2017 is already in full swing and fresh creative juices are flowing through the design army. Within this, new design trends are slowly but surely coming to the limelight.

In this article, we go over the tendencies not only in web and graphic design but also in interior design and photography. So open your eyes, take notes and share because this is the list of design trends in all creative souls should look out for in 2017.

Graphic design trends

2016 definitely wasn’t the best year with all the political wars, fake news, celebrity deaths and doubts in democracy. Armed with scandals, one-sided standpoints and lots of visual tools in its hands, traditional and social media made lots of people lose their faith in visual materials and media channels. We sincerely hope that 2017 will be the breath of fresh air and that it will  to counteract uncertainty with authenticity, raw humanity, craftsmanship and simplicity and this will be evident within visual design trends.

Greenery

Silence, please! Pantone has spoken. The color of this year will be Greenery. It represents new beginnings, freshness and focus on the environment – exactly what we need. .

Package design & branding

The look of the products this year will be mainly focused on products themselves, rather than on companies and brands. Designers will be focused at displaying the contents and inner traits of products, and not on “wrapping” them  under the name of the company.

Main sources of inspiration here will be open-mindedness, green living, health and eco movements, as well as the underlying theme of bringing the truth on display.

Photography

Old but gold

Polaroid-like snapshots, flash photos and bold colorful styles will emerge as children born in the 90s continue to be brand ambassadors, run social media and become a major target audience for younger brands.

Candid

Raw, nostalgic and unfiltered images catching candid moments will make a return. Contrary to the perfectly polished and photoshopped covers we are used to seeing recently, candid photography gives us a fresh shift of perspective. Millenials and 90s kids remain a major target audience for brands and this is the imagery that they are looking for.

Logo design

As everybody knows, a logo must be easy-to-understand and has to combine all the main traits of the product, everything that is symbolic or unique about it. Well, the trend of simplifying that started couple of years ago continues this year, too.

Simplicity

Designers are leaving behind textures, shadows and multi-dimensional images. Now it is time for a tidier and more minimalist touch for creating simple, yet eye-catching logos. The recent redesigns of AirBnb and MasterCard are perfect examples of this.

Oh, those lines

Using a solid single-color live to create a outstanding and clean visual element is becoming a practice in the design circles. The so-called line art has a lot to offer while proving to be one of the best choices for companies seeking a professional look.

Typography

Logos can have lots of elements, but the most basic ones are stylized symbols and title text that follows. At least that was a popular approach before. Nowadays the title is stepping ahead, becoming the logo itself. This makes typography more important than it has ever been.

Web design

In 2016 (thanks to Google’s material design), flat design became a standard, but what does 2017 have for us? We asked the experts and the forecast is quite interesting.

Virtual reality

Virtual reality, or VR, became mainstream in 2016 and can now be experienced in a browser. This is a major challenge that UI designers are facing because designing for VR is more complex and at the same time the closest to us that ever with skipping the conversational interfaces.

Micro-interactions

In 2017, micro-interactions will increasingly enter mobile apps, and will become a lot more device-specific. With the rocket rise of mobile traffic there are a lot of opportunities for new and more native interactions. Leaving aside the tap and scroll for a moment, we will face more gestures that bring us more opportunities without leaving the page.

The rise of diversity

Embracing diversity is transferring to the core of products for a more personalised feel. Following Google and Apple, the Unicode consortium released emojis that acknowledge different skin colors and some non-traditional gender roles.

Design sprints

Throughout 2016, design sprints became extremely popular among product teams. Soon after the dawn of the practice many companies adopted the practice to improve the quality and speed of their projects. For those who don’t know, in 2016 Google Ventures (GV) presented the idea of five-day process for answering critical business questions through design, prototyping, and testing ideas with customers. The concept was warmly welcomed and soon after became a successful method of work.

Interior design

2017 has a lot to offer in the wide field of interior design. Starting from voice-activated assistants that will give you a weather update while you pour coffee into a preheated mug from a warming drawer, to minimalistic, nature-friendly homes.

Satin brass

Brass finishes have been making a comeback in recent years, cherished for their ability to bring shiny golden tones to a space without the high price tag.

Smart home = smart life

With Alexa and Google’s Home voice assistant as prominent examples, 2017 promises to bring more devices placed throughout your home that are listening and waiting for your activation phrase to make your life easier.

Not-so-white white

We all love the simple and clean vibe white has, but when the whole room is dipped is stark white tone, things start to feel a little bit clinical. The art of balancing a white palette with creamy off-whites and natural hues creates the feeling of rich and the same time calm feeling.

Nature-centered thinking

Exposure to the nature has proven health benefits. 2017 will see a rise in manipulating the natural world to bring it into the urban home – plants in concrete structures, botanical wallpaper and harvesting waste to produce furniture.

Having in mind the trends we listed in this article, 2017 looks really promising for the creative creative professionals, and we’re really excited about it. Share with us your opinion on the upcoming visual trends that 2017 has in store for us.