Experts have predicted the following graphic design trends for 2023.

A slower rate of development in the design business is more normal throughout more typical epochs. In particular, the trend of representing logos as geometric abstractions that began about 2010 persisted throughout the decade.
But generally speaking, the current situation is quite different from “normal times.” As a result of this chaos and unpredictability, many areas of design are undergoing rapid transformations, some of which we may not even notice at the time they occur.

Because of this, we’ve assembled an expert panel of designers to analyse the current climate and predict the future of the field in the next year. By the conclusion of this essay, you will have a better understanding of ten trends that are likely to have an impact on your creative output in the year 2023.

All see this:

1. brands on the move.

Everywhere we go, we see examples of motion design: on digital billboards, websites, and apps. The vast majority of industry professionals see this as a promising trend.

It’s “animated or dies,” as Martin Widdowfield, the brains of Robot Food, puts it. Many companies are investigating the potential of virtual reality and other emerging technologies to help them keep up with the dynamic nature of the digital market. As a result, we can make use of a wider range of tools to refine our storytelling methods and expand our ability to connect with audiences via motion and animation.

He observes that even relatively immobile media, such as packaging, are succumbing to this trend. While “QR codes were all but dead” before the outbreak, Martin says that people now have the behavioural understanding to “search for information.” It’s fascinating to speculate about what this means for augmented reality and how it may affect packaging down the road. It is my prediction that there will be a flurry of innovative strategies to aid firms in moving their products from online to offline retail environments. How about digitising the age-old ritual of unpacking?

For what reason does motion even make a difference, anyway? Mitch Paone, co-founder and CCO of DIA Studio, provides further context. There is no denying the obvious visual superiority of a looping animation over a static image. The obvious differences between salsa and hip-hop dancers reflect a deeper truth: movement creates identity. The dancer’s movements reflect their personality, even if the dancer stays the same.

Screen technology has made it possible for “a brand to have own-able choreography or a behaviour that offers great distinctiveness,” he says. This shift will have profound effects on the design industry. The convergence of technological and creative processes is a seamless blending of shape and motion. To create meaningful work, designers require more than just a firm grasp of conventional design principles; they also need an intimate understanding of motion, rhythm, and time, as well as familiarity with motion design tools.
The design firm DIA Studio recently updated MailChimp’s visual style in this way. “We focused on bringing it to life with motion,” Mitch says of the animating process. The company has said that its “current brand, led by an expressive library of hand-drawn drawings and a yellow and black palette was fantastic for print and out-of-home advertising but was not scalable for digital assets like video, digital advertising, social media, etc.”

The new look takes cues from the MailChimp mascot, Freddie, and has a clean, geometric line, vivid colours, and an engaging bouncing motion. The updated method is very expressive and quite practical, as Mitch exclaims. MailChimp equips its staff with both static brand standards and a wide variety of motion-based toolkits to facilitate distribution across all media.

2. Emerging style: the modern American frontier.

Only around 5 years ago, the current style in design was for very simple, geometric shapes. In light of the worldwide pandemic and economic woes, however, this utopian aesthetic seems increasingly dated. However, Space Doctors’ associate director Julius Colwyn has seen the opposite tendency.

‘The movement is all about a living, revitalised anarchy,’ he says. It’s a reaction against the unified, corporate aesthetic that’s adopted by so many businesses. Unconventional styles such as eye-catching collages, jarring contrasts, powerful neon, and unconventional frames are enjoying increasing popularity.

This approach, which is inspired by the early, lawless days of the internet, is designed to replace harmony with amicable rivalry. From what Julius has gathered, acid green and terminal fonts, screenshots, and digital artefacts are all par for the course in this universe. These designs are the outcome of new skills in the age of the creative economy, so their energy is more than just the mindless neon pandemonium of the early internet. Today’s youth have created a more structured version of digital anarchy than their predecessors did.

3. There is a movement away from stipulating constraints on visual presentation.

Because it is so accurate, it has become a cliché very quickly. While the global pandemic has been terrible for everyone, it has provided Universal Favorite with opportunities to work with clients and partners on the other side of the globe.

In 2023, he predicts, the design industry will benefit most from the breakdown of silos across online subcultures. He is excited about the growing opportunities to collaborate with “talent that you could only dream of working with” on “the client that you’ve always wanted to work with.”

That’s resulted in partnerships with creatives all the way from New Zealand to Berlin, including commissions from clients in Korea. The sharing of information and skills has the greatest promise since this might lead to innovative solutions with cultural ramifications as we emerge from the pandemic into a new world.

4. The fourth developing trend is the decline of individualism.

Once upon a time, at design conferences, every other talk was about how to maximise your income by either charging more for your freelance work or launching your own business. Since March of 2022, though, things have shifted.

