Things are constantly changing in all walks of life, and branding tends to move with these trends. Being aware of these trends and utilising them well can be vital for the growth of a business. To help you navigate these trends, we’re excited to launch our three-part series of brand trends you should be looking out for. This week, our focus is on graphic design.

1. Minimalism vs Detail: A Battle

A battle as old as time itself: the debate between minimalism and more detailed, complex branding remains at the centre of brand trends. 

Minimalism has ruled supreme in recent years, with some of the most recognisable logos of our time, such as Apple and Google, minimalist. Minimalism is a response to what society tends to crave: simplicity and directness. 

We have all heard the mantra ‘less is more’, and minimalism conforms to this, using negative space to draw attention to the centre and creating a clean aesthetic, drawing the consumer closer to the branding itself. This makes a sleek branding style that often resonates with the consumer, ensuring you have a memorable brand. 

However, minimalist branding can look slightly bare-bones and too simplistic, with too much white space. 

The natural contrast to minimalism is clear – a more detailed, elaborate style involving bold imagery, sharp contrasts in colour, and complex illustration, amongst other design features. When done right, these aspects of ‘quirky’ branding can look beautiful and make your brand seem more accessible. But, of course, this depends on the person – branding design is subjective, so careful consideration and knowing your audience is vital. 

In addition, handwritten fonts and illustrations can make your brand appear more relatable, adding depth and realism. Logos involving these illustrations mostly appear within the creative sector, where the intricacy and classic calligraphy connect with those audiences. 

Deliberate flawing has recently grown in direct response to minimalist perfection in design, where combining abstract illustration and handwritten fonts can often identify with a younger, countercultural audience. Both minimalist and detailed branding have clear advantages, so it is worth considering both before choosing which side you want to be on.

2. Logo Adaptability

As technological advancements continue to reach dizzy new heights, with a wealth of new digital products readily available year after year, the range of spaces that require filling has grown. With mobile phones of all sizes, smartwatches and social media, brands have felt the need to adapt – and with this process came the adaptation of logos themselves. 

Many brands have begun to ensure their logos are easily scalable due to the many forms of digital marketing now prevalent. From 16×16 favicon pixels in browser tabs to Instagram stories and reels and to their company website – logos must now be versatile. This prevents the logo, in whatever form, from looking cramped or messy.

Nonetheless, having adaptable logos as part of your brand holds other benefits than pure convenience. Adaptable logos look clean and convey a degree of simplicity and neatness to the brand. 

However, they are tricky and work best with minimalist logos. If your logo has more detail, you can risk losing your brand’s identity when scaled down. In these situations, it would be better to create separate, simpler versions of your logo that can be plugged into the limited spaces of our digital world. 

Regardless, with digital expansion and social media now becoming the norm, this trend is definitely something to think about!

3. Inclusivity

As the world we live in changes and the discourse surrounding race, sexuality and gender becomes more nuanced and important, reflecting these changes in branding has become essential. 

The stats don’t lie – 71% of people expect brands to promote diversity and inclusion in their online marketing, and brands with the highest diversity scores enjoyed a consumer preference rating of 83%. Embracing and celebrating diversity is, quite simply, what consumers now expect – making inclusivity the future and the present. 

There are various ways you can incorporate inclusivity into your branding, with website blogs, social media posts and embracing diversity within your team being a selection of many examples. 

However, it is vital to remember that this isn’t about simple box-ticking – consumers can generally catch wind of inclusive branding that isn’t genuine. Using blogs as an example, it could be useful to create blogs for various landmarks throughout the year, such as LGBTQ History Month, and how they relate to your industry. 

To summarise, inclusive branding is here to stay – and is simple to launch and maintain, as long as you are genuinely committed to doing so. One website stock photo wouldn’t be enough!

4. Brand activism

Similarly to inclusivity, brand activism continues with the theme of ethical branding, and consumers want to buy from businesses that have a conscience. Brand activism concerns social justice issues, such as embracing environmental sustainability and charity.

