Don’t Follow the Trends

Nearly every job posting for a graphic designer has this requirement: “knowledge of graphic design trends.” Though this is a helpful skill to have in a highly-visual world, this knowledge shouldn’t necessarily be the primary guide for all design decisions

In an ever-changing market, keeping up with the trends can be exhausting, but also futile. Trends come and go, becoming dated almost as quickly as they rise in popularity. Styles can often be easily traced back to a specific decade, or even year, telling you exactly when they were created. If these looks go out of style, you’re left with a design that’s stuck in the now-ugly past.

Trends are not only fickle, but also too specific for all forms of design. It’s true, design trends may work well for a single social media post or a promotional campaign. However, things like books and logos should be designed to stand the test of time. Committing to a 90’s style book cover can work if your target audience is drawn to that. However, this choice will give your book the appearance of age and may not appeal to younger readers that are attracted to something more modern. Either commit to the chosen aesthetic as a strategic choice, or be prepared to update the design when society deems that style to be tacky.

Finally, trends leave little room for creativity. Adhering to a popular style can cause your design to get lost among all the other designs utilizing that look. It is much more practical to consider your specific industry, target market, brand personality, and unique offerings to create something uniquely yours. This shows your end user what to expect from you, which is more valuable than being culturally relevant.

There is a time and place to follow design trends, but beware that you don’t sacrifice something that really works on the altar of something that just looks cool.