As we move further into 2024, there are some trends that we’ve been seeing in graphic design that tell us that these are going to dominate style in 2024. From maximalist aesthetics to AI-enhanced design, graphic design is changing the way we visually interact with the world. Let’s take a deeper dive into some of the prominent graphic design trends that we’re going to be seeing more of in 2024. 

In 2023, maximalism emerged as a bold and expressive trend, displacing the sleek minimalism that had dominated graphic design for years. 2024 is seeing a continuation of that maximalist trend and we’re here for it. Maximalism is characterized by vibrant colours, lavish textures, intricate patterns, and a lack of white space; it encourages designers to embrace the mantra of “more is more.”. Gone are the days of the sharp borders around graphics and text and images staying in their defined areas; maximalism encourages the use of every bit of space possible, resulting in an immersive experience for the viewer.

Gradients have long been a staple of graphic design, fading in and out of popularity (pun intended). A new trend for 2024 is the introduction of grainy or distorted gradients. By subtly blending colours and textures, designers can add noise and depth to images. Grainy gradients give gradients multiple points of interest which allows the designer to draw eyes to different places in the graphic, extending the possibilities for creative expression.

In graphic design, there are few truly new trends – it’s a matter of which old trends have been reimagined or have experienced renewed popularity. Glass morphism was last big in the mid-2010s, disappeared for a few years, started to re-emerge in late 2020, and is becoming one of the graphic design trends to watch in 2024. Some of the defining characteristics of glass morphism are translucent layers giving a frosted glass effect, blurred backgrounds, light borders, and contrasting text. The key difference between the new glass morphism and the earlier iterations is that in 2024 glass morphism doesn’t compromise accessibility. This is achieved through using high contrast between the text and the background, using larger and easier-to-read fonts, and ensuring that the design doesn’t compromise the usability of the page – even if that means that some elements don’t have a particular design feature extended to them.

Just as Japanese-style bento boxes have taken off as a type of lunch container, bento box-inspired UI has tapped into the desire for compartmentalization. Bento box layouts offer a fresh perspective on organizing content by using groups of content blocks in various sizes to achieve flexibility and create visual interest while still maintaining an underlying grid design. Bento box interfaces are popular with both users and designers because they allow for organized content that follows a clear hierarchy. They are also highly responsive – so one design works on mobile and web interfaces.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in graphic design is a highly divisive topic, but there’s no denying that AI is here to stay and will be part of the graphic design world in 2024 and beyond. Using art that is 100% developed by AI is a risky practice because of copyright issues and concerns about fairness and bias in AI-generated images. However, that isn’t to say that there’s no role for AI in graphic design in 2024. AI can help designers explore more design iterations in less time, automating repetitive tasks, and is a good source of creative prompts and inspiration. As with all technology, the key to the successful use of AI in graphic design is knowing how and when to use it.

As we journey further into 2024, the graphic design landscape will continue to evolve the ways we visually interact with the world around us. From bold and impactful maximalism to the visual interest of bento box layouts, each design trend is an opportunity to evolve your brand’s unique style. Don’t be afraid to try out different graphic design trends in 2024, remembering that there’s no one right way to do things – so try out different styles until you find the ones that work best for the messages you want to convey.