Insights Articles | GraphicMama Blog https://graphicmama.com/blog/category/insights/ Thu, 07 Dec 2023 13:16:31 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.5 https://i.graphicmama.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/08153245/favicon1.png Insights Articles | GraphicMama Blog https://graphicmama.com/blog/category/insights/ 32 32 Graphic Design Trends 2024 – The Great Reset https://graphicmama.com/blog/graphic-design-trends-2024/ https://graphicmama.com/blog/graphic-design-trends-2024/#respond Mon, 16 Oct 2023 12:47:04 +0000 https://graphicmama.com/blog/?p=53493 Almost 2024! For the eighth year, we’ve gathered awesome and inspiring examples from top creative minds and sorted them into 10 graphic design trends. Things will be totally different in 2024, especially for creatives. Technology like Artificial Intelligence and machine learning shook things up, and graphic design got hit hard. Tools like DALL-E 2 and...

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Almost 2024! For the eighth year, we’ve gathered awesome and inspiring examples from top creative minds and sorted them into 10 graphic design trends.

Things will be totally different in 2024, especially for creatives. Technology like Artificial Intelligence and machine learning shook things up, and graphic design got hit hard. Tools like DALL-E 2 and Midjourney changed the game fast.

Access 700+ cartoon characters in a variety of action poses that AI can’t generate.

Now, in 2024, we’ve got to adapt. Designers and artists have to push their creative boundaries to deal with these shifts. Let’s take a closer look at these carefully curated and inspiring examples.

Graphic Design Trends 2024: Video Overview

We’ve made a special video to visualize the design trends in 2024 in less than 4 minutes. So if you prefer to listen and watch, check it out:

1. AI Assistance

Nutella package design AI 2024 design trends

Many artists oppose AI, with valid arguments. However, AI is here to stay, and we must harness it for our benefit. It can expedite our work, provide inspiration, and enable us to create things previously impossible. For example, Nutella created a fresh campaign with 7 million unique package designs(image above), which couldn’t have been possible without the assistance of AI.

In 2023, AI revolutionized design industries. AI-generated images began replacing stock and custom graphics, saving companies time and money. You should embrace this change, regardless of your design field—whether web design, illustration, packaging, or posters. AI streamlines brainstorming, concept creation, color selection, revisions, and generating multiple design variations. This boosts productivity, allowing you to take on more projects and enhancing creativity, especially when facing creative blocks.

Ways to use AI in 2023 in your designs:
  • Find inspiration for your designs
  • Give you ideas for concepts and compositions
  • Help you with choosing colors
  • Help you change backgrounds or retouch images
  • Help you with revisions and variations
  • Resize and recompose designs in different dimensions for different platforms
  • Create visuals for websites, marketing, and social media

With AI’s growing potential, you must stay updated on its usefulness. Tools exist that can generate numerous design variations quickly and aid in selecting the best composition. These tools can also adapt designs for various purposes. Take, for instance, the Designs.ai platform, which can produce multiple concept variations, saving you substantial time on experimentation.

AI can also help you animate static graphics and above you will see an example from the Secret Invasion series intro made with AI. Below, you’ll find remarkable AI-generated images suitable for your website design, poster design, social media posts, and more.

 

2. Composition-Heavy Designs

Say goodbye to white space! Heavy compositions, packed with many things everywhere, using all the space on the canvas will be a big design trend in 2024. Color-rich, detailed graphics using all the space possible are becoming more and more popular, as they are able to tell more stories, grabbing the attention for longer.

Key elements of the Composition-Heavy design trend in 2024:
  • Using all the space on the canvas instead of white space
  • Many actions are happening at once.
  • Colorful and rich in details

Here are some beautiful examples of the trend:

The heavy composition still needs to follow some rules, however. There still has to be a main focus that drags the attention instantly. You can achieve that using perfect balance between different elements while creating a complicated composition full of detail.

The heavy composition is also great for marketing and promotional purposes. As the audience watches the design for longer to scan what is going on, the chances to remember the brand or campaign increase significantly.

View example

 

3. Reeded Glass Effect

Reeded glass enhances depth, diffusing light to create intriguing effects that capture the eye’s attention. An integral aspect of the Art Deco style, it has experienced a remarkable resurgence in interior design in recent years. Additionally, there is a substantial increase in graphic designs that incorporate this element in exciting and varied ways.

Key elements of Reeded Glass trend in 2024
  • Diffuses the light in an interesting way
  • Adds depth to the design

The effect of Reeded Glass is great for experiments as it can be used in different ways. You can approach it live, or via effects, you can use it as a text effect. You can also blur an image, or go wild with it in animations as it acts hypnotic and increases retention.

 

4. Barbie’s Pink

We can’t miss one of the big booms of 2023! The “Barbenheimer” memes were epic, and the stylistics of the Barbie movie were so memorable, that pink thrust its way to the forefront of graphic design trends. As expected, 2024 will continue to be highly inspired by that – but build on it.

Key elements of Barbie’s Pink trend in 2024
  • Vivid candy colors combined with girly pink
  • Designed with playful shapes

Let’s see some beautiful examples of vivid pink in graphic design.

Of course, all trends change, and Barbie’s pink is no exception! Recently we have seen an evolution into a majestic pink-black combination that looks more stylish and elegant, as you can see in the examples below. And there is more to come!

 

Vibrant colors have been trending for years but perhaps due to Barbie’s influence, they look likely to become even more popular in 2024.

These color-rich graphic designs with strong contrasting colors easily catch the eye of the audience. Perfect for social media, posters, and advertisements. In 2024 extreme saturated coloring will remain the battleground of designers fighting to grab the attention and make their designs stand out.

Key elements of Vibrant Colors trend in 2024
  • A combination of vivid rainbow colors
  • Often includes colorful gradients from one to another
  • Great for branding as it is associated with multiculture, diversity, etc.

 

Colorful designs are widely popular for marketing purposes, as they give a sense of diversity and variety. Google is a great example of how colorful branding can scream “We have it all”. Using vibrant colors in design is also a great eye-catching trick, that improves contrast and makes your designs stand out in any environment.

 

This rising graphic design trend powerfully combines retro and modern into one, creating a fresh tech vibe. The dots trend is making its path to typography, but you can also find many designs with dot backgrounds or half-tone-like images inspired by this cool clean stylistic look.

Key elements of Dot Display design trend in 2024
  • Monochrome dots in modern, minimalist designs
  • Often applied as type font for text to add a high-tech vibe
  • Depending on how it is used, it can achieve a high-tech/futuristic look, or give a retro vibe

The dot fonts are becoming really popular. A great example of that is the Nothing brand, which became viral for its creative concepts.

 

 

7. Pixels Rediscovered

Another popular back-to-the-future trend in graphic design for 2024 is pixels combined with modern styles. Many artists found inspiration in the early era of the web when the resolution of displays was far from 4K, and video cards weren’t able to provide high resolution.

These inspirations have led to a style mix combining retro pixel elements with modern high-quality graphics. Ultimately, this brings us to a design trend that offers infinite possibilities for creative experiments.

Key elements of Pixels Rediscovered trend in 2024
  • Combination of modern, high-quality graphics with 8-bit pixel-style elements
  • Often applied to only a few letters or graphics

 

The retro-look design trends have been here for a while now. First, there was the Art Deco style, then the 70s Retro Flat designs became popular. Now, we are stepping into the early web era when Photoshop and Illustrator came out. Think about the first 8-bit games that ruled the world; when the first websites with ultra-simple, low-res graphics were top-notch. Now designs are making a comeback to the roots, combining nowadays possibilities with styles popular decades ago. And if you are interested in old-school graphics, take a look at this inspiring retro design collection.

 

8. Nature Reference Designs

As interest in bio and organic products is constantly rising, and the trend also comes to graphic design. Natural colors, natural materials, and overall natural feeling are something that makes a design attractive in 2024. Of course, it is one of the things that cannot be applied to absolutely every niche, but designs in industries like food and drinks, cosmetics, or medicine can only benefit from this trend.

Key elements of Nature Reference design trend in 2024
  • Using natural color tones
  • Real-life-inspired textures and recycled elements

With all artificial food and products flooding the world, natural products and designs are becoming more and more popular. Having that in mind improves your chances of grabbing the interest. Of course, being nature-inspired doesn’t necessarily mean you should limit yourself to green and brown colors. There are many ways to make a design more natural with textures, natural shapes, and hand-made styles.

