Design has evolved since mankind knows how to make art. From the elegance of the Renaissance to the unknown of absurdity, we all express different kinds of thoughts and emotions throughout human history. As a graphic designer, there is a lot of inspiration that can be taken from many graphic design styles. Applying these while also putting a personal touch can create a unique design that stands out. Let’s learn a couple of them!
Defining Graphic Design Styles
A graphic design style is a unique way of using existing technology and design elements to convey a message. Every design style uses purposeful color, composition, typography, and visual selections to convey ideas. Several things shape graphic design styles, some of them are culture, technology, and artistic movement.
Graphic Design Styles as a Way to Define Brands
Understanding the many graphic design styles will help you choose an appropriate aesthetic that can define your company’s personality and identity, whether you’re launching a fresh business or looking to improve your branding. If you choose a style that appeals to your target audience, they will naturally draw toward it and you might even win their business because design is a powerful tool that can trigger strong emotions in people.
1. Modern
In graphic design, modernism signifies a dramatic turn away from the elaborate, hand-drawn, and ornamental styles that came before it and toward abstraction and simplicity. The modern design movement, which first appeared in the early 20th century, prioritized simplicity, clarity, and functionality over conventional forms and conventions.
2. Grunge
Dark and melancholy, grunge illustrations typically convey a sense of rage or gloom. This design makes use of irregular shapes and lines as well as distressed materials. Stained backgrounds and grittier textures are also common features. Punk and gothic design trends are frequently encountered with this one.
3. Bauhaus
Early in the 20th century, the influential Bauhaus school in Germany gave rise to the Bauhaus visual design movement. It was established by Walter Gropius and arose in reaction to Art Nouveau’s excessive decoration. Bauhaus combined art, craft, and technology to produce practical, reasonably priced designs. This approach is important for the industrial society to mass-produce.
4. Art Deco
Art Deco first appeared in the early 20th century and peaked in the 1920s, distinguished by its luxurious decorations and magnificence. From its French beginnings, it swiftly expanded around the world, impacting fashion, interior design, architecture, and—most importantly—graphic design. The Art Deco style embodies the opulence, glamour, and enthusiasm of the Roaring Twenties. The yearning for a fresh look that reflected the optimism and technological breakthroughs of the day led to the movement.
5. Flat
In a way, flat and minimalism are similar due to their use of simplicity and white space. However, icons and pictograms are frequently used in flat design graphics, along with a monochromatic color scheme. Flat design is now a common style for websites, mobile applications, and graphical materials like posters and guide papers.
6. Retro
The term “retro” graphic design includes a wide variety of design motifs from the 1950s through the 1970s. This involves the New York style, Gothic, Baroque, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Psychedelic, and 60s and 70s design, all of which have distinctly different styles that are rarely confused. Retro design can evoke feelings of nostalgia by transporting the viewer back to a time in their past when they may have experienced a deep sense of purpose or belonging.
7. Playful
Playful design is perfect for work aimed at families with smaller children. Illustrations of humans and animals are frequently vivid and colorful, with a dash of creativity thrown in. Family-friendly companies and children’s books are ideal for this relaxed design approach.
8. Psychedelic
Another instantly recognizable style is psychedelic design. It is full of wavy lines and vibrant colors that make it stand out. The design’s guiding principles are reminiscent of the 1960s psychedelic movement. It is a trend that relates to LSD, a popular drug that changed how people perceived the world, especially how they perceived objects, whose edges and lines would wiggle and warp as if shaken from both ends. The vivid were also far more vivid.
9. Art Nouveau
The first genuinely modern design movement was Art Nouveau. It is an attempt to develop a distinctive style that would be easier to market given the rapid growth of international trade in the 1890s. The style is distinguished by its long, organic lines, which are common in fragile items, plants, and animals to provide a lovely and elegant appearance. Similar concepts apply to the typography employed in this style, which makes extensive use of looping shapes that go well with the graphical elements and natural-looking serifs.
10. Pop Art
The iconic Campbell soup cans with Marilyn Monroe pictures in neon colors are the perfect example of Pop Art. The rise of pop art in the middle of the 20th century is a statement for traditional fine art and people who could afford it. Pop art emerged as a result of the ease with which visual components could be altered and mass-produced. Designers transformed ordinary everyday objects into works of beauty. The distinction between fine art and commercial art becomes hazy!
11. Swiss Style
The 1950s saw the emergence of the Swiss Style, commonly referred to as the International Typographic Style, in Switzerland. It emphasized grids, typography, and the aesthetics of objectivity, readability, and cleanliness.
12. Postmodernism
The majority of art movements begin as an uprising against the established quo. In graphic design, postmodernism naturally arose as a response to modernism’s rigid standards. Using components from a variety of styles, postmodernism aimed to dissolve the boundaries between high and poor art. This design era is embracing complexity, contradiction, and diversity while rejecting minimalism.
13. Minimalist
Since its inception in building design in the 1920s, the minimalist style has experienced fluctuations in popularity. Clean geometric lines and monochrome color schemes are hallmarks of this design aesthetic, which prioritizes simplicity over complexity.
Through the use of white space, minimalism enables straightforward patterns and shapes to communicate a statement. Keep in mind that less is more, and leave out any details that aren’t necessary for the overall layout.
14. Maximalism
Maximalism, the exact opposite of minimalism, is characterized by its aggressive design and overly saturated color schemes and patterns. Its projects frequently use unpredictable layouts that are devoid of conventional balance. Instead of employing white space, this design fills the page, in contrast to minimalism. Text, picture, and texture layering are typical maximalism techniques.
We hope looking through these graphic design styles was enjoyable. Try experimenting with different styles when designing to find your own! If you are in need of a clean and compelling design for a pitch deck, we know how it’s done! Learn more about us through our work and contact us for more details!
