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Graphic Design Trends

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Design experts say 2021 is the year that people will look to graphic design for new and different –– but also reassuring and less overwhelming ––  experiences. Here are some new ideas to consider.

Organic and Natural Colors

Organic and natural shades are on trend. Oranges and teals are replacing drab neutrals to evoke warmth and comfort. Overall, colors are reflecting a tone of calm. Also trending is the use of grains and gradients. These techniques are used to create depth and dimension.

Socially-Conscious Design

Social unrest and movements for anti-racism have captured national attention, and people expect brands and businesses to take notice and evaluate where they stand. Key trends include:

  • sustainability through natural iconography, neutral color palettes, and eco-conscious materials
  • diverse voices and perspectives
  • affirming various identities and imperfections

Mix of Natural and Manufactured

We are eager to reconnect with the  environment. Design that reflects the juxtaposition of the natural and the manufactured, earth and metal, organic and inanimate are gaining popularity.

Symbols Gain Importance

Carefully chosen and constructed symbols are finding their way into more designs to create identity. Emoji’s have demonstrated the power of communicating with simple images, and design is taking note.

5 Inspired Infographic Ideas

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Infographics help you tell a story in a visual way. Online, the visual appeal combined with minimal text can attract more attention than text-heavy approaches.

Creating an infographic takes time. You need to research your message and the points you want to share. And, you need a compelling visual way to present that data.

It can be discouraging to spend hours working on an infographic that get’s no engagement. It is important to have a clear message that engages with your target audience.

Here are some ideas to help you to develop infographics that gain attention.

Solve a problem.

Put yourself in the shoes of your target customer or audience. Then, speak to a problem they need solved. Answer a question that you are uniquely qualified to answer for them.

Be sure that the data and the information you include provides value and positions you as a thought leader in your industry.

Provide a unique point of view.

Share your unique insight and perspective to stand out. This is a great way to position you and your company as subject matter experts to listen to.

Creating content that challenges the status quo can feel risky and will often generate controversy and debate. But these types of pieces tend to get the conversation going and truly differentiate you from others.

Offer insight.

Every industry has a knowledge base that is commonly understood. At least we often think so. Often, we toss around words, phrases and references that aren’t as understood as we assume. This makes for great infographic material.

Explain something that is often glossed over. Explain the origin, the data behind it, and anecdote that illustrates. Offer insight that others aren’t providing.

Interpret data with a filtered lens.

When surveys and research are done, the data interpretation is often very general. Provide value to your audience by interpreting the data more narrowly, focusing on the parameters that matter most to them. Your take may vary quite a bit from more global analyses of the data collected.

Bring related content together.

Your industry and your specific client make a unique combination. Creating infographics that bring separate items together to create context and meaning can illustrate that point. Bring data and information together to tell a story that you are best able to tell.

Pikwizard Offers New Free Stock Photo Options

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Most of my clients don’t have a large marketing budget. One of the ways I maximize is by using quality free stock images. I have written in the past about some great stock photo options and want to share a new one – Pikwizard.

According to Pikwizard, the site offers more than 100,000 completely free images and more than 20,000 of those are exclusive. They are adding new images to the library daily and the ultimate goal is to get to more than 1 million images. Images not marked as “premium” are free to use without attribution.

The fact that they have many images that are not on other sites is worthy of mention, and here’s another: there are many pictures of people, which tend to be rare in free stock photo sites. Check out the site search for “office” or “meeting” and you’ll see plenty of people.