The creative strategist of Robot Food, Natalie Redford, puts it this way: “There has been a major change away from “hustle culture” and the material things that have validated us in the past toward measuring success based on how pleased you are. Self-respect and self-care are stressed.

She wonders whether this might encourage people to mix and match different aesthetics. Is there a good balance between a minimalist style with a sense of pleasure and self-indulgence? Is it appropriate to take a stand against excessive expenditure while using the slogan “more, more, more?” Potentially, more unrefined beauty will emerge. Maybe those who want to reminisce are just pining for the good old days. “Alternatively, goals might be condensed to make opulence more attainable.

Predicting whether or not 2021 will be a good year is currently impossible. Samantha Barbagiovanni, the creative director of ThoughtMatter, puts it this way: “Are we experiencing another “Summer of Love?” Partying? Exuberant about the end of the pandemic? In this case, it was clear that the future couldn’t be seen clearly. To experience the sensory, diverse, and emotionally satisfying moments of wonder we’ve been missing in our safe but restricting homes, we’ll have to take the occasional, semi-risky step into what was once considered the “old world” in 2023. Our senses are all geared up and waiting for input.

Even Ellen Munro, the director of creative at BrandOpus, shares this view. “Despite the fact that we live in a very serious culture, an increasing number of items are going for a lighthearted, whimsical look. Companies whose core beliefs are promoted via positive advertising have increased in number.
When she heard that BrandOpus was working with Moto, the largest motorway service area network in the UK, to change the atmosphere at rest stops throughout the nation, she decided to get involved. She goes on to describe the “Smile” as “a warm and welcome differentiating feature that may spread across the brand’s full ecosystem,” adding that it injects “a good old dose of joy into the daily.” To make the rest stop provider the first dynamic choice for relaxation along the route, “we aimed to flip the switch by driving feeling above function, engaging consumers on a considerably more emotional level.”

5. A return to the 1990s is happening.

That the 1980s were such a formative decade for pop culture is an understatement. We’ve been so nostalgic about them for decades that it’s become a problem. Design director at CPB London June France believes their successor is ready for the centre stage now that they have completed largely establishing the tone for future design trends.

He labels this cultural shift as a return to “90s MTV nostalgia.” As in, “Meme aesthetics, green screen, and traditional idents.” CPB’s recent ads for Ballantine’s whisky reflect this ethos. He then explains that the “early internet aesthetic” has been around for a while and has been popularised by TikTok filters and lo-fi DIY video stars. Since millennials make up the bulk of our target audience, we chose to appeal to their inner millennials by modelling our ads after retro MTV idents from the 1990s.

6. Maximum Extremism is Trend No. 6.

Given our findings, the antithesis of minimalism—maximalism—ought to be trending upwards. Clara Mulligan, the head of design at Anomaly London, has verified this.

She claims that “there is a visual revolution developing” after “years of graphic sameness” brought on by the “before restricted practical limits of living in a digital universe.” “Nowadays, consumers want a higher standard of living across the board. The days of modularity and austere, geometric brand structures have given way to the era of maximalist design when engaging visual experiences and dramatic narrative reign supreme. What makes these maximalist worlds so interesting is that they are grounded in history and strategy.

Director of Strategy at BrandOpus, Molly Rowan-Hamilton draws analogies. According to her, many companies are adopting a “punchier, more ownable look and feel” by using a colour palette of mostly monochromatic, vibrant tones. Colours that have been synonymous with a certain company could branch out for a period. For example, Tiffany & Co. abandoned the traditional “Tiffany Blue” in favour of the more up-to-date “Tiffany Yellow” to appeal to a younger clientele and shake off the company’s stuffy, dated reputation.

BrandOpus’s Pipers Crisps, for example, uses a single, bright colour to stand out on store shelves. She explains that the vibrant and energising nature of the crisp brand’s personality and the flavour was the impetus for the decision to employ vivid colours.

7. Typography is becoming more colourful and whimsical, the seventh trend.

The sixth development in typography is a shift toward more vivid and whimsical styles.
Chris Algar, a leading designer of London’s Design Bridge, believes that 2023 will be a pivotal year for type. He thinks the contrast between rounded and sharp edges will become more prominent when “typographic styles tap into extremely exaggerated characterful letterforms.”

Continuing, he explains that the aforementioned motion design trend will impact typefaces. The opening titles of series like Killing Eve and, more recently, Squid Game were very popular during the lockdown, and it’s probable that they inspired the designers. Despite their very diverse approaches to typography, they form a great team because of the exciting motion and heightened personalities they share.