 

9. Abstract Gradients

Gradients have been a popular trend in graphic design for a while now, but in 2024 gradients start to look more abstract, interesting, and artistic. Using vivid colors, or experimenting with unpopular color tones can make a design really stand out and we are super excited to see what creative designs with gradients will come up in 2024.

Key elements of Abstract Gradients trend in 2024
  • Combination of colors that are not often combined
  • Feeling surrealistic and unfamiliar, making the design look unique

Combining non-traditional colors is actually breaking the rules of colors. Colors that on paper are not supposed to look good close to each other, are a sort of protest, used by companies to say “Hey, we are different, we are not like the others”. Still, there should be aesthetics and the overall design should still look pleasant to the eye, so it requires a lot of skills and practice to create good, trending design with abstract gradients. Find inspiration with these 100 good color combinations.

 

 

10. Grids & Visible Borders

Grids are about making order in the design and improving readability. In most cases, designers are trying to get out of the grid – to make it non-noticeable and break the rules. Well, in 2024 the trends are changing, and one of the most interesting uprising trends is the noticeable grids and visible borders between sections. So don’t be shy, and use grids to your advantage, be proud of it, and present your grid-inspired design to the world, like these design examples:

Key elements of Grids and Visible Borders trend in 2024
  • Separate the design into different sections
  • Minimal white space between sections
  • Ordered, well-structured design
  • An easy-to-understand hierarchy

View example

Using grids in your designs will improve the hierarchy and structure of the design. The bigger the element, the more important it is. Yet, grids can still allow you to create abstract, more creative designs using free space or by breaking the grid for your needs.

 

Final Words

In a time when AI can recreate popular styles instantly, defying conventions by embracing unconventional color palettes, shapes, and concepts is set to define 2024, and this year’s design trends exemplify this shift. Emphasizing intricate compositions and narrative-rich designs, with captivating choices in colors, fonts, and shapes, will set your designs apart. Furthermore, making AI your ally in the creative process is essential for productivity and workflow optimization. The design competition is fiercer than ever, and adaptation is key to maintaining a leading edge.

 

FAQ:

Should you follow the design trends?

Well, trends are a great way to expose yourself by following the most searched and popular designs. But it is not necessary to follow the design trends – this is a creative industry where unique work is moving things forward and your creative approach is the most important thing. Still, the trends are important for different reasons and you should find the right balance between your creativity and modernity, the sweet spot that fits your style and vision.

How are these trends gathered?

It is hard to see the trend instantly – we’ve researched thousands of the most popular, new, and uprising designs released in the last few months on multiple platforms to determine the trends that are going up and those going down.

Will AI still be a popular trend in 2024?

Artificial Intelligence will be more and more common in 2024 – many new tools are coming out and new possibilities are found each day.

Will AI replace designers, is the industry dying? 

Certainly not! Yet, the designers will have to adapt to the new reality and take advantage of the technology to be more competitive and productive.

Can AI improve my designs in 2024?

Using AI when creating design will be an important skill to speed up your workflow, find inspiration, and be more creative. AI can actually help you minimize the manual work and focus more on the creative side of the design process, so yes, it can be quite useful.

 

If you want to get even more inspiration, check out these articles:

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The Best Illustration Makers For Stunning Visuals [+AI Generators] https://graphicmama.com/blog/illustration-makers/ https://graphicmama.com/blog/illustration-makers/#respond Mon, 14 Aug 2023 07:34:47 +0000 https://graphicmama.com/blog/?p=52839 In today’s digital era, the power of art extends its influence across various domains – from web design and children’s books to posters, emails, games, and package designs. While the internet offers a plethora of readily available free and paid illustrations and graphics, the question arises – should you rely on premade graphics or embark...

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In today’s digital era, the power of art extends its influence across various domains – from web design and children’s books to posters, emails, games, and package designs. While the internet offers a plethora of readily available free and paid illustrations and graphics, the question arises – should you rely on premade graphics or embark on the journey of creating your own? Undoubtedly, crafting your unique illustrations holds the key to better conveying your message and ideas. The good news is that in the modern landscape, a plethora of illustration makers, including impressive artificial intelligence tools, empower you to fashion the perfect graphics even without formal painting skills.

In this article, we embark on a journey through the finest illustration makers, featuring a collection of remarkable artificial intelligence tools that facilitate the creation of custom illustrations tailored to your specific needs. So let’s dive in and unlock the potential of these innovative resources!

Article Overview:
1. Illustration Makers and Editors
2. AI Illustration Makers

1. Illustration Makers and Editors

1.1. Blush Design

Illustrator maker - Blush

This versatile tool empowers you to craft your own character illustrations and unique scenes. Choose from various collections featuring diverse styles and themes, many of which offer extensive customization options. Tweak character attributes like hair, eyes, expressions, and poses, along with backgrounds and objects to suit your preferences. Explore the vast possibilities of this tool, including access to the popular Humaaans illustration collection.

 

1.2. GraphicMama Design Makers

Graphic makers by graphic mama

Designed by our expert team, GraphicMama’s collection of over 40 creation kits opens the door to thousands of characters, backgrounds, and scenes. Combine elements seamlessly to generate 100% unique illustrations. With formats available in both vector and PNG, you can work with these makers in any software to bring your artistic visions to life.

 

1.3. Icons8 Mega Creator

Icon8 illustrations maker tool

Icons8 offers a remarkable selection of over 9000 illustrations that you can effortlessly modify or blend using their user-friendly online builder. Unleash your creativity by creating your own graphics, mixing elements from different illustrations. While exporting your final creation requires a premium plan, you can freely experiment to ensure it meets your needs before making a commitment.

 

1.4. Appy Pie

AppyPie illlustration graphic maker

Discover Appy Pie, a platform focused on NFT collections, AI-generated illustrations, and versatile design editing tools. Experiment with various features to create distinct illustrations for your projects, be it NFTs or other creative endeavors.

 

1.5. Canva

Canva graphic maker

Canva boasts an extensive library of templates and assets, enabling you to effortlessly craft professional-looking designs for social media, print, emails, and more. Explore the possibilities of creating illustrations by incorporating elements from their vast collection. Designed with a user-friendly interface, Canva caters to beginners and non-professionals alike.

 

1.6. unDraw

Undraw illustrations editing tool

Discover unDraw, a free resource where you can easily modify colors on their diverse graphics without downloading. Their vast collection of clean, flat-style graphics can be downloaded as vector SVG files, granting you full modification control. Browse through their array of graphics, which can be adapted to fit your vision perfectly, even in larger scenes.

 

1.7. Portrait Illustration Maker

Portrait illustration maker

Simplify the process of creating retro 8-bit avatar illustrations with this user-friendly web tool. Select a female or male face, head type, hairstyle, eyes, eyebrows, mouth, and more to craft a personal people illustration in a simple style, ready for free download.

 

1.8. Designs.AI

Design.ai creative tool for illustrations

On this website, you’ll discover comprehensive sets of graphics that can be effortlessly customized. Easily swap colors by selecting the desired hues, and further edit the illustration as needed or download it as a ready-to-use image.

 

1.9. ToonyTool

Toony tool online cartoon maker

Explore this user-friendly tool, offering a web-based editor perfect for beginners. Find a delightful collection of cartoon graphics, including people, animals, and objects that you can creatively combine to fashion your own unique illustrations. Customize premade scenes to match your artistic vision.

 

1.10. Colorcinch

Colorcinch tool for image edinting and illustrations

Colorcinch presents a groundbreaking tool that transforms real-life images, people, and objects into enchanting cartoonized graphics. With the power of Artificial Intelligence, apply a range of effects and filters to bring an imaginative twist to your creations.

 

2. AI Illustration Makers

2.1. DALL-E 2

Dall-e 2 - online artificial intelligence image generator

Since its groundbreaking debut a year ago, DALL-E has continued to astonish the world with its extraordinary possibilities. Today, the tool has significantly advanced, capable of producing a wide array of near-perfect illustrations. To ensure optimal results, consider specifying your preferred style or colors during the generation process. Additionally, post-generation fine-tuning opens up numerous avenues to achieve the finest outcomes.

 

2.2. OpenArt AI

Openart image generator AI

Embrace the creative potential of OpenArt AI, a specialized tool focused entirely on generating illustrations through the marvels of Artificial Intelligence. Its unique feature allows you to impart your desired style by uploading artworks in your preferred aesthetic. Witness as the AI learns and adapts, creating an array of artful masterpieces tailored to your taste.

