Online website builder Wix is checking in with some of the boldest web design trends that seem to have staying power eight months in to 2024. While AI is the buzzword you can’t get away from these days, the trends that are other cutting edge are pushing back on AI art hard, with emphasis on the human touch: script fonts, halftone color fills, handmade illustrations, and textures you can almost feel, for example. Playfulness and sustainability are taking a more prominent role, which seems to be a counter-reaction to sentiments being felt about the economy and the climate. And of course, the 80s seem to be back, in all it’s neon and squiggly glory! Brands are embracing the busy, maximalist styles that we thought we left back with our popped collars….the first time they came around.
Stop the presses, y’all: Dolly Parton has collaborated with Lodge cast iron in designing a limited edition collection of cast iron cookware based on her most timeless and familiar tunes from over the years. There is a guitar pan. There is a “9 to 5” clock pan. And there is a Jolene pan, complete with the phrase “Jolene, please don’t take my pan”. The best part is that the country music icon collaborated on these designs with Lodge instead of a more expensive cast iron manufacturer (we’re looking at you, Le Creuset), and all of these pieces are incredibly accessible. Walk, don’t run and get one of these limited editions, if we haven’t bought them out first!
Renowned artist and designer Shepard Fairey, known for his iconic “Hope” design from Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, has unveiled a new design supporting Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential bid. The poster, featuring the bold slogan “Forward,” was created to be distributed for free and without financial gain to Fairey. It serves as a powerful symbol of grassroots activism, and Fairey hopes it will urge the nation to embrace a future of equality, environmental stewardship, and justice. As Fairey passionately states, “We are not going back; we must go forward together.”
2024 isn’t shy about throwing curveballs at us, and this summer is no exception. The latest graphic design trend, appropriately called “Future Medieval,” is a blend of past (way, way past!) and present, merging the dark, organic aesthetics of the Middle Ages with contemporary, cleaner design elements. The trend is characterized by dense ornamentation like you might expect to see in an illuminated book, intricate blackletter typography, and medieval motifs, reflecting an unexpected cultural shift towards embracing complexity. As modern graphic designers draw inspiration from ornate medieval art, the trend flies in the face of the clean, minimalist designs we’ve seen so much of, offering instead a richly textured visual experience.
August holds International Beer Day, and what better way to celebrate than to combine it with amazing marketing! Design Taxi has a collection of some of the best beer ads of all time and breaks down the reasons why these ads have staying power. Some utilize the allure of pop culture and have celebrity endorsements from the hottest stars of the time. Others have more of a narrative and tug at our heartstrings (you think a beer commercial can’t do that? Watch the Budweiser “Lost Dog” one and get back to us). Some just stick to a straight narrative and hope to be memorable enough to stick with the viewer the next time they’re in the grocery store aisle. In any case, they all take a ton of creativity, and we will raise a glass to that!
June is usually a month full of colorful graphics: corporate allies traditionally festoon every editable profile avatar in rainbow hues to broadcast their support. Rainbows are incorporated into clothing designs on the shelves of all your favorite stores. But Pride 2024 has seen a notable shift, with many brands noticeably scaling back their online support amid rising backlash. High-profile controversies have made companies wary, leading to a significant reduction in Pride footprint. Brands like Nike and Target, once vocal allies, have taken a more cautious approach, limiting their Pride offerings and steering clear of explicit support. This trend highlights a troubling retreat in corporate allyship, especially in a critical election year marked by increased legislative threats to the LGBTQ community.
