A graphic artist has to properly analyze and create visual content that is capable of communicating the exact message they have in mind. He is the one finding the most effective solutions to convey a message through the help of colors, illustrations, photography, animation or other layouts they may think of. Graphic designers are people who rely on the products of their creativity. The problem is they also have to stick with the requirements that each client brings to the table. The client has to properly state what the message they want to transmit is. Without open-mindedness, the acceptance of cultural, physical and social influencing factors or a clear visualization of the ideal outcome, the problem cannot be realized.

Every graphic designer knows that trends are continuously changing in this domain and it’s quite difficult to keep up with everything that’s happening. Graphic designers usually develop an individual style that they expose in all of their pieces of work. Nowadays, a lack of imagination would constitute the absolute obstacle in the marketing industry. Why? Products and companies need catchy promoting materials. Without good visuals, they risk not being noticed by potential clients. Great content and a well-built, branded image represent the secrets to success. The graphic design industry is focusing exactly on the companies’ need to build their image. That’s the main reason why designers are trying their best to keep up with people’s preferences. A new trend is an opportunity to create something unique that attracts customers. Here are some of the one that transformed the graphic design industry in 2018:

This is also known as element design balance. Using visual weight is useful in creating some sort of balance in a design. If in the past few years people preferred symmetrical designs, in 2018 asymmetrical ones are the focal points of graphic design. Understanding visual weight implies knowing how to handle design elements such as lighter/darker colors (some have more depth than others), thick/thin lines, bold/artsy calligraphy and so on. Each element has a specific weight that it adds to the final outcome. A good graphic designer will know how to balance every element in order to make the whole product visually pleasing. Trying with different variants and methods of placing visual weight into a composition until the message is correctly expressed is also useful.

There is one criterion that has to be taken into account when putting together a series of graphic design elements. Grouping them so that a certain item is more emphasized than others to transmit an idea is based on proximity. The distance between the elements in a composition is paramount for a proper understanding of the message. A layout that’s easier to read and include the most relevant information regarding a specific topic is now the outcome graphic designers are looking for. In the past, people desired to include as much information as possible in a smaller area. Today, white space and headlines instead of blocks of texts are favored. Why? The answer is relevant – the society finds itself in a perpetual haste. People no longer have the necessary time to lose themselves in irrelevant information. The consequence is that they rely more on visuals and they are not patient with reading a large amount of content anymore. This way, the role of graphic designers stands out. Proximity and grouping are difficult to manage, simply because choosing the most important elements in a design involves time and lots of analyzing.

You might consider that alignment is not essential, especially in the case of abstract designs. Well, the present trends will prove you wrong. Have you ever seen a presentation where participants used display boards? If yes, you’ll understand the need for coordinating elements in space. In case your design cannot easily fit in the space offered by a display board, the impact won’t be the one you expected. Correctly centering the elements to the edge of the image is essential.

Another trend of the year 2018 is represented by repeating elements. Of course, this doesn’t apply to all existent graphic designs. The repetition of different characteristics such as fonts or colors is the one giving the entire design some sort of completeness. Repetition can signify a visual theme, which is the concept that helps a brand being noticed. Using the same visual theme to create the brand of a company will help people remember it and instantly recognize it the moment they see it again.

An element that was quite ignored during the past era of graphic design is whitespace. Before things changed, whitespace was an element that designers avoid. Why leaving room behind when you can cover it with artwork? Trends transformed and, as mentioned before, living a minimalist lifestyle is the goal of almost everyone alive. Using whitespace creates an airy design, containing organized elements. Some people consider whitespace the symbol of modernism and post-modernism.

The moment you use display boards to present your products, services or your company in general, the most important element in terms of visual is contrast. There is always one item that should attract all the eyes in the room. Without involving contrast, this is not possible. Maintaining the same visual theme while making an item pop can be tricky, but this is what companies will ask graphic designers to do. It’s the easiest way to make potential customers think about a service or product of your own choice.

Besides grouping and alignment, there’s another trend that rules the year’s graphic design. Creating a path for eye movement. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, you should control the attention of people who are seeing your work. Viewers always start with the focal point of the image they look at, then they move their sight to the second most dominant element and so on. By designing the hierarchy of elements correctly, you’ll plan an eyesight path for each viewer.