12 major graphic design trends for 2023

Graphic design is closely linked to public consciousness: it is the best way to communicate with people using images, text or illustrations. Such close contact with consumers allows you to reflect all the cultural and social trends taking place in the world.

New graphic design trends will usher in another year of aesthetic revival and new creative experimentation. But how will the trends of 2023 differ from previous years?

Although design is created by artists and creative people, it is greatly influenced by the time factor. For example, last year, as the world tried to recover from Covid, graphic design acquired elements of cozy, nostalgic and self-expression. Most of these trends will continue in 2023, but these trends have been influenced by inflation, the worsening climate crisis and international conflicts.

Designers perceive these circumstances differently. Some are anxious and waiting for what the future will bring. They are waiting for new technologies, exploring unknown areas. Others are resisting existing limitations and attitudes. They change their working style, creating works that allow them to escape reality. That is why in 2023 we will see a mix of different styles.

So, let's begin:

1. Mysticism

In the context of design, mysticism includes iconography associated with astrology and divination. This trend relies heavily on the use of popular symbols - the signs of the zodiac, the all-seeing eye, the lotus flower and sacred geometry. As in past centuries, these symbols act as talismans, filling the physical and otherworldly worlds with a deeper meaning.

Visually, this design is characterized by "smoothness": thin lines and organic transitions look light and delicate, while muted colors soothe. Images of the moon, stars and pensive faces evoke peace, relieve earthly worries, give hope and comfort. All this makes the trend attractive to a wide audience: you don't have to believe in tarot cards to feel the peace of mystical design.

2.The new look of Risoprint

Risograph was a mid-1980s printing technique developed by the Riso Kagaku Corporation in Japan. The invention paved the way for cheap and mass-produced printing using dots and saturated colors. Such images often appeared grainy and unintentionally stylized, like double exposures.

In 2023, Risoprint is seen as a digital abstract graphic: its grainy texture adds depth to minimalist forms. It has inspired many designers to create surreal abstract compositions with vintage elements.

3. Punk revival

Punk is a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s in the UK, the USA, Canada and Australia. Punk encompasses a diverse array of ideologies and fashions, as well as other forms of expression - visual art, dance, literature and film.

In 2023, we will witness a resurgence in its popularity, as there are now many reasons to protest.

Visually, punk is characterized by a "do-it-yourself" approach: texts written in different letters, cut out letters, mismatched fonts, chaotic collages.

Punk design is aimed at a complete rejection of luxury and order. It is a reflection of real life.

4. Linear retro design

In 2023, many designers will turn to minimalist line art to create humorous and fun illustrations. It’s a retro style that evokes a sense of nostalgia for the days when we drew with felt-tip pens. To add depth to retro designs, designers are using bold fonts and vintage magazine design elements-oval frames, star-shaped stickers, etc.

5. Airbrush Surrealism

Surrealism is a design trend that has not lost its popularity to this day due to its originality and desire for novelty.

In 2023, we will see a combination of surrealism with the Airbrush technique of the 80s. When soft retro filters are applied to strange, fantastic images.

As a result, the graphics are covered with a transparent "fog", which causes disorientation - as if we are trying to recall a picture from a half-forgotten dream. In some cases, the "fading" of color creates a soft glow, which gives the image an attractive and mysterious look.

6. Folk Botany

Patterns are one of the main elements of graphic design. They are used to decorate content. A popular source of inspiration for creating patterns is nature: combinations of leaves, fruits and various plants create powerful compositions. In 2023, this direction will be acquired by rough textures and combinations of seemingly incompatible colors.

The reason for the vitality of these patterns is not only the plants, but also the imperfection of hand-drawn lines, which gives digital works of art a natural look.

7. 90s Cosmic Psychedelic

Last year, 60s psychedelia returned to graphic design as an escapist movement, transporting viewers to rich, colorful worlds. In 2023, this trend continues to evolve, but this time through 90s space psychedelia.

While psychedelia often draws inspiration from nature, it is a kind of fusion of the future and the past.

It features 90s retro technology: the "Memphis" style and the aesthetic of Saturday morning cartoons. All this is combined with futuristic elements such as androids and spaceships, vaporwave landscapes, simulated environments and neon cyberpunk.

8. Combination of dimensions

The more time we spend online, the clearer the boundaries between it and the physical world become. By 2023, graphic designers will completely blur them by incorporating digital illustrations into photos.

While the fusion of the artificial and the real may seem like a bad prospect, this trend is aimed at evoking positive emotions in people. Bright, vibrant colors and smiling cartoon characters emphasize the contrast between different elements.

It shows the world as we want to see it. In moments when life seems gray and boring, it is creativity that helps us and reminds us that we can create something magical if we want to.

9. Acid Graphics

Acid graphics, sometimes called Y2K grunge, is a 2000s renaissance that began to revive last year.

"Grunge" textures, chromed metal, broken glass and shapeless elements. It's a rare form of nostalgia that favors dark and gloomy memories, and this is not surprising, since it was born out of the goth subculture of the late 90s.

10.Experimental escapism

Escapism has become a dominant style in graphic design over the past year, as designers have sought to transport people into imaginary worlds. This trend will continue through 2023, but now escapism is becoming experimental.

Many of these experiments are inspired by the latest advances in technology. In 2022, the viral spread of artificial intelligence art, the rise of metaverses, and the appearance of images of interstellar space (from the James Webb Space Telescope) have left their mark on the creative industry. Designers are taking inspiration from technological experiments and combining them with their own creative experiences.

11. Difficult, complex compositions

Telling a story is the foundation of graphic design. Even when it comes to abstract ideas, it allows you to tell the story of a brand through visually and conceptually connected elements.

In 2023, visual storytelling becomes more direct and at the same time more abstract through complex compositions. These are illustrations that contain several “scenes” at once. For example: one character climbs a cliff, another sails a boat, and a third sets up a tent.

Although such designs are excessively rich in detail, they are often stylistically minimalist, which allows you to include many elements in the composition without overloading the human eye. Since such illustrations mainly tell stories, they become interesting for the person, and not annoying.

They are a great choice for websites, blogs, and news articles. This trend reinforces the idea that we live in a world where many completely different events are happening at the same time.

12. Abstract gradients

Gradients, or color transitions, have been in fashion for a long time, but despite this, they manage to get into the top list of trends every year. 2023 is no exception, only this time gradients are presented to us in the form of abstract blurred shapes. The elongated, organic shapes of abstract gradients create a feeling of weightlessness. With soft colors, they naturally calm down, and abstract shapes enhance this effect.

Source: 99designs.com 

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