 

2.3. Midjourney

Midjourney AI image maker

The unparalleled skills of Midjourney in 3D learning have made it the preferred choice for AI-generated images and illustrations. Marvel at the exceptionally vibrant and lifelike 3D-looking images it can effortlessly produce. If you seek captivating 3D illustrations, look no further, as Midjourney stands as the perfect tool to bring your visions to life.

 

Final Words

Within the vast landscape of graphic design tools, a multitude of options awaits, each offering distinct features, catering to diverse styles, and serving various needs. Ranging from free to paid alternatives, you have a world of choices at your disposal. Our aspiration is that you’ve discovered the perfect tool to meet your requirements, and we extend our best wishes as you embark on your creative journey, crafting remarkable illustrations and design projects!

Continue with some of these articles you may like:

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Graphic Design Trends 2023 Are Shaping the New Reality https://graphicmama.com/blog/graphic-design-trends-2023/ https://graphicmama.com/blog/graphic-design-trends-2023/#respond Mon, 17 Oct 2022 13:01:57 +0000 https://graphicmama.com/blog/?p=51950 Update Oct. 2023: Graphic Design Trends 2024 are officially out. Check them out. Dive into the hottest current graphic design trends in 2023! Read a thorough review of what awaits on the stage of graphic design – well-known or completely revolutionary approaches that are about to shape our new reality. Remember the times when the...

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Update Oct. 2023: Graphic Design Trends 2024 are officially out. Check them out.

Dive into the hottest current graphic design trends in 2023! Read a thorough review of what awaits on the stage of graphic design – well-known or completely revolutionary approaches that are about to shape our new reality.

Remember the times when the world was all about flat, subtle design? “The plainer, the better” was the norm. Well, things have changed. The reign in the graphic design world was slowly but very firmly taken over by big voluminous shapes in screaming colors that offer an alternative reality to the viewer – more vivid than ever!

The newest graphic design trends in 2023 offer us a ride to the future and invite us to observe a world of new depths, colors, and shapes that push the limits.

Welcome to the new reality. Ready to indulge together?

Graphic Design Trends in 2023 Overview:

 

Graphic Design Trends 2024

 

Video Recap of Graphic Design Trends 2023

Check out a quick video recap of all trends further explained in this article. We’ve captured the most essential points and principles of each trend, and featured awesome examples that will inspire you to the bone. And if you want to get into more detail, just keep scrolling!

 

Top 11 Trends Out of Millions of Styles

We’ve outlined 11 great and exciting styles as the most influential and noteworthy graphic design trends for 2023, among millions!

Graphic design is a universe of shapes, colors, and effects, all working in symbiosis to make the viewer immersed in new feelings, impressions, and experiences. Enjoy a great video that represents the never-ending diversity of graphic design styles gathered together.

Example by RAXO STUDIOS

So, let’s dive into each trend of the top 11 graphic design trends in 2023! Enjoy plenty of amazing examples that will load you with inspiration and expand your perspectives on how you see and create a design.

Trend #1: The Clay Look

Finding perfection in the imperfect is one powerful message behind this trending graphic style. The Plasticine Clay design effect is achieved by using a digital technique or real plasticine.

Cute funny character designs in clay style

Example by Ramy Wafaa

Unlike classic 3D design that usually presents glossy, smooth surfaces, the Plasticine Clay graphic design trend in 2023 introduces imperfect bumpy surfaces that seem to be shaped with fingers. It is here to remind you that beauty hides in imperfection.

But there is even more. The Plasticine Clay design is one that goes through ever-lasting metamorphosis. It never dries. It knows no limits. It can be modeled and reused in infinite ways, many times. This revolutionary graphic design trend for 2023 motivates you to seek a constant change, to explore and experiment. It is here to tell you that the power to change the world is in your own hands.

Key elements of Plasticine Clay design trend in 2023
  • Introduces imperfect bumpy surfaces made by a digital technique or real plasticine.
  • Reminds you to search for perfection in the imperfect.
  • Encourages an ever-going metamorphosis, a drive to shape your own future.

Here are some great examples of the Plasticine Clay graphic design trend that perfectly illustrate the imperfection introduced by this style, and the constant metamorphosis that one goes through.

Example by Francesca Di Vito, Federico Piccirillo

Colorful clay design graphic example in 2023

Example by Szymon Czajka

Funny cute rooster made of plasticine example

Example by Subd1v

Example by Andi Meier

Book cover design with clay characters

Example by Larissa Honsek

Cute orange clay character design in 2023

Example by Joseph Wakerley

Amazing clay illustration with modern shapes trending in design 2023

Example by Tati Astua

Browse more clay design examples

 

Trend #2: 3D Memphis Style

The well-known Memphis art movement, which had its first apogee in the 80s, is now back on the graphic design stage with its bright colors, bold combinations, patterns of contrasting colors, simple and abstract geometric shapes. But this time, all presented through the prism of a 3D digital reality.

The 3D Memphis design style of 2023 invites you to a real fest of colors, stimulating your senses to experience new exciting sensations. It’s a brilliant design approach based on 3D geometry and an experimental play of colors that reminds you to search for the extraordinary in the ordinary.

Key elements of the 3D Memphis design in 2023
  • A well-known 80s style reborn through the prism of 3D reality.
  • Based on bold combinations of 3D geometry and bright colors.
  • Encourages to search for the extraordinary in the ordinary.

Dive into the diversity of 3D Memphis style design examples, all based on the same design principles but providing so versatile experiences.

 

Example by Humberto Rapelli

Earrings design in memphis style

Example by electric_lobe

Colorful 3Dpeople designed with memphis shapes in modern style

Example by Alberto Seveso

Example by My Name is Wendy Studio

Realistic design with modern shapes and textures modern in 2023

Example by Jie Mei

Browse more Memphis style examples

 

Trend #3: Clean Style

In contrast to the colorful 3D Memphis style, comes the clutter-free clean style to bring calmness and purity to the graphic design world. This style allows you to embrace the essence of things.

The clean graphic design style gets rid of patterns, ornaments, and decorations to create breathing room for what really matters. In some designs, it is presented through the depth of a 3D reality as a predominant design technique we observe. For others, it’s just plain flat minimalism.

The main color palette of the Clean graphic design style presented on the digital stage, consists primarily of white, light beige, and whitish tints of other colors of the color wheel, all conveying the feeling of cleanliness in its purest form.

Key elements of the Clean Style design in 2023
  • A clutter-free design that leaves all patterns, ornaments, and decorations out.
  • May be presented through the 3D design technique or plain flat minimalism.
  • The color palette consists of prevailing white or whitish tints of color.

In the following good examples, you will see variants of the Clean style using white as a predominant color, pale tints of beige, pale blue, pale pink, or simply clutter-free design that focuses on the product.

light clean modern website design in 2023

Example by Petpak.si

3D web design with clean style

Example by Thinkincolour.eu

Creative minimal website with 3d animation

Example by Genrevv.com

When it comes to package design, the Clean style really finds a lot of applications. While being quite subtle, minimalist, and well… clean, this design style manages to make the product stand out in an elegant, yet strong and memorable way.

Example by Forner Studio

Amazing colorful minimalist package design in 2023

Example by PikZiy

Example by Herman Scheer

Browse more websites with clean design

 

GraphicMama Studio - Custom Design Services

 

Trend #4: Trippy Design

Yes, you read it correctly. This design style offers a surrealistic experience in response to the growing demand for sense-provoking visuals. The Trippy design sends the viewer on a journey to a non-existent, fictional reality. If you describe it as “too much”, you won’t be wrong.


Example by Joe Taylor

The Trippy Design is not defined by any particular rules besides distorting the reality as much as your imagination allows. Designers usually present a mishmash of styles that may or may not follow logic.

The sequence or combination of styles doesn’t obey restrictions, too. The wanted effect is the feeling of having hallucinations. It can easily make you dizzy and it’s hard to say it’s aesthetic. But the Trippy design is definitely rebellious which is why it managed to get among the most popular trends on the graphic design stage in 2023!

Key elements of the Trippy design trend in 2023
  • A mishmash of styles that may not follow the logic in terms of design aesthetics.
  • Creates a surrealistic experience that resembles the effect of having hallucinations.
  • Challenges the designer to push their imagination beyond all established design rules and restrictions.

The Trippy design surely carries a rebellious spirit in it. Here are some awesome examples of Trippy design put into action.

