6 Graphic Design Predictions for 2023 and Beyond

by Emma L. Business consultant

As of lately, the graphic design sector experienced massive growth. This is, by all means, a natural trend. People are visual beings and no matter whether we are publishing new content, performing marketing, doing branding, or engaging in practically any form of modern communication we will find visual content at the core of all these activities.

This surge, however, didn't only increase the scale of the graphic design industry but also set the entire field on a much faster development track where every new year brings countless new trends and innovations.

Well, let us take a look then at some of the most important trends that will shape the graphic design sector in 2023 and beyond.

The rise of motion graphics

This trend can be largely attributed to the rise of TikTok and its disruptive influence on the general public. Be that as it may, this insanely popular is here to stay and it quickly expands past its core, younger follower base. Because of that, visual assets like motion graphics that present short bursts of kinetic graphic images will become increasingly important marketing and branding tools in the near future. However, we think that the next year will be the year when this hot trend will truly take off.

Higher emphasis on 3D design

The same can be said about the so-called 2.5D images that add some depth through the otherwise 2D images. This trend is also very rooted in the tastes of the mainstream audience. The thing is that the traditional streamlined and boxy visual design as well as simple, subdued typography are running their course. The modern audience slowly but steadily transitions to something more dynamic, immersive, and tangible. The 3D images add that layer of reality and they are going to grow more relevant in the future.

Typography undergoing transformation

The fact that 3D images are slowly taking over the market doesn’t change the fact that high-contrast, two-tone colors combined with effective typography are still capable of producing strong effects. But, keeping in mind the other, less subtle trends these graphic elements need to be presented in a striking and energetic manner. If you want to get these bold abstract shapes, you will probably need to hire a creative graphic design studio to meet the goals. Keep in mind this, though – the more rules you break the better.

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Surrealism breaking into the mainstream

This trend can be largely attributed to the material produced by AI-powered platforms like OpenAI and DALL-E 2 that are capable of taking various user-provided parameters and generating images that are incredibly creative, surreal, and striking. Be that as it may, social media sites are flooded with this type of material, and users are slowly adjusting to this so-called surreal minimalism, constantly looking for fresh content. So, as funny as it may sound, surrealism will become one of the hottest new trends.

The need for inclusion and representation

The world is becoming a global village and people from all corners of the world and walks of life are feeling the need for greater representation and inclusivity. The visual content designed for the global stage should tap into these sensibilities. Keeping that in mind, the visual representations have so far been limited mostly to gender and ethnic diversity. This trend should expand to new grounds and the imagery should highlight different cultures, people with disabilities, and similar inclusive parameters.

Ongoing retro sensibilities

Last but not least, we would like to point out that people will always like the good old days when everything seemed simpler and better. So far, we were mostly looking for this happy place in the 80s neon-clad esthetic. Now, the pendulum swings in a couple of different directions. On the one hand, we have the minimalist, streamlined and pastel-based imagery from the 70s. On the other, you have the energetic, Xtreme, MTV, and colorful look of the 90s. These trends will pick up a lot of steam next year.

We hope these couple of mentions gave you a general idea about the direction in which the graphic design industry will keep moving in 2023 and beyond. Of course, we should all keep in mind that these selected trends are only the tip of the iceberg and that the true scale of everything is very hard to assess, let alone pen down. But even this limited insight gives us a pretty good idea that the graphic design sector is in for a very exciting year.