Graphic design is one of the most underappreciated components of marketing. When times get tough, it is one of the first things to get cut. And while all businesses want marketing material to be effective, most small business owners are not always willing to part with the rates required to get a professional. Rather, they relegate design tasks to an employee with just basic training. Even though it may seem like a great way of cutting costs, one might be inadvertently shooting themselves in the foot. 

You have seconds to capture the attention of potential clients with your marketing material.  This is why hiring a professional graphic designer is crucial.  A great graphic designer knows how to effectively layout the message so that it not only gets seen, but read! Subsequently, marketing material that is not done by a professional graphic designer will look busy and unreadable to which that potential client will be lost. So good graphic design not only makes your brand memorable but also increases your chances of conversion. Graphic design, therefore, plays a pivotal role in making your venture a success. With that in mind, what are the graphic design trends to look out for in 2019?

1. Brand Color Schemes

Color is among the most critical components of graphic design. From site architecture to brand logo design, the kind of colors you choose will play a significant role on your company’s visual appeal, which will then decide the kind of emotional impact your brand will have on its audience.

Not so long ago, most businesses chose solid and obvious colors that were associated with the industry that they were in. For example, you will notice that blue is quite a popular theme across multiple platforms and sites as it is associated with trustworthiness. However, times are changing and companies today are beginning to experiment with less conventional colors in their efforts to keep up with graphic design trends. For instance, duo-tone images and brighter hues are gradually replacing the traditionally softer neutral shades.

In fact, companies are performing an almost entire overhaul in their color strategies to a point where they are even abandoning their original brand colors. Traditionally, a company would choose a few select colors to be used across all their branding and design. While it is important to retain some of your initial colors due to brand recognition, choosing different colors is also a wise strategy as it allows you to be unique.

2. Killer Typography and Fonts

In the same way that colors are useful in supporting your brand’s personality, typography is another essential element of graphic design. As such, the size, shape, and nature of the fonts you use in your site, ads, and printed media play a part in crafting your brand identity.

For example, serif fonts generally portray professional and sophisticated brands while sans-serif fonts represent informality and modernism. A bold type captures attention and displays confidence. A trend that has been popular in 2018 is the demand for handwritten fonts. As brands try to differentiate themselves from the rest in the saturated online world, a handwritten font adds an extra layer of uniqueness and personality to a brand.

3. Custom Illustrations

In the bid to differentiate themselves from their competitors, modern brands will be looking to experiment with various custom illustrations and icons.

This is fueled by the realization that the modern consumer needs to recognize and identify with a business before they can purchase from them. Just because you have what they need no longer cuts it. A professional looking site may have worked a few years ago, but people today crave a human feel as they transact online. Companies, therefore, are working harder to create a ‘human’ image.

Hand-drawn images and custom illustrations are among the most ingenious ways a brand can use to bring out their ‘playful’ side.

Another benefit of custom illustrations is that they are tailored to your brand. As such, you will not worry that a competitor is going to be able to utilize your visuals. Moreover, the effort that goes into designing custom illustrations will indirectly hint to your audience that you are dedicated to giving them excellent experiences.

4. Authentic, Unique Photography

This is yet another trend that will be utilized to add further depth to a brand’s online identity while boosting its genuineness and credibility. This is because consumers also use your pictures subconsciously when looking to determine whether your business is worthy of their investment and trust. Essentially, people are still judging books by their covers.

Now, what do you think goes through your visitor’s mind when they come on to your site and see the same stock photo that they have seen a thousand different times in a hundred different websites? It is safe to say that they will not think much of your brand.

Conversely, if on coming to your site, the visitor sees unique, genuine brand photography conveying something that uniquely relates to your company, they will innately admire the effort put into building the image. This is enough to make them view your business as being worthy of their trust. Companies are realizing this, and authentic photography is set to take precedence in 2019.

5. Responsive Logo Design

Your logo is your calling card in the online world. As customers engage with brands using more and newer channels and devices, the need for a dynamic and responsive logo has never been so dire.

Since your logo is what people use to identify your brand, it needs to look just as good in mobile devices as it does on a desktop screen. Brands have begun to move towards that direction, and it is going to be a common trend in web design in 2019.

With the above trends set to take precedence in 2019, it is crucial that you have someone who will seamlessly integrate these concepts into your website and all your marketing avenues. If your graphic design practices are anything less than stellar, you will be losing potential customers even without showing them how great your product is.