Abstract website with hypno style example in 2023

Example by Wtfff.nl

Abstract trippy site design trendy example

Example by Oasiscannabis.co

Colorful liquid trippy design poster example

Example by Sangho Bang

Trippy trend in 2023: colorful abstract illustration example

Example by Trippiesteff !

Colorful trippy effect animation in 2023

Example by El Dorado

Browse more trippy design examples

 

Trend #5: Neon & Abstract Cartoon Stickers

Physical stickers have been widely popular for decades, being the first to offer a low-cost, accessible opportunity to personalize your belongings and create unique edgy designs that distinguish you from the crowd.

Fast forward to the present day, stickers have carved their way to the digital stage presenting an even greater diversity of styles, shapes, and colors that can be found in their physical form.

Two styles pop among others with being super trendy and hot in the current graphic design trends of 2023, and these are the neon and abstract cartoon sticker styles.

While most digital stickers are crafted to resemble physical stickers with the typical border line around them to indicate the cut, or a strict shape like a circle or a rounded rectangle, we also observe an innovative modern design approach that distorts the shape, and even adds volume and motion to present the well-known in a completely new light.

Colorful neon sticker set examples trend in 2023

Example by Rytis Jonikas for Flair Digital

Creative blue purple sticker designs 3D

Example by Szabó Andrea

On the other side of the spectrum, some designs offer a near-realistic perception that makes you wonder whether you are looking at a picture or a digital graphic.

Many modern digital sticker collections fall into the huge category of abstract cartoon style, all conveying the sense of abstract art drawings, even stickers made of words.

Retro stickers in trippy style

Example by Slavko Kahovsky

Cute colorful retro character stickers with faces

Example by Camila Barbieri

Key elements of Digital Stickers trend in 2023
  • Neon and abstract cartoon sticker styles pop among others.
  • While some resemble flat physical stickers, others are presented with motion and volume.
  • Abstract cartoon sticker style conveys the sense of art drawings.

 

Trend #6: 70s Retro Flat Style

We are witnessing a huge comeback of vibrant, daring flat designs inspired by the 70s art movement. Whether simple or more complex, these design compositions put bright, saturated colors on the pedestal. Although bold and quite flashy, the color combinations of the 70s retro flat design style are aesthetically pleasing. The colors go well together and manage to balance the overall design.

A significant trademark of this style is the thin black outlining, aiming to put a border to each element distinguishing it from the rest.

Typography is also a part of the overall art composition putting attention-seeking bulky, rounded letter types in the spotlight. In fact, typography here is often a main element of the design composition. A popular practice is to add a 3D-effect thick border line to make the letters pop.

The style was popularized by the famous interface design app Figma. Although being super simple, this 70s retro design style looks pleasing and catches the attention with ease. So, it’s not surprising that it managed to make its way to the 11 most modern graphic design trends in 2023.

Key elements of 70s Retro Flat design in 2023
  • Bold, flashy, saturated colors that look aesthetically pleasing together.
  • All design elements are outlined by thin black borders.
  • Bulky, rounded letter types with a 3D effect or simple black outlining.

Example by Nicolo Bianchino

Creative website with retro style and isometric illustrations

Example by Ciety.xyz

Creative poster example in 2023 with retro illustrations

Example by Joye Cheung

Example by Lili des Bellons, Fanny Engrand, Daniel Vargas Diaz, Studio | Europe

The 70s retro-style flat illustrations with outlining also paved their way up the charts, modernized with futuristic, less saturated color palettes. Multi-color gradients are also introduced on the stage but black thin outlining still remains a must-have feature of this style. Here are some more cool examples of this trend of 70s-inspired illustrations, some – with a futuristic vibe.

Retro flat with strokes illustration example in 2023

Example by Lili des Bellons

Trending colorful retro style poster with outline stroke design

Example by Therese Luna

Amazing branding design example with retro inspired vibe

Example by Saipi Eva

Creative bag design with flat stroke style in 2023

Example by Erin 寺月

Notebook cover with retro vibe in isometric style with stroke

Example by Mónica Delmes

Trending illustration with retro style inspirational graphic in 2023

Example by Jiaqi Wang

Example by Carlos Rueda, José Neto, Bah Nozari, Ana Hill, TheLittleLabs Studio

Browse more inspirational examples in retro style

 

Trend #7: Simplified 3D Style

Many designers search for perfection in simplicity, so it’s not a surprise that the simplified 3D style is also among the cool current trends in graphic design. A famous quote by Antoine de Saint-Exupery is “Perfection is achieved when there is nothing left to take away.”


Example by ATendril *, Jonathan Lindgren, Microsoft Design, Matthias Winckelmann, Samuel Bohn, Zelig Sound, Facu Labo, Jordi Pagès, Lenar Singatullov, Nidia Dias, Eric Bernal, Rodrigo Rezende, Andras Csuka, Nando Costa, Leonardo Bortolussi, Leo Natsume, Plenty Studio, Leo Mateus, Margarida Lemos, Gustavo Henrique, Guilherme Vasconcellos

Basic geometric shapes lay the foundation of this type of design, simplifying as much as possible all elements of the image. Think baby toys – big, smooth, basic shapes put together to create a simplified, stylized, and easily recognizable object.

This train of thought leads us to another reason why simplified 3D design is so effective. Basic three-dimensional shapes like spheres, cubes, and cylinders are among the ones to form our perception of the world in early childhood years. This is why the simplified 3D design is just instantly understood – it is familiar, approachable, and fun.

Since all details are reduced to a minimum, this style is used in making icons, too. But taken to the big scale, the simplified 3D design turns into an unmatchable experience that makes you feel you’ve landed in a world of toys.

Key elements of Simplified 3D design in 2023
  • Reduces details to a minimum while searching for perfection in simplicity.
  • Based on simple, smooth geometric shapes like spheres, cubes, cylinders, and more.
  • Easily understandable, familiar, and appealing as it resembles early-childhood simple toys.

Example by Igor Tsaruk, Marina Ahmadova, Veronika Supruniuk, Tsaruk Ahmadova

New creative trend: Animated 3d icons in design

Example by Alex Bolumar

Cute 3d bird illustration with colorful shapes and depth

Example by Martine

Example by João Gonçalo Lucas, Shut Up Claudia, Jonas Mosesson, Edgar Ferrer, QB SOUND, Sebastian Pfeifer, Clim Studio

Really good example of 3D character design in 2023

Example by Haodman +

Cool modern characters designed in 3d format trend in 2023

Example by FOREAL® Studio

New abstract 3d letter ideas in 2023

Example by Roger Roque ID

Funny geometry bird in 3d style animation example

Example by Minh Pham

 

GraphicMama Studio - Custom Design Services

 

Trend #8: Abstract Line Art Characters

Characters have always been somehow bound with graphic design. They give life to the design and make the brand behind it feel more human. While character design gives indeed a field of wild imagination, we are witnessing a rise of a particular style trend here – abstract line art characters with weird looks and retro vibes.

Abstract cartoon characters in retro style with creative shapes art in 2023

Example by Tubik.arts

Completely fictional, weird-looking characters, which don’t resemble anything you know, are enjoying wide popularity in current graphic design trends 2023. Unified by simple design characteristics – flat linear art and bright colors that radiate retro vibes, these characters actually find their place in many contemporary design projects.

In terms of abstractness, expect to see distorted proportions and weird mixtures of animals, objects, and human traits. This is what we will continue to see on the graphic design stage regarding character style.

Key elements of Abstract Line Art Characters design in 2023
  • Flat linear style, combined with bright colors that convey retro vibes.
  • Distorted proportions and weird mixtures of animals, objects & human traits.
  • Characters that don’t resemble anything you’ve seen.
Colorful charming cartoon character examples in 2023

Example by Patswerk

Creative blue character design new trend in 2023

Example by Courtney Askew

Candy color nft collection designs with outline characters

Example by Doodles_LLC

Colorful character maker with different clothes and accessories in 2023

Example by Daniel Burke

Example by Jose Morquecho

Creative retro character illustrations example trendy style

Example by Alex Chizh

Browse more character design style ideas

 

Trend #9: Artistic Serif Fonts

Lately, designers have been all about beautiful and sophisticated Serif Fonts taken even further. Some website designs are built around oversize Serif Fonts being the only or main design element in the composition.

Beautiful font design trending example

Example by Sensatype

The graphic design world knows Serif fonts for a long. They have been widely used to set a formal tone, a sense of reliability, professionalism, and sophistication. While designers are widely aware of these strong qualities, the newest graphic design trends of 2023 will require them to challenge the status quo and push the limits of imagination in this field.

