What does 2016 have in store for graphic design?
Design principles in 2015 continued the refinement of the minimalist tradition through flat design. With Google’s ubiquity in the internet, their material design aesthetics continued to influence website design preferences.
Coastal Creative predicts the continued rise of flat design and full screen video backgrounds in their infographic Design Trends 2016. What else did they predict?
Check out the infographic below:
Few thoughts and additional predictions
1. What started as a reaction to skeumorphism evolved to an identity of its own. Flat design’s continued refinement will most likely achieve ubiquity in the coming year, thanks to Google, as designers continually perfect its design principle. I expect subtle gradients and shadows, however, rather than straight flat colors. Everything else would remain the same.
2. The full screen image or video background makes every website nowadays too similar that it makes them indistinguishable. While I don’t expect this type of design to go away soon, designers will most likely try experimenting other kinds of design or layout. I’m putting my bet on “Cards” akin to Pinterest. Check out TheNextWeb’s layout, for example.
3. Storytelling was indeed a great development in 2015. The SEO myth of putting everything important “above the fold” is debunked already with users not shying away from the long scroll, thanks to the mobile layout of smartphones. Great content engages users and we will probably see more sites using animation integrated within the layout. The McWhopper website comes to mind.
4. A direct result of engaging storytelling would be the designer’s more careful choice of typography. Sites would mimic the effective use of fonts by content site Medium. Even Facebook updated their HTML-era Notes app to keep up with the changing typographic times.
5. More icon standardization. This is more of a challenge rather than a prediction. 2016 would be a year where we would rethink the icons for “Share“, “Upload”, and hopefully, that atrocious hamburger “Menu” icon.
What do you predict will happen on design this coming year? Comment below!