2022 is here! Ready to see our graphic design trend predictions?

Graphic design trends are always evolving. With the challenges brands faced in 2020, this year will be all about connecting with customers on a personal level.

Your product packaging or labeling design does more than making a great first impression. It informs customers, establishes a brand's personality, and fulfills varied business goals. 
Therefore, to achieve the final graphic design that works for everyone, teams should align their thinking and understanding of all aspects.

Before Choosing A Graphic Design Style, Answer These 3 Questions 

1. What is the product?

Understand the core product and categorize it into food, beverage, cosmetics, and others. If possible, add sub-categories as well. E.g, for food, sub-categories will include snacks, ready-to-eat, frozen, and condiments. This will help the creative team to understand which graphic design style will make the most impact.

2. Who is your audience?

Determine the demographics such as age, location, gender, and psychographic information on their interests, spending habits, and values. 

3. What are the technical aspects? 

Talk to the brand team, creative team, and the printer to understand production requirements including, material, color schemes, printing guidelines, and restrictions.

Once you’ve answered these questions with as many details as possible, it will act as a guiding force to choose the right graphic design style for your product. 

While these design styles can stand on their own, we recommend combining them to achieve unique graphics. 

10 Graphic Design Trends That'll Dominate 2022

1. Flat Designs 

Flat design style is currently the leader of the pack. Sometimes, it's considered as a sub-category of minimalistic design style. Flat graphic design trend involves the use of minimal colors and eye-catching visuals.

Brands and designers tend to lean towards flat graphic design because they are versatile, emotive, and recognizable.   

Characteristics of graphic design style

• Muted or bold designs with color blocking
• Illustrative, quirky, or comical
• No use of gradients or shadows
  

Combines well with

• Typographic designs
• Textured natural designs
• Geometric designs
• Minimalist designs
  

Industries or Products

• Food and beverages
• Cosmetics
• Luxury products
• Board games
• Baby or Kid-Friendly Products
  

After a year of uncertainties, 2021 will be all about increasing brand recall with customers. Before you follow this graphic design trend, remember that using this style has certain drawbacks. With more and more brands choosing this design style, you might get lost in the crowd. 
Take a look at your brand colors to create illustrations that are aesthetically-pleasing and resonate with your brand personality. You can also use these illustrations for social media posts to improve brand recall.     

2. Abstract

Abstract graphic design style employs free-form shapes, texture elements, and colors across the palette. 

The visual language depicts a simplified representation of real-life imagery or shapes. E.g, in the above collage, the product packaging of Pari Satiss features a bold pattern to emphasize plant-like shapes. The dot and drop element in the logo represents oil and floral waters, which are part of the product ingredients.     

Characteristics of graphic design style

• Ambiguous 
• Interpretative
• Free-flowing or geometric
• Usually bright and colorful
  

Combines well with

• Minimalist designs
• 3D designs
• Typographic designs
• Geometric designs
  

Industries or Products

• Cosmetic 
• Food and beverage products - tea, snacks, soft drinks, chocolate
• Dairy products - ice cream
• Retail
  

Abstract combined with geometric and minimalist graphic design trend is seeing a resurgence. As abstract design style depends on individual interpretation, brands can use organic, free-form elements that either represent a message or to support other design elements.   

3. Typographic 

As the name states, this graphic design trend utilizes modified fonts. Engaging packaging copy can establish brand personality, attract attention, and relate to a customer. 

Characteristics of graphic design style

• Different fonts and typefaces 
• Bold or minimal 
• Conversational 
  

Combines well with

• Geometric designs
• Minimalist designs
• 3D designs
• Abstract designs 
• Retro/ Vintage designs
  

Industries or Products

• Food & beverages
• Cosmetic and skincare products
• Luxury products
• E-commerce
  

Typographic style is an emerging graphic design trend. In 2021, it’s time to communicate with your customers more than usual. This graphic design style allows the product to be visually-appealing and adds to the unboxing and/or user experience. 

4. Quirky And Fun

This graphic design style trend involves informal and humorous elements, lending a fun and whimsical quality to products. 

Think kid-friendly products like the unique Kinder-Joy packaging, cereal boxes with cartoon characters/mascots, or McDonald’s franchise-based Happy Meals box. Fun packaging also appeals to adults as it entertains and offers visually appealing graphic design style.           

Characteristics of graphic design style

• Vibrant and bold 
• Usually comical or caricatural
• Illustrative 
• Elements of fantasy
  

Combines well with

• Flat designs
• 3D designs 
• Typographic designs 
• Abstract designs
• Geometric designs
• Retro designs
  

Industries or Products

• Food and beverages
• E-commerce
• Cosmetics
• Baby and kid-friendly products
  

In 2021, this graphic design trend will continue to increase in product packaging. Combined with flat, 3D, and typographic styles, they can have mass appeal. It also helps products stand out on retail and e-shelves. When executed properly, it can make the product range go viral.

