Here are five notable design trends for this year:

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Vibrant & Bright Colors / Gradients

As colors are getting more vivid and courageous thanks to devices that are more supportive now, gradients are continuing to evolve. Gradients have made a comeback in recent years and it looks like they will stay – being utilized in typography, logos, user interfaces, etc. One of the newest innovations with gradients is the use of bright and vivid colors in combination with a variety of textures. This greatly increases the amount of versatility and ability to create a unique design. Gradients 2.0 will also include duotone effects for even more impact.
Given the ever-growing demand for the design that stands out, wide color ranges and gradients will continue their trend in 2018.

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Responsive Logos

Responsive logos are those which are adjusted to suit the device in use without losing the integrity of the logo in any way. They have become increasingly important in a world ruled by mobile devices. A brand must be able to present itself regardless of dimensions and spaces. It will no longer be sufficient to create one logo and scale it down with changing screen sizes. Logos are becoming adaptive, containing several versions for mobile, tablet, desktop devices, and beyond. Much like the responsive web design that rose to the forefront several years ago, responsive logos are now a ‘must’ for professional, effective design.

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Micro-Interaction Animations

Animation has been utilized to grab users’ attention for a number of years now. Due to the never-ceasing development in mobile apps, users expect to see the same effects in web design. Every time you ‘like’ something on Facebook or swipe on mobile apps, you are engaging with micro-interactions. And they are quite effective, considering that their goal is to engage the user and guarantee a dynamic user experience.

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Negative / White Space

Negative space, or more commonly known as white space, has continued to prove itself as a versatile and capable art form. This is the deliberate use of empty or ‘white’ space in the design to balance the overall weight and give the content more impact. There is much likelihood that this trend will continue for a number of years. The benefit is that it gives designs the much-needed ‘leg room’ and breathing space so viewers don’t feel overwhelmed by the tons of information it could have contained. It presents a more contemporary and sleeker look. Viewers are left with the main attraction and the content of the material is received with clarity.

//05

Semi-Flat Design

The technique of adding depth to flat minimal design by using a little bit of shadowing is used to give objects the appearance of a multi-dimensional space that looks more true to life. This effect can also be enhanced by having the objects separated in different layers and adding the interaction of sharpness and blurriness in combination. While this is not 3D imaging, it does give the perception of more dimension to the design – which created a more dynamic overall image in the design.