It has become vital for organisations to promote sustainability in recent years, with 65% of us believing that businesses should shoulder as much responsibility as governments for social change. As populations look to take collective responsibility for the environment, they expect brands to do the same – and this is a great way to identify with the consumer. 

Brand activism encourages brand loyalty and can ensure a dedicated customer base. The world is changing, and people seek products and services that they care about and genuinely support: these companies are growing three times faster than their competitors. Making the world a better place is always a bonus! 

Suppose you’re stuck for ideas on how to get involved in brand activism. In that case, there are many online projects concerning the environment, such as MoreTrees – who we engaged in our Plant Pledge – to plant one tree for every client for every month they remain with us. 

Brand activism doesn’t only serve the environment; the area of brand activism you engage with depends on your audience and product. Recently, the celebration and appreciation for all things local has grown for consumers. Therefore, promoting local events online and showcasing any local products you sell or use is always effective. 

Partnering with and promoting local and national non-profit organisations, perhaps with a cause related to your business, is also a great way to enhance your brand. There are many ways to grow your ‘company conscience’, so you should know your audience and where to focus. 

Above all, as with inclusivity, consumers know how to look out for a PR stunt – so ensure you are consistent and thorough!

5. Nostalgia

Nostalgia has always been a significant force within the broader marketing world, but the phenomenon has only recently become more influential within digital branding. The rapidly changing world we live in, where everything is always moving forward, has amplified our desire to pause and take a break – looking back at the ‘good old days’. 

The most famous example recently has been Burger King reverting to its logo from most of the 1990s. With 55% of people wanting to return to the past given a time machine and only 28% to the future, Burger King and other brands alike are looking to restore an emotional connection with their audience. 

They are correct – nostalgic branding evokes feelings of familiarity and stability and often generates a tighter brand-consumer relationship. We are all guilty of waxing lyrical about how much better times used to be, so why not take advantage of it?

Nonetheless, remember that nostalgic branding is not the secret key to branding perfection. It should not be the central pillar of a business’s brand and should act as a supplement. There is no guarantee that nostalgia will appeal to the audience you are trying to connect with, and some markets may not have enough exposure for this tool to be fully optimised. 

Regardless, nostalgic branding can be incredibly effective; it is just important to consider your market and the stage your business is in.

6. Humanising brands 

The rapid growth in the importance of social media, both in branding and the wider world, has made way for a new branding phenomenon: humanising brands. Social media has made it incredibly easy for brands to communicate with consumers. 

Recently, brands have taken it a step further by talking, rather than just communicating, with them. In a time of mistrust and disillusionment towards businesses, connecting with audiences through humour and conversation on social media has looked to bridge this gap.

Treating customers like friends through an informal typing style with emojis, slightly broken grammar, and entirely lowercase sentences create a feeling of directly messaging the business. This makes the brands more approachable and relatable. 

In addition, producing videos and reels on TikTok and Instagram related to viral trends creates humour surrounding the brand, and the more people who like it, the more likely they’ll share it.

Although an important part of humanising your brand, the process doesn’t have to be limited to social media. Consumers love a story – and making the background of your business a key pillar of your branding is a great idea. 

Including the what, how, and why of the origins of your business on your website and whichever digital campaign you pursue makes your business easier to relate to, generating a stronger relationship with your target base. 

It certainly works – 92% of consumers want brands to make their advertisements more like stories. Humanising your brand can also be as simple as including your team on your company website, including short bios of each member. Consumers want a face behind the business, something they can trust and root for rather than an isolated organisation.

Final thoughts

With the age of digital marketing in full swing, trends in branding have only become more erratic, making keeping up with them essential. Some trends are more resilient, and some are a flash in the pan. 

It is always vital to keep your brand simple, ensuring your visual content on the web matches your brand’s aesthetic, putting your customers at the heart of the brand, and understanding them. 

We’ve laughed, we’ve cried. You’ve hopefully enjoyed. Now it’s time for the sale. The call to action. 

Our team of forward-thinking marketing and brand design experts can provide you with ample support when it comes to building and customising a brand for your specific target market. For advice on navigating these trends and how to best deploy them according to your objectives, please feel free to book a free 30-minute discovery call.