‍5. Photorealism

Photorealism is a form of graphic design trend where the illustration closely resembles an original image.

Characteristics of graphic design style

• Premium imagery that resembles real-life elements 
• Refined details 
  

Combines well with

• 3D designs
• Typographic designs 
• Flat Designs 
• Vintage / Retro designs
• Organic and Natural designs 
  

Industries or Products

• Food and beverages - including ready-to-eat, frozen products
• Consumer goods 
• E-commerce
  

Given recent circumstances, customers are purchasing everything from electronics to fresh produce from e-commerce platforms.    

Therefore, in 2021, think about showing photorealistic graphics of actual products (consumer goods) or the elements (e.g, ingredients for food and beverages) on the packaging design to give customers a glimpse of what they will be getting.   

6. 3D

The exact opposite of flat graphic design trend, 3D graphic style is characterized by the illusion that resembles a real-life object.  

Characteristics of graphic design style

• The illusion of depth/scale
• Solid and gradient colors
• Shadow effect
• Refined details 
  

Combines well with

• Typographic designs 
• Organic and natural designs 
• Abstract designs
• Photorealism designs 
• Quirky and fun designs
• Vintage / Retro designs 
  

Industries or Products

• Food and beverages
• Electronic
  

Rolling out a limited edition of a new product line? 3D graphic design trend in 2021 will offer a differentiating attribute to the packaging and acts as a collectible for interested customers.    

7. Organic And Natural

Organic and natural graphic design trend employs shapes, colors, and textures inspired by nature.  

Characteristics of graphic design style

• Refined Details   
• Solid and gradient colors 
• Bold or muted nature graphics 
  

Combines well with

• Typographic designs 
• Vintage /retro designs
• 3D designs 
• Flat designs 
• Photorealism
• Quirky and fun designs 
• Minimalist designs
  

Industries or Products

• Personal Care
• Consumer Goods
• Food and beverages
  

In 2021, customer’s will continue opting for healthier habits over harsher products. Lean towards nature-inspired graphic design style to visually translate your brand’s core identity.  

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8. Geometric

This graphic design trend involves eye-catching and creative patterns inspired by geometric shapes. Shapes including triangles, circles, squares can stand as symbols or form aesthetically attractive graphics.      

Characteristics of graphic design style

• Symmetrical or asymmetrical
• Shapes and angles
• Colorful or single solid colors

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Combines well with

• Typographic Designs
• Vintage / Retro Designs
• 3D Designs Dimensional Graphics
• Flat Designs
• Quirky and Fun Designs
• Minimalist Designs
  

Industries or Products

• Stationary 
• Confectionary 
• Festive
  

In recent years, geometric shapes have become popular graphic design styles. With a mix of geometric and abstract styles, designers and brands can think differently. 

9. Minimalist

Minimalist graphic design trend needs no introduction. The more simple the design, the more impactful.

Characteristics of graphic design style

• Strong visual architecture 
• Symmetrical
• Clean 
• Defined fonts 
• Less information, more impact
• Color blocking 
  

Combines well with

• Typographic designs
• Flat designs 
• Organic and natural designs
• Abstract designs 
  

Industries or Products

• Pharmaceutical 
• Personal Care and Skin Care 
• Food and Beverages
• Cosmetic
  

If you think the minimalistic graphic design trend gets too much attention, then we understand your hesitation. However, you can opt for a graphic design that stays true to your brand and doesn’t seem like you are following just another trend. E.g, the iconic Golden Arches of McDonalds on their takeaway bags.   

10. Vintage/Retro

Old is gold, and that’s the whole point of the vintage or retro (short for "retrospective") graphic design trend. The glamour of old-world (in this case, 19th-century styles) is not just in movies, it’s now on packaging graphics too.  

Characteristics of graphic design style

• Intricate motifs - music, pop culture
• Decorative styles
• Hand-drawn typefaces and letterpress
• Refined details 
• Dark/Monochromatic color schemes 
  

Combines well with

• Typographic designs 
• Flat designs 
• Organic and natural designs
• Abstract designs
  

Industries or Products

• Food and beverages - Alcohol
• Luxury - Perfume/Scent
  

2021 will be about moving ahead to new graphic design trends while keeping in touch with our roots and the past. Vintage-inspired graphic design elements will evoke nostalgia and create special memories in a customer’s mind.    

Ready To Choose Your Graphic Design Style?

With global market changes this year, 2021 might be the year to jump back on the wagon. Brands will be looking to reach out and make meaningful connections. Customers will be looking for products that suit their new routines and lifestyles.     

Graphic design trends and styles evolve and morph with changes in preferences, markets, and industries. However, in 2021, one prevailing thought is that graphic design trends will go in a more human direction, emphasizing the importance of connecting with customers on a personal level. So share this guide with your teams and brainstorm ideas to create dynamic designs while ensuring marketing compliance software can aid in maintaining brand consistency. 

So share this guide with your teams and brainstorm ideas to create dynamic designs.  

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