Designers will be encouraged to add playfulness, creativity, and unpredictability to the mixture. We will see them playing with letter shapes, intertwining strokes and uniting letters, distorting or liquifying strokes, extending the strokes of some letters to wrap around other letters, or interacting with the rest of the text in a particular way. The possibilities are endless.

Key elements of Artistic Serif Fonts trend in 2023
  • Creative manipulation of strokes: intertwining different letters, distorting, liquifying, extending, etc.
  • Oversize Serif fonts can be the only or the main design element in the composition.
  • Serif fonts still convey sophistication but are becoming more playful and unpredictable.
Nissima - creative serif font example for 2023

Example by Brandsemut

Amazing font idea in 2023 idealist

Example by Nicky Laatz

Classy and elegant font for design in 2023

Example by Sans & Sons

Abstract typography in 2023 great serif font idea

Example by NEWFLIX.Bro

Modern serif font inspirational example

Example by Graphic Studio

Fleurie - amazing typography idea to try in 2023

Example by Graphic Studio

Inspirational cool serif font example

Example by Ivan Rosenberg

Manease modern luxury font example

Example by Typefactoryco

Trending retro style serif font in 2023

Example by Graphic Studio

 

Trend #10: Rainbow Palette Colors

It’s already clear – modern designers are crazy about colors. Multi-color designs like these inspired by the rainbow color palette are widely popular right now and usually seen in combinations with other cool trending design styles.


Example by Five Three Five Design

On the one hand, the rainbow palette is a great epitome of diversity in all its forms. On the other hand, it introduces a dream destination, a magical experience, and an escape from boring everyday life. No wonder why it became so popular among contemporary graphic designers. These colors can literally enchant the viewer.

The rainbow color palette can go through many transformations. You will see it in the form of beautiful multi-color gradients, compositions of simple one-color 3D designs combined together, flat and flashy design elements, colorful patterns, or even multicolor light effects.

Key elements of Rainbow Palette Colors design in 2023
  • Inspired by the colors of the rainbow.
  • Seen in combination with other trending design styles.
  • Represents diversity in all its forms.
Colorful illustration in 3D designed with rich colors

Example by CJ Gong

Colorful hand made cups design in 2023

Example by Hadya Y

Creative poster designs with colorful gradient shapes

Example by Taras L

Amazing vivid colors animal-photography animated

Example by Visual Scientist

Browse more color combinations and ideas

 

Trend #11: Nature-Inspired Designs

As much as designers want to escape from the world as we know it and introduce us to a reality of overstimulation, eccentric colors, and fictional surroundings, it’s good to know that nature-inspired designs remain among the best current graphic design trends 2023.

Either conveyed through muted earthy tones, natural materials, textures, and shapes or even taking it literally and depicting nature the way it is, nature-inspired designs remind us that we shouldn’t lose our roots.

Moreover, nature-inspired designs are a great tool to balance your senses, as they convey tranquility, inner peace, and harmony. It’s not a coincidence that even heaven is usually illustrated as peaceful nature scenery, a harmonious symbiosis between fauna and flora.

Key elements of Nature-Inspired design trend in 2023
  • Muted earthy tones, natural materials, textures, and shapes.
  • Balances the senses, as it conveys tranquility, inner peace, and harmony.
  • Some designs present a mixture between real nature and fictional reality.

Of course, even nature-inspired designs can implement elements from a fictional, imaginative reality such as objects with vivid colors and even big bulky 3D letters. Check out some inspirational examples of product designs and commercial video projects that depict purely nature-inspired graphic compositions and amazing mixtures the fictional and the real.

Example by Pleid St., Ruye, Leandro Beltran, bruma fx studio, Pocko Agency, Gabriel Morala, Juanma Mota

Natural paper package design

Example by Daira López

Natural chocolate package design example with green and brown

Example by Claire Mahieux

Cosmetics product design with green nature colors

Example by Kadir Ali Şeker

Example by Bartek Kalinowski, Rafał Woźniak, Abra Network

Parfume with nature inspired colors trending design in 2023

Example by Mirela Melo

Gin bottle design with natural green colors and floral elements in 2023

Example by Lisa Jacobs

Example by HELIX D ., Mohigh Design, Young Hwangbo

 

Final Words

The latest graphic design trends for 2023 are here to push the imagination of designers to new heights. They create unrealistic, dreamy environments that make you immersed in a completely new reality – a world so mysterious and enchanting that awakens the viewer’s curiosity from first sight and drives a person’s natural desire to explore.

And if you thought there was enough craziness in the world already, then we believe the best we can do is to channel this craziness into something productive and inspirational for others. And this is where graphic design trends 2023 step in!

We are really curious to see what you think of these predictions. Feel free to share your thoughts and impressions in the comments below!

You may also be interested in some of these inspirational articles:

GraphicMama Studio - Custom Design Services

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The Best Free Design Software Options For Beginners [13 Tools] https://graphicmama.com/blog/best-free-design-software/ https://graphicmama.com/blog/best-free-design-software/#respond Fri, 14 Oct 2022 14:13:23 +0000 https://graphicmama.com/blog/?p=32753 Free design software is an ideal option in what can be a pricey industry. With careful choice, it is possible to find great free packages that cover a whole range of design fields, from web design to graphic design, from social media to printables. And as they are free, it’s no problem to combine these...

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Free design software is an ideal option in what can be a pricey industry. With careful choice, it is possible to find great free packages that cover a whole range of design fields, from web design to graphic design, from social media to printables. And as they are free, it’s no problem to combine these free design software options to give yourself a vast selection of possibilities. While you might not get the full-on professional features of paid-for packages, you’ll be surprised at just what can be achieved with some imagination and creativity.

So whether you are looking for a cheap option for your specific idea, are a hobbyist looking to experiment, a student getting creative or a beginner trying things out  – there is absolutely no need to spend big or even spend at all. We’ve put together a great selection of some of the best free design software packages available in various areas of design in this brief but handy article so you can delve straight in, pick out whatever takes your fancy, and get designing. So let’s not waste time; there’s a lot to see.

In this article:

1. Vectr

Vectr is best for: Web and Graphic design, creating logos, cards, brochures
Vectr runs on: Browser, Windows, Linux

If you are looking for free design software to work with 2D vector graphics, we have a fine option for you. Vectr is a superb free editor, available on a browser, or as a downloaded app. Vectr gives real professional quality completely free, with many features, including filters and fonts. Creating top-quality vector graphics with Vectr is remarkably easy, but if you have any issues, there are plenty of tutorials on their site to help you along. Added to the ease of use are live collaboration features for feedback and creation, so Vectr really is a classy all-round flexible vector package that ticks all the boxes. Direct competition for Abode Illustrator, but for free.

Pros:

  • Professional vector graphic possibilities
  • Easy to use &  on-site tutorials
  • Collaboration features
  • Autosave & sync across platforms

Cons:

  • English only support
Try Vectr for free

 

2. Inkscape

Inkscape is best for: Web graphics, logo creation, branding images, illustrations
Inkscape runs on: Windows, Mac OS, Linux

Another free design software package to give Adobe Illustrator a run for its money is Inkscape. Giving you the capability of creating scalable vector graphics with certain advanced features, including cloning but still with a straightforward, low learning curve system. Inkscape is a flexible and powerful open-source software package, ideal for starters but good enough for more experienced designers.

Pros:

  • Great creation possibilities, some advance features
  • Easy to learn, easy to use & tutorials (learning resources on site)
  • Great community
Cons:

  • Can be slow
  • Simplistic interface
Try Inkscape for free

 

3. Gravit Designer

Gravit Designer is best for: App and icon design, illustration, animation, social media posts
Gravit Designer runs on: Browser, Windows, macOS, Linux

Gravit Designer from the Coral Draw team is a vector design app that is well-reviewed and well thought of. There is a paid-for Pro version, but the free option does an excellent job for most design types, including animation. As far as free design software is concerned, Gravit more than holds its own with features, drag and drop editing, and tools right out of the Pro box, plus there is cloud storage. And if you come to love it, the Pro upgrade is a natural step to the real professional possibilities without having to learn a whole new system.

