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Several years ago an old friend of mine had started blogging. She was sharing amazing things she was making and her content was incredible. The trouble was, she wasn't a designer and so her blog design and marketing just wasn't helping her get the attention she deserved. People were missing her amazing content due to unprofessional amateur graphics.

It always makes me sad when I see talented people not growing or getting seen because their graphics are letting them down.

Now I don't advocate using the latest trends for your main brand identity (you want something meaningful, that communicates who you are and will last more then a few months)... HOWEVER... trends can be really fun in marketing graphics.

Why are marketing graphics different? Because they are short lived, in the moment and all about catching attention quickly and for a moment.

Yes your marketing graphics need to align with your branding, but this doesn't mean you can't infuse some trends into them (as long as they align with your brand) to make them feel fresh and now. With the need to be constantly and consistently pushing out marketing material and content, having some fresh ideas can get you inspired and also keep things interesting for your audience.

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So that being said.. what is hot for 2024?

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1.Cottage-Core- (especially bows)

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Romantic soft and feminine. This trend is big in fashion and interiors and as influencing graphic trends. With bows everywhere and sketching ink illustrations and soft pastel tones. Inspired by the idyllic simplicity of rural life, this aesthetic is full of the soft hues of nature, delicate florals, and whimsical illustrations. A visual haven for those seeking solace in the midst of modern chaos.

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2. Bright and Playful

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Bright, bold and playful is big. It feels fun, playful and grabs attention. It's all about fun, positivity and optimism, which we are all seeking when the world seems a mess.

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3. Organic Shapes

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Giving shapes a more fun, organic and nature feel. These undulating, asymmetrical shapes inject a sense of vitality and organic harmony. Organic shapes remind us that beauty lies in imperfection and the inherently human.

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4. Collage, Grunge + Animated Collage

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To counterbalance the heavy use of AI, we are also see more 'hand crafted' design styles like collage. They feel casual, human and playful. Mixing up media with photos, textures and illustration. This year we will also see collage taken a step further by mixing the hand crafted look with the new technologies of easy animation tools to bring movement into collages and created animated designs.

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5. Distortion and Surrealism

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Escaping the real world and playing with all the possibilities things like AI now give us. We are seeing trends like reeded glass, distorted text, surrealism compositions and abstract 3D shapes.

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6. 90s Pixels

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We all love a bit of nostalgia and taking inspiration from the past. This year we are seeing the rise of pixel and dot designs inspired by the 90s early internet days. As technology moves at a rapid pace, we are now becoming nostalgic for those early computing days, that most millennials grew up in.

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7. AI Assistance

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As AI becomes more a part of how we work online and more accessible, we are seeing less experimentational, completely AI driven work. But instead designs that utilise AI as a tool in the design process. Whether that is using AI generated elements within a design or touching up photos using AI. We are getting better as seeing it as a tool to help achieve what we want to create.
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8. Folklore Flourish

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​A spirited return to roots with the Folk Style movement. Inspired by the rich tapestry of cultural traditions, folk art, and storytelling, this trend weaves a visual narrative that pays homage to the time-honored craftsmanship of diverse communities around the world.

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I think the overarching feel we are seeing is a sense of escapism. With feelings of nostalgia, optimism and peace and harmony. When we are in hard times, these style tend to rise to the surface as we look for comfort and joy. So even if you don't use any of these trends in your work, consider how you can still add a sense of escapism to your work, to take peoples mind off world events and bring them into your creative world, providing hope and joy.

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Do you think you will incorporate any of these trends into your marketing graphics this year?