Squarespace and Adobe share their 2024 trends
Creative Moment has deep-dived into two reports looking at 2024’s creative canopy, then handily summarised them to give you a bite-sized Cliff’s Notes version to impress your friends and co-workers.
Squaring the creative circle
Website builders Squarespace billed the following themes for 2024
1. Subtle Nostalgia
Grounded in human connection and a sense of familiarity, Subtle Nostalgia delivers a vintage aesthetic that’s achieved through Serif fonts, muted colour palettes, and retro visuals and imagery.
‘Neomorphism’ is a design trend that has seen a 6,000% increase in global web searches over the last 5 years.
The trend is characterised by a soft, slightly raised design style that combines elements of flat design and skeuomorphism that is reminiscent of the 70s and 80s.
Hand-painted candle company, Bable, use a blend of muted-toned and retro visuals on its Squarespace website for a 70s feel.
2. Hyper-Reality
Pushing boundaries of what’s really possible, Hyper-Reality immerses visitors in surreal, futuristic experiences. Heavily influenced by the rise of AI globally, the use of stretched and exaggerated types and puffy and bubbly elements create an attention-grabbing environment that has been embraced by the design world even outside of the web category.
Hyper-real design is representative of the world we are living in where tech is present in the daily lives of most people around the world. Influential fashion brands like MSCHF have really embraced this trend through the launch of its viral big red boots.
3. Minimalism Revival
Minimalism Revival is the resurgence of the “less is more” design principle. The aesthetic is marked by simplicity, clean lines, and a focus on the essential.
In the modern era, Minimalism Revival can be achieved through using a small selection of bright colours, limited typography variations and minimalistic navigation.
Content is king in this approach, with well-organised information and concise messaging.
Yoga instructor and ceramicist Maizu uses clear typography and no more than two colours on her Squarespace website.
Adobe’s crystal ball
Kicking off the software giant’s 2024 predictions is a phrase somewhat reminiscent of the Peep Show episode that brought us the cringey spiritual dance workshop, Rainbow Rhythms. Nonetheless, Calming Rhythms is undoubtedly a trend to watch for.
1. Calming Rhythms
For many years, the term “wellness” was only used in conjunction with physical health. With the increasing velocity of change and challenges, however, people began to regard mental and emotional health as essential to the well-being of individuals and societies.
As people look to improve their emotional balance, brands and organizations of all kinds are supporting them by incorporating fluid, flowing, and relaxing visuals that soothe the senses in workplaces, retail spaces, social channels, and more.
Image Credit: Adobe Stock/mego-studio, Adobe Stock/ Gemma can fly/Stocksy, Adobe Stock/ Михаил Богданов.
2. Wonder and Joy
In today’s challenging macroeconomic environment, people are looking for experiences that inspire profound and positive emotions. They’re prioritising health and focusing on personal connections in order to cope with difficulties and feel happier about their lives.
Image Credit: Adobe Stock/ Kishore Newton.
Wonder and Joy visuals evoke the sense of awe and enchantment people seek. They reflect everything from the everyday pleasure of listening to music or spending time with pets to full-blown luxury travel experiences. And they can be everything from simple illustrations to AI-generated fantasy environments.
Image Credit: Adobe Stock/ Igor Link, Adobe Stock/Oleksandr, Adobe Stock/mego-studio.
3. Dynamic Dimensions
The Dynamic Dimensions trend is one where wildly diverse types of content come together to create playful, high-energy, big-impact visuals. It’s all thanks to the multiverse, gaming, VR, and AR — environments where different media, styles, and dimensions comfortably coexist.
In Dynamic Dimensions visuals, 2D and 3D elements mingle and merge along with motion, special effects, and illustrations.
Image Credit: Adobe Stock/ Qstock, Adobe Stock/ Juan Moyano/Stocksy
4. The New Nostalgia
Echoing the trend also highlighted by Squarespace above, with social and cultural shifts moving forward so quickly, consumers are becoming more interested in visuals that present the past as they associate these styles with simpler times. A recent fascination with styles and tech from the 90s and aughts has evolved into a deep dive into all eras. Gen Z is leading the way, partly in an effort to inhabit a world before smartphones and social media dominated daily life.
Image Credit: Adobe Stock/ Haydiddle.
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