Pros

  • Ease of use
  • Range of great tools (including text tools)
  • Customizable interface

Cons:

  • No real-time collaboration
Try Gravit Designer for free

 

4. Canva

Canva is best for:  Social media posts, infographics, presentations, print design
Canva runs on: Web-based, Browser, iOS, Android

Canva is primarily an image editing software package, but in truth, it allows users to create social media graphics, presentations, posters, and all sorts of other content. It has a simple UI, an extensive range of tools for versatility, and some great learning assets. On top of that, there are loads of templates, drag-and-drop editing, and a huge number of premade vectors, photos, and icons ready to use at once. A great plus is a dedicated infographic maker with free design assets and fonts. It’s free for individuals, but there are pro and enterprise versions adding collaboration tools, customization, and advanced branding. Why not start with the free version and work your way up?

Pros:

  • Photo Editing
  • Learning  resources
  • 8,000 free templates in 100s of design styles
  • Premade, icons, vectors, and photos

Cons:

  • Limited with some paid-for features
  • No collaboration tools
Try Canva for free

 

5. GIMP

GIMP is best for: Photo editing, mock-ups, gif
GIMP runs on: Windows, macOS, Linux

Gimp is a raster graphics editor used for image retouching and editing but also can be used for free-form drawing and other specialized tasks. As a free design software it is often, and with some justification, billed as an alternative to Adobe Photoshop, and there are similarities in look as well as functionality. There’s a fantastic set of tools for color correction, enhancement, cloning, and much more. It isn’t exactly Photoshop, but it’s as near as you’ll get for free, and it’s well worth experimenting with its range and versatility.

Pros:

  • Works with all formats
  • A wide selection of plugins (free to download)
  • Good selection of editing tools

Cons:

  • Can be difficult for absolute beginners
Try GIMP for free

 

6. Krita

Krita is best for: Painting and illustration
Krita runs on: Windows, macOS, Linux

For illustrators who enjoy working with Paint, this free design software from Krita will take some beating. Krita is a free and open-source painting tool that is superb for illustrations, art, and comic book art, and while it still carries some photo and image editing functions, the advanced drawing features make it a stand-out package. Customizable brushes with stabilizers, a pop-up color palette, and templates, it styles itself as having been created for artists by artists. The Krita tutorials included on their site will help you make the most of this great free design software and make the most of it you should.

Pros:

  • Customizable User Interface
  • Drawing Aid for Your Assistance
  • Great drawing and painting tools

Cons:

  • Difficult for true starters to pick up without the available help
Try Krita for free

 

7. Lucidpress

Lucidpress is best for: Desktop publications, newsletters, presentations, brochures, and social media graphics.
Lucidpress runs on: Browser

Lucidpress is a web-based desktop publishing software application that allows nonprofessional designers to create a whole host of digital and print designs. There is a good range of customizable templates for flyers, newsletters, business cards, brochures, posters, etc. It has a simple interface and easy-to-use tools and is a perfect introduction to the art of desktop publishing without getting too heavy or detailed. The free version is limited to 3 documents and 3 pages per document so unless you upgrade this isn’t a long-term solution but it is certainly a way to feel your way in.

Pros:

  • Allows artwork management
  • Good for ad management
  • Simple to Use

Cons:

  • The free version is limited to 3 pages per document & 3 documents
Try Lucidpress for free

 

8. Pixlr E

Pixlr E is best for: Photo and image editing
Pixlr E runs on: Browser, iOS, Android

Аs a free graphic design software alternative to PhotoShop, Pixlr E claims to offer over two million combinations of free filters, overlays, and borders. The quality photo editing tools, such as cloning, brushes as well as cropping, and resizing cover all the basics and more, allowing you to create a professional look. There is also great format support for images. The free version does have some advertising but it could well be worth putting up with such a minor inconvenience for this top-class photo editing software.

Pros:

  • Supports many image formats
  • Easy to use
  • Templates

Cons:

  • Limited retouching features
  • Limited support
  • Requires flash
Try Pixlr E for free

 

9. Snappa

Snappa is best for: Social media graphics, ads, blogs
Snappa runs on: Windows, Mac Os

Snappa’s infographic design software package has a limited free version for 3 downloads per month but nevertheless, it comes with over 6,000 high-quality templates and 3 million stock HD photos and graphics that make creating social media posts or blogs incredibly quick and easy. You can add text and vector graphics to create something rather special. Once you’ve got the hang of its features and range,  you can upgrade for unlimited downloads and instant social media sharing.

Pros:

  • Quick and easy creation
  • 6,000 + templates
  • Stock images, fonts, and shapes

Cons:

  • The free version is limited to 3 downloads per month
Try Snappa for free

 

10. BeFunky

BeFunky is best for: Photo editing, infographics
BeFunky runs on: Browser

BeFunky helps non-pros create great-looking designs and edit photos and there are some super video tutorials to guide you through. Its easy-to-use editing capabilities and extensive graphics and image libraries give great versatility, even the free library has 125 digital effects. The paid-for version has more advanced features but it’s worth playing around with this free option first.

Pros:

  • Great selection of tools
  • Excellent video tutorials
  • Stocks images and graphics

Cons:

  • The free version is limited to one infographic template
Try BeFunky for free

 

11. VistaCreate

VistaCreate is best for: Marketing, social media ads, blogs, logos, posters, animation
VistaCreate runs on:
Browsers

A free VistaCreate version is an online tool for creating graphic designs and videos. You can add text, images, backgrounds, and clipart to pre-designed templates. It’s an easy way into graphic design for digital or print media. Ideal for starting creating animated posts on social media and many other forms of design. The paid-for versions offer premium images and collaboration but the tools and flexibility in the free version are more than good enough to get the ball rolling.

Pros:

  • Over 75 thousand templates
  • 1M+ Stock images

Cons:

  • Collaboration is only on the paid-for version
Try Crello for free

 

12. Adobe Spark

Spark is best for: Social media graphics, short videos, web stories, memes
Spark runs on: Browser, Windows, Mac

Whilst the full version is paid-for, this starter plan is completely free. It doesn’t require much experience or learning and is a quick easy way of creating graphics and basic videos. Although the free version doesn’t have a full extensive range of tools or options for customization, it does a good job of setting out the real possibilities, especially with an upgrade.

Pros:

  • Templates
  • Free images and icons

Cons:

  • The free version lacks customization options
Try Adobe Spark for free

 

13. Design Wizard

Design Wizard is best for: Social media posts, emails, marketing
Design Wizard runs on: Browser


A totally free and easy graphic design software that allows you to access over 15,000 templates and over 1 million free images and create something in a matter of minutes. There’s scope for video too and lots of customization tool options. The free version gives a taste of what’s to come, but there are limits such as not being able to add text to videos or upload your own images and some images still require payment. The paid-for version adds energy and flexibility.

Pros:

  • Free templates
  • Free stock images

Cons:

  • The free version is limited
Try Design Wizard for free

 

Final Words

From this article, it is clear to see you have options to create all sorts of visuals, from infographics to video animations, from memes to editing photos, and all of that is completely free. If you’re just testing the waters, these packages are ideal, and you’ll be surprised at the amount of power you have without needing payment. You may decide that these are all you need, and who would blame you? But there’s a chance that once you’ve broken the ice, you’ll want more and more, in which case many free design software packages allow direct upgrades. Good luck and be creative.

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Material Design: What is it and How To Get Started [+Resources] https://graphicmama.com/blog/material-design/ https://graphicmama.com/blog/material-design/#respond Fri, 23 Sep 2022 14:52:51 +0000 https://graphicmama.com/blog/?p=50354 We all remember the good old websites. They were extremely light, loaded fairly quickly (especially given technology back in time), and delivered amazing experiences according to the standards in the 90s and in the 00s. But Internet has emerged and what it looked like space to gather information has rapidly monetized. Once the money started...

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We all remember the good old websites. They were extremely light, loaded fairly quickly (especially given technology back in time), and delivered amazing experiences according to the standards in the 90s and in the 00s.

But Internet has emerged and what it looked like space to gather information has rapidly monetized. Once the money started to play a huge role online, websites started to compete against each other by adding lots of images, subsections, long descriptions, and loads and loads of stuff, making sites load slower and creating an inferior user experience.

The rise of smartphones created another problem – how website content will appear on a smaller screen? As a result, Google introduced Material Design – an answer to the ever-increasing user demands.

In this article, we’ll provide a material design definition, go over the main principles, and see how icons and colors are used in material design. We will end the article with some useful resources you can apply to your projects.

Article overview:
What is Material Design?
Principles of Material Design
Icons and Colors in Material Design
How to Get Started?
Resources

1. What is Material Design?

Material design is a design standard (or system) that has been developed by Google back in 2014. The entire idea behind that decision was to create a  design system that will create better consistency across all devices, and add predictability to all designs, in order to simplify the user experience.