Chris believes that the current Nike “Play New” campaign will have a major influence on the 2023 typographic trends in terms of colour and brightness. It’s “a contemporary take” that “celebrates the essence of the typeface with gorgeous flowing lines” and has “vibrant colours and powerful contrasting forms.”

8. The lines between design, fashion, and brands are blurring, which is trend number eight.

Confusion reigns as to where design, branding, and fashion begin and end. As Apple did with the Beats by Dre acquisition, many companies are realising that strategic relationships are the key to gaining hipster credibility.

According to Molly Rowan-Hamilton, strategy director at BrandOpus, “many companies are turning specifically to streetwear” as they look for “new approaches to bring their goods to life” in settings other than brick-and-mortar stores. Panera’s’soup’ swimwear, Pizza Hut’s ‘taste wear,’ and Carbone’s new fashion firm, Our Lady of Rocco, allow restaurants to create and sell $500 bomber jackets.

BrandOpus’s recent street meats collection follows a similar line of thought with its 13-piece capsule collection based on the classic attire of the Hotdoggers. This collection was made in conjunction with the American food business Oscar Mayer. This collection of streetwear is both an ode to the company’s signature rhomboid logo and an embodiment of its guiding concept, “never compromise.”

9. Ecologically sound procedures that value aesthetics 9th.

In case you haven’t noticed, there is a lot of talk about the planet’s condition recently. On top of that, the design industry is light years ahead of the competition.

Consumers “can now recognise greenwashing from a mile away,” says Free The Birds’ creative director Matthew Gilpin. “Companies can’t only use green packaging to show they care about the planet.” After the government announced its Extended Producer Responsibility plan in April of 2023, pressure mounted on brands to use more environmentally friendly packaging materials.

And it’s important that this be communicated aesthetically as well.

Sustainability, recycling, and the lowest carbon footprint possible without compromising visual appeal will provide a significant challenge for designers and package engineers in satisfying consumer expectations, brand ethos, and environmental rules. The makers of metallic foil have made strides in creating biodegradable products. The eco-friendly benefits of using water-based inks on virgin paper would be nullified by the addition of a soft-touch lamination. The trick is to put these methods to good use. That’s the dividing line between seeming to care about the environment and really doing something about it.

However, this has to be done cautiously and discreetly, otherwise clients will see through it. Anton Pinyol, co-founder and creative director of Firma, argues that “design for sustainability-focused organisations used to be full with clichés in terms of colours, textures, typography, and graphics.” Grassy tones and materials, art supplies including paintbrushes and potted plants, and what seem like hands clutching a globe. However, successful companies in the modern era are taking a new tack, one that is replete with tech jargon and bold self-expression.

Samantha Barbagiovanni, the director of design at ThoughtMatter, agrees, adding, “Sustainability and reconnecting with nature is surely here to stay, with maybe a bigger emphasis on how Mother Nature’s medication may increase our well-being, alongside her surrounds.” To a greater extent, we are starting to heal from the wounds inflicted by the Covids. Companies and organisations in this field will see design as a means of education and introspection in response to this trend.

10. Realistic and subversive design is trend number

We predicted correctly that throwbacks will play a significant part in 2022’s aesthetic. However, Samantha Barbagiovanni thinks that 2020 will be extremely different. While 2022 was defined by a level of realistic optimism, she expects that tone to shift in 2023. The enhanced degree of mental, physical, and social readiness will allow us to realise the full potential of the trends forecasted for 2022 this year.

What I want to convey is this: “In 2023, we won’t be longing for the past so much as we’ll be yearning to achieve the unmet potential and fresh pathways of development we’ve uncovered during our protracted time of seclusion and meditation. When individuals come together with a clearer idea of what they want to achieve and are supported by a design process based on their most important values, a new generation of company owners will emerge.

We can all agree on one thing, though: in the face of an uncertain future, we can’t afford to continue doing things the same old way. Wednesday Krus, director of design at ThoughtMatter, believes that in 2023 subversion will be the year’s overarching topic. Her prediction is that in 2023, “disruption will move to transformation,” just as Brutalism was a disruptive reaction to the over-designed, over-analyzed designs of the previous generation.

I get what you’re getting at, but what exactly does it involve? Subversive artwork compels the observer to take action. You, the maker or consumer, are compelled to take stock of your own decisions. Dark aesthetics and misleading branding techniques are avoided. It’s no longer acceptable to create with the goal of criticising or opposing the status quo.

This new trend will utilise design as a tool to overturn established hierarchies that have enriched the few at the cost of the many. The current trend is towards contrariness, and it is common knowledge that the spread of conventional wisdom tends to dilute creative ideas. In the end, it’s their subversive acts that set them free.

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