Wherever we turn nowadays, everything from book covers to packaging design feels flat, sterile, minimal, and much too predictable. While the clean aesthetics are easy to consume and process, it feels like a big change has been brewing, and one that will swing the pendulum all the way to a wild side. Here’s what we’ve seen, and where we think the branding and design trends are headed.
Out With the Old
Look no further than Smile Direct Club for an example of the branding and design trends of the last 5 to 10 years. With minimal, flat, and modern branding, a clean and simple sans-serif typeface, and a conversational, witty messaging, it embodies the reigning trend of yesteryear. It’s true, its branding has merit, but it feels tired. While the clean designs and casual messaging might be easy to understand, it’s playing to an audience that wants to break from the predictability.
In With the New
There’s no denying that the last few years have been hard. With a worldwide pandemic among other tragedies, it’s been a bumpy and eventful time. It follows, then, that the favored branding and design trends of the future seem to center around a nostalgic sense of optimism, whimsy, and playfulness. Providing the audience with a moment of delight and surprise as a reprieve from the current state of the world, trends in branding are turning toward experimentation and wonder.
Anti-branding
The endless bombarding of media leads naturally to an audience of smart, hyper-aware consumers. Today’s consumers have looked behind the curtain and seek authenticity beyond the shiny packaging. This has led to the continuing popularity of understated branding, handwriting, and imprecise typography, all of which achieves an undeveloped feel that, while intentional, feels unbranded. This desire for authenticity has led to the success of user-generated ads like Apple’s “Shot on iPhone” campaign, as well as influencer partnerships and organic content.
Y2K Evolution
As we turn to our inner child, branding and design is continuing to do the very same. Enter remastered Y2K aesthetics, complete with ornamental typography and bubble gum hyper-saturation. While the new design trends emulate the sentiments of a long-ago past, the designs are elevated with modern digital tools, creating new textures and experimenting with modern effects like 3D design. We predict even more ornamental and other-worldly typefaces to emerge in the future.
Texture
We crave texture. Whether it’s more graininess in illustration or experimenting with claymation, the branding and design world craves a departure from the flat designs, longing for dimension. When we see the number of brands promoting plain packaging, we turn to brands standing out from the crowd with texture and details.
Direct Messaging
While the trends in branding of the last few years took on an overplayed witty, whimsical, and humorous tone, the emerging tone seems to put relatability, personability, and humanity front and center. Take RXBAR for example. The messaging pillars of this protein bar company celebrate the transparency and quality of their products through direct copy and anti-branding packaging. By labeling their simple ingredients prominently on the packaging and giving simple facts in their copy, they play on the fact that their savvy consumers can be the judge the quality of the product themselves.
Putting it Together
If Smile Direct Club represents tired branding and design, take a look at Bite, a D2C company also in the business of selling dental products among other everyday toiletries. With flash photography and spontaneous appearance of pastel colors, the brand hones in on the anti-branding trend . The messaging pillars, mirroring the design, are transparently addressed on the About page: “Bite started with two questions: Why does toothpaste come in plastic tubes and what exactly are we putting in our bodies when we brush our teeth?” The pillars echo a popular trend in and of themselves, centered around sustainability and transparency. With a voice and tone that’s straightforward and human, Bite brings new trends together for a branding that is relatable, optimistic, enticing, authentic, and clean.
A Year of Wonder
The savvy consumers of today are well-versed in the wiles of the marketing world, numbing them to the same old strategies. They crave authenticity, interaction with content, color, and unexpected proportions, dimensions, and textures. Needless to say, we’re at the intersection of polar opposites. Get excited for a loud, vibrant, and bold era of branding and design ahead.
Anastasia Salazar Ltd. is an independent design studio for tailored branding and digital designs. Reach out to learn how we can help you fuel growth and maximize your brand’s impact.