistic designs for texts and logos involve detailed efforts to reduce clutter to as little as possible while still putting forth the brand’s messages and values.

Take e.g. Apple employs minimalism in design.

Yves Saint Laurent changed its logo to a more simpler version.

Airbnb, in its rebrand, changed its logo to represent people, places, love, and the company itself- all with what looks like a simple logo and name.

Beautiful typography, muted colour schemes, and white space work together harmoniously. Images are given a sense of complexity by showcasing important details while remaining simple at the same time.

Minimalist branding at Sunday Coffee House, via Behance

IV. Math in Design?

Design in 2024 that is eye-catching involves a variety of geometric shapes, often in unison to leave a strong impression.

Some of the iconic brands styling using this design include Youtube and Adidas.

Organised chaos is an extreme way this trend is popularly described.

It changes a logo in a way that seems so clean-cut, but at the same time, you notice the intricacies within.

Take for example the Renault rebrand which may look like nothing more but a removal of colour from afar, but the new geometric design of the existing logo makes a strong impact.

Geometric Branding, via Feminist Art Coalition

V. Hyperrealism

Blurring the line that separates reality,

Art that feels ‘too real’

These are a few ways to describe hyperrealism in design, and it is booming.

With many celebrities joining the fashion trend, this design trend translates as a great technique for brands to use as well.

This kind of design entails a depiction, emotional or narrational.

Bringing the rise of AI into the scene, this high-resolution style of design has become accessible easily for many brands to try and envision a deep impact and depiction.

VI. Typography with Flavour

We’ve discussed this a bit here and there in the previous points, but 2024 looks to be filled with fun fonts and quirky mashups of illustrations and images.

This involves

playing around with various fonts,

Elongated letterings,

Switching letters for related objects,

Playing Lego with letters.

The secret is to be quirky but minimal, don’t overwhelm the senses but let consumers experience it with ease.

Bold Typography Design, via The Branding Collective.

VII. Work of Hands

People appreciate raw authenticity. They like to see the ‘real’ version of brands.

This is greatly communicated through handcrafted illustrations, logos and content.

Doodles are a way to break the restriction of fonts and display a sense of freedom and authenticity in the brand.

E.g., Tokyo Hands is a great example of a simple hand-drawn logo that leaves a lasting impression.

This is a great design trend for growing businesses, you may not need an artist or a costly application to create an unforgettable logo!

What's Left Behind?

From the looks of it, quite a few of the design trends from 2023 will roll over to 2024. However, some trends don’t seem like they’ll make the cut and we’ll discuss them down below.

Too much effort - 2023 had its share of bright and in-your-face designs and colour palettes that may not suit every brand and don’t seem like a trend fit for the masses. Less clutter seems to do more for a brand.

Humour may take a back seat - While humour is a cheat code in the marketing business, humour may not be the trend to look out for in the coming year. It is not easy to be humorous and receive no flak from at least one of the countless communities the consumers are a part of.

But if your brand suits humour as a point to build a brand design around, keep at it with some added illustrations and quirky fonts.

Don’t forget that a brand’s visual cues are primary when it comes to catching a customer's attention, so stay trendy and let your brand look cool for the crowd!

Design Trends 2024: Innovative Branding Strategies for the New Year