For one system to remain adequate in such dynamic times for the Internet industry, evolution is inevitable. Google’s Material Design is always transforming, always improving, and always riding the new waves of design!

In October 2021, Google released Material Design 3, with updated guidelines, and many websites and apps using Material Design 2 started migrating to the latest version.

 

2. Principles of Material Design

For a design system – and any pattern, in general, is crucial to have a specific checklist of requirements, in order to be qualified as such. Google Material Design guidelines are there to help you. Below, we will show you some principles you need to apply in your design, so it can be regarded as “Material”.

2.1. Understand the concept behind “material”

Material Design has its name for a reason. Unlike Flat Design, here we see a completely different concept. A concept that uses visual hierarchy to create a real-world feel to designs. Human beings can make associations. Material design heavily relies on 3D forms, to add more depth and realistic user interfaces.

2.2. Utilize shadows

Shadows are a crucial element across all Material Design components. They should be carefully chosen, as they aim to improve user experience. Using shadows will better orientate users about their current location on your app or website. Bear in mind all shadows should be subtle and non-intrusive.

2.3.  Pay attention to colors

The Material Design color palette is specific. First and foremost, you should use a maximum of two main Material Design colors – one primary color and one accent color. You’re also limited to 3 hues per each. Since you’re not left with much “room” for maneuvers, it is considered pivotal to use bold colors to capture attention.

2.4. Keep consistency

Material Design is all about creating a consistent user experience. This means you should follow the same hierarchy across all pages – same hover button effects, same on-click colors, same site structure, and page colors. Your users should intuitively select components from the website/app and easily know where they are at any moment.

2.5.  Follow the image guidelines strictly

Images also play an important role in the whole “picture” (pun intended).  They should be aligned perfectly, appear in full HD quality at least, and be edge-to-edge. The latest is key to the success of the whole concept. If images are a part of your design, they should also define the primary and accent colors, so all hues fit naturally in the design.

2.6. Consider whitespace as a crucial part of your design

In Material Design, whitespace plays just an important role as components, colors, and shadows. Why? Because utilizing it could significantly improve readability, thus creating better UX. Negative spaces also serve another purpose – they can put the focus on the desired element, for example, the call-to-action button.

2.7. Take advantage of motion design

Motion design leverages user experience by creating interactions between the content producer and content consumer. By providing visual feedback upon each action taken by your users, you drive more engagement. Each Material Design animation should be intuitive, smooth, and authentic. For example, if users click backward, they should see their screen going from left to right,  as this is their natural comprehension of turning back pages.

2.8. Select components properly

Each component you insert into your user interface serves a specific purpose. One of the main requirements is to use components in their respective field – if you have a roadmap, having a progress map might make great sense. But will it make sense on your Pricing page? A rule of thumb is – if you’re not sure you need it, avoid it.

2.9. Optimize for a mobile-first experience

From 2017 to this day, mobile traffic has multiplied by 7 times. As a result, mobile UX quickly becomes existential. It even compensates for the website experience. Material Design for mobile devices includes fewer components, larger fonts, a dark theme for a battery life saving method, and other measures.

2.10. Less is more

Material Design lays the foundation of the new wave in UX/UI design – minimalism, and it follows Google’s concept – “less is more”. If your goal is to utilize Material UI Design, then you should get rid of unnecessary elements and components, and leave room for what truly matters.

P.S. The result will be a faster page load speed, and Google will reward you with higher positions in its SERPs.

 

3. Icons and Colors in Material Design

Material Design icons and colors are crucial for the successful execution of each project. We already stressed the importance of colors. Let’s see in detail some of the main requirements for both icons and colors.

3.1. Icons

It’s impossible to have a website without icons. But the variety of screen sizes and resolutions has created a problem – icon legibility. That’s why Google has come up with a separate icon checklist that you should complete.

Icon Size

The standard Google Material Design icon has a 24px size and is a scalable vector graphic. It’s crucial you place them on the grid.

Icon Clarity

Icons are meant to be clear and legible. To avoid any distortion, you should place icons on the coordinate system on pixels.

Strokes

For your icons to be considered acceptable, they should have bold and consistent strokes. Avoid rounded stroke terminals and thin strokes at any cost.

Icon Shapes

Icons in Material Design should have geometric and consistent shapes. Do not use loose and uneven shapes.

Complex Icon Shapes

If you have to make complex static icons, make them face-forward and skip hard-to-make shapes. Static icons are not recommended to appear as 3D shapes or digital art.

Spacing

According to the best practices in Material Design, you should leave space between icons equal to 2X your icon size. For a standard 24×24 px icon, the whitespace should be 48x48px.

Animations

Animated icons should have a duration. According to the Material Design guidelines:

  • Simple icon animations should have a 100ms duration
  • Standard icon animations should have a 200ms duration
  • Complex icon animations should have a 500ms duration

3.2. Colors

Colors also play an essential role in your Material User Interface. Whether you use them in the background, extract them from your images (with a color picker tool), or use font colors, every single nuance has its unique purpose. We always recommend learning how to use the Color Theory before you conceptualize your Material Design vision.

Color palettes

Google developers are aware not everyone is born a graphic designer, that’s why they have developed their own color matching tool which allows you to select your primary color, and then automatically generates the additional hues which match it. The same logic is applied to the secondary color.

Primary colors

Primary colors will appear most of the time on your designs. Ensure they are bold and represent your brand in the best way possible. If you have large images, you should extract your primary colors from the picture, to achieve design consistency.

Secondary colors

Secondary colors are a great choice for progress bars, highlighting texts, etc. There should be a direct correlation between primary colors and secondary colors. A good practice is to use a secondary color that is between the primary colors, especially after the introduction of dark themes.

“On” colors

“On” colors, or the colors that appear when you hover over a component, are a significant part of the user experience. They emphasize the desired action and should separate it from the other similar components. This effect is achieved by adding more contrast for more accessibility – a 4.5:1 ratio is the minimum.

Background and surface colors

Background colors are the ones that are behind the website or app content. Surface colors are the colors that appear on the site components. Depending on where the text appears (on the surface or it is directly placed in the background), it should have enough contrast from the background/surface color.

Status colors

Status colors represent a certain state in Material Design. They are globally accepted standards like road signs and users are quick to notice them. For example, green is always received as a “complete” stage – regardless if it is about a task or a process. Red, on the other hand, represents an error. Status menus should have the same color code across all designs.

Dark and Light themes

We have to emphasize that colors will vary between the different UI versions of a website/app. Dark and light themes usually use contrasting colors aimed at keeping the legibility. As a result, we might end up with 2 primary colors, instead of one.

Icon colors

Icon colors should match the theme. While they might look on a light or dark theme, you should inspect the other version – is there enough contrast? Stick to a 4.5:1 ratio and you won’t be disappointed. If there isn’t enough contrast, consider adding a second primary color.

 

4. How to get started?

Creating Material Design websites and user interfaces for apps requires you to have knowledge of UX and UI design. You should work with UX design software. In this section, we will provide you with a couple of tutorials from some of the best UI/UX apps on the market.

4.1. Adobe XD

Adobe XD has become a fan-favorite for many UX and UI designers, and especially for Creative Cloud users. We have already published 25 supreme Adobe XD tutorials that you should definitely check out. But there’s more to that!

Let’s see a video example.

Material Design Blog UI

In this Material Design tutorial, you will see how to create a basic UI Design for a blog app. What you will find is how to include buttons, icons, color palettes, and texts, and save the final version of the design. A simple, yet very efficient video tutorial.

4.2. Figma

Figma is another popular software in the UX design world, and we have covered it with 24 quality Figma tutorials. It’s an amazing app that you can utilize to create super Material designs.

Let’s check a video example:

Material Design Color System

In this Figma video tutorial, you will find out how to create a color system in Figma utilizing a Material Design theme builder plugin. You can also use an image to create the color palette which is even better!

4.3. Sketch

Sketch is probably the best UX/UI software for a macOS environment. You can create a variety of gorgeous designs with it and it is no coincidence the developers are well prepared for Google’s Material Design system. You can check Sketch’s guideline which also includes a couple of videos.

Let’s watch an example video of how to implement Material Design with Sketch:

Material Design in Sketch

This tutorial will show you how to use a color palette from the Material Design guidelines, and how to apply those changes in Sketch. What might astound is how all components switch colors, once you apply the change.

4.4. Photoshop

Photoshop is one of the most capable software solutions you can find for design, despite being the only one on our list that works with raster files (note that Adobe enabled vector functionalities in their 2021 release). We have already prepared a guide with 30 amazing Photoshop tutorials, so checking it out might give you a helping hand.

Material Design with Photoshop is not impossible, and given the latest updates, it’s better than ever! Let’s see a video – it is a bit dated but the concept is great.

Photoshop Material Design

The tutorial is extremely helpful even though it’s not “fresh”. During the first part, you will see how to use Material Design in Photoshop, and how this software can help you craft masterpieces despite the limitations.

4.5. Webflow

Webflow is kind of a “hipster” among the other members of this prestigious list. Well, we ranked it 5th in our UX software comparison, so there are strong arguments why it should be there. As a capable UI and UX program, it can implement Google’s concept perfectly.

Material Design with Webflow

This video tutorial will guide you through Webflow – first, it will provide a quick definition (you can skip it if you like), then move to the “real job” – optimizing your design and aligning it with the best practices of Material Design.

 

5. Resources

In this section, we will pay attention to some resources, guides, and templates that you can apply in your practice, and get better with your designs.

Free Figma icon set

Figma developers have come up with 2,000 free icons for Material Design, available for everyone. They come in five variants, so you will have plenty of choices when building your website or app UI concept.

Material Design 3  Color Guideline

It’s a good idea to check the new requirements for MD3 when it comes to colors. The color system is well explained. One thing to pay attention to is tonal value and how a color can become 13 unique colors.

Angular Material Design Guides

Angular is one of the most popular frameworks for creating designs according to Google’s procedures. Let’s have a look at their Material Design guideline.

Type scale generator

As we have already realized, this design system pays attention to all details, and fonts are no different. Google has come up with a type scale generator you can use for creating a combination between a headline and body text font. The generator calculates the pixel size automatically.

Material 3 Full Guideline

We already mentioned the color guideline. “Material You” as some people say it, has a brand new guideline with resources. Resources are available also for React and Flutter users.

Free 600 brand logos

A free collection of 600 free material icons that you can utilize in your web or app design.

Material Design UI Kit for Adobe XD

This Material UI kit can be added to your libraries and can be downloaded for free. It consists of 200+ elements for a light theme.

Paid Sketch Material Kit

A collection of 1200+ high-quality symbols, 100 and more different styles, more than 1000 icons, and other components. The UI kit is part of a popular React library.

Figma Material Design UI Kit

Figma has released its own Material 3 Kit that is free to use. While it’s being updated regularly, bear in mind that it’s still a work in progress and there are some issues here and there.

Adobe XD Material Design Guidelines

Adobe has released its own article about Google Material Design and the way you can implement it in its product. The good news is all steps have good explanations, and there are a lot of screenshots available.

 

Conclusion

Material Design is a great concept. It creates consistent user experiences and simplifies website and app design, ensuring all users will easily access buttons and layouts. While no design system is perfect, having common standards that will reduce bad experiences is always a good idea!

If you find this article useful, why don’t you check some other design-related ones?

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PowerPoint Version History and Evolution To This Day [2022] https://graphicmama.com/blog/powerpoint-version-history/ https://graphicmama.com/blog/powerpoint-version-history/#respond Tue, 30 Aug 2022 13:58:39 +0000 https://graphicmama.com/blog/?p=50112 On April 20, 2022, PowerPoint celebrated its 35th birthday. Since then, a lot of things have happened in the software market – we have witnessed the dot com hype, the digital transformation, mobile phone usage increase, and lots of other technological advancements. But one thing remained – the commanding presence of PowerPoint in the market...

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On April 20, 2022, PowerPoint celebrated its 35th birthday. Since then, a lot of things have happened in the software market – we have witnessed the dot com hype, the digital transformation, mobile phone usage increase, and lots of other technological advancements.

But one thing remained – the commanding presence of PowerPoint in the market that nowadays consists of many great presentation software. Has it always been the same? Let’s find out in this article.

Article Overview:
1. Date of Birth
2. Microsoft’s PowerPoint Acquisition
3. PowerPoint version history
3.1. PowerPoint 1.0
3.2. PowerPoint 2.0
3.3. PowerPoint 3.0
3.4. PowerPoint 4.0
3.5. PowerPoint 95 /or PowerPoint 7.0/
3.6. PowerPoint 8.0/9.0/10.0
3.7. PowerPoint 11.0
3.8. PowerPoint 2007
3.9. PowerPoint 2010
3.10. PowerPoint 2013
3.11. PowerPoint 2016
3.12. PowerPoint 2019
3.13. PowerPoint 2021

1. Date of birth

Robert Gaskins - Co-Founder of PowerPoint

Robert Gaskins, Co-Founder of PowerPoint. Source: IEEE Spectrum

Every major application has 2 moments that are remembered – the day when it’s launched and the year it goes viral. While the initial idea of the software came up in 1984, the program was launched 3 years later by Robert Gaskins and Dennis Austin.

Robert Gaskins was clear that the multi-billion presentation industry was dated, and it needed a change. That’s why he deeply believed personal computers would change the game. Initially named “Presented”, trademark issues led to the team picking the name “PowerPoint”.

Interestingly, it was made to work on Macintosh, and some of the initial funding came from no one but Microsoft’s arch-rival Apple. The name of the initial company made by Gaskins and Austin was Forethought Inc.

 

2. Microsoft’s PowerPoint Acquisition

When Microsoft acquired PowerPoint in 1987 for $14 million in cash(or around $35.63M current money), it was considered a bold move. PowerPoint was a unicorn and it was Microsoft’s first big acquisition.

Bill Gates’ company wasn’t a huge player at the time – in fact, it generated just under $200m in revenue in 1986, compared to Apple’s $1.9 billion and IBM’s staggering $51.25 billion.

Putting things into the perspective, Microsoft wasn’t a major player at the time, and PowerPoint 1.0 didn’t help much either. In fact, many were wondering if the huge investment would be worth it.

Well, 3 decades later it’s easy to summarize the influence that Microsoft PowerPoint has had. 89% of people are using PowerPoint, and over 35 million presentations are created a day.

 

3. PowerPoint version history

PowerPoint has undergone a metamorphosis over the years and that’s obvious. A lot of things have changed and clients have become more demanding. Let’s see how each version looks like.

 

Pre-Office Era

PowerPoint’s time before it was added to the “elite group” of Microsoft Office tools was very interesting. This is the time when the biggest advancements were made.

3.1. PowerPoint 1.0

PowerPoint First Version

Forethought released PowerPoint 1.0 in 1987. It had a black-and-white user interface and 9 menus, and it was available on Macintosh computers. It was a breakthrough, and quite understandably – received amazing feedback back in time.

 

3.2. PowerPoint 2.0

PowerPoint v2.0

PowerPoint 2.0 was the first version that was launched after the acquisition. Needless to say, people expected to see changes, and they would do. The most notable change was the introduction of colors – with the second version users could edit color schemes and make more customizations. Also, a lot of other features (such as the “find and replace” tool) were introduced for the first time.

 

3.3. PowerPoint 3.0

In the history of PowerPoint, there was hardly any bigger update than the transition from 2.0 to 3.0. Most of the features we use today were created for MS PowerPoint 3.0 – including audio, video, and of course – the ability to add presentation templates. This version was the one to come up with slide transitions.

 

3.4. PowerPoint 4.0

PowerPoint history version 4.0

This update didn’t see many big changes but has laid the foundation of what we know as Microsoft Office – a combination of apps that can be utilized by companies (Word, Excel, etc.).

 

Part of Microsoft Office

PowerPoint history could have been totally different if it was only offered as a standalone product, rather than as a part of something bigger. Fortunately, PowerPoint has been able to share some of the great fonts that were available in Word and import tables from Excel. But it hasn’t always been like that.

 

3.5. PowerPoint 95 /or PowerPoint 7.0/

PowerPoint 95 Version

PowerPoint 95 took a completely different path. Its code was rewritten in order to be optimized for Windows 95. On top of the improved user experience, presenters could now create more animations and add symbols and clipart. With the Microsoft toolbar, you could easily get access to other Microsoft applications, and for the first time, you could write meeting minutes, thanks to the “Meeting Minder” feature.

 

3.6. PowerPoint 8.0/9.0/10.0

We’ll combine these 3 versions, as they are the updates before Windows XP took place. We saw PowerPoint advance to a powerhouse. It finally was able to save as HTