The end of 2019 was much more significant than we realize. Not only did we say goodbye to the design trends of last year, but we also said goodbye to the design trends that helped shape our decade. We were introduced to numerous concepts, saw the birth of going minimal, and experimented with a lot of new designs over the past decade.
And as we part with the old, it’s time to welcome the new. These are the top 5 biggest web design trends that we think are going to shape the year 2020.
Monochromatic Web Colors
Duotones were big in 2017. How big? Almost-everybody-doing-it big. But since then, we’ve seen the trend going from two color tones to something much simpler. Monochromatic colors are in and are slowly shaping up to be one of the biggest design trends of the year.
Monochrome colors simply exude harmony. After all, it’s easier to get along with other colors when you’re all from the same family, right? It’s definitely simpler, easier, and will never feel wrong.
One of the added benefits of the new monochromatic color scheme trend is that it never feels dated at all. Monochrome designs are timeless and go far beyond the year 2020. And while most designs seemed to focus on minimalist, plain black and white, designers are embracing the wild side and are exploring newer, more unique color families.
Another perk to monochrome is its ability to balance designs well. The use of different hues of the same color adds variation and contrast to keep things interesting while still maintaining balance. It looks clean and veers away from being one-dimensional. It adds plenty of color without going overboard.
Going Crazy with Typography
The year is just getting started but we’re already starting to see some frontrunners for this year’s typography trends.
Like I said before, designers are now embracing the wild side and are pushing the envelope when it comes to their designs. Artistic typography is looking to take over this year as artists look to explore bolder, more innovative designs to create more exciting, innovative compositions. This year, artists will be looking to incorporate more geometric shapes, adorn their designs with more patterns, and explore more creative elements.
Maxi typography involves text elements that are quite large, which was a big hit in 2019. But it’s just so big that it’s bleeding through to 2020. It looks like typography will take center stage this year more than ever. You’ll see oversized text and heavy fonts in posters, logos, packaging, and even on the web.
Taking a page out of history, serifs are also taking center stage this year as more and more designers are using serif fonts to do away with the modern sans serifs and humanize their compositions. More and more brands are adopting bold, high-contrast serif fonts whether it’s for their website development, logo, or other branding materials.
Taking the Extremes: Hyper Maximalism to Ultra Minimalism
It seems minimalism isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. In fact, it’s gaining more momentum than ever with so many artists going for that simplistic look unencumbered by multitudes of design elements.
But people are taking the minimalist approach a step further with what people are calling ultra-minimalism. To the untrained eye, the design will look like ordinary minimalistic designs. But for artists, it’s so much more than simply removing unessential design elements in lieu of white space. It involves so much more skill in determining what elements to discard and a knack for typography.
On the other side of the spectrum, there’s the polar opposite of the ultra-minimalist – the hyper-maximalist, who believes that if a few is good then more must be better. Injecting more art elements into a design is a design philosophy being embraced by many. This movement is being praised by many artists and is welcomed for its ability to combine the functionality of design and the expression of art.
Embracing the Flaws
In 2020, more and more brands will look to tell an authentic story to create a better connection with their audience. That means doing away with the filters and celebrating authenticity in the content they publish.
If there’s one thing Instagram has taught us, it’s that everyone lives in a perfect world – and people are veering away from that. But today, brands are connecting with their audience by portraying people as, well, people – with flaws and all.
Especially in the beauty and fashion sector, more and more brands are realizing the power in celebrating diversity and people’s flaws instead of sticking with a perfect aesthetic that feels out of touch with society.
The same trend is also noticeable in design as more designers sacrifice legibility for kinetic fonts. That means you’ll begin to see more artists creating designs that feature letters that are deformed, disruptive typesetting, and bespoke glyphs. After all, intrigue rules over legibility in design any day.
The Rise of Handwritten Brush Fonts and Custom Typography
With the design world as cluttered as it is in recent years, competition is quite stiff among the multitudes of designers worldwide. The only way to stand out is by embracing your uniqueness and creating your own font – an approach in typography that’s gaining ground in 2020.
It’s one of the biggest trends for this year. Instead of relying on common fonts, designers are taking a more custom approach to the text. Expect plenty of handwritten fonts, organic lines, and experimental typefaces in 2020.
Conclusion
2020 is here and it’s a new year – but it’s not just any year. The year 2020 represents rebirth and a new beginning. But for many designers and brands, 2020 is a year for trying new things and exploring new trends. Luckily, we’ve taken out the guesswork involved in the exploration process, which leaves you with the opportunity to start early and experiment on which trend works for you. All you have to do is think outside of the design box and have fun with it.
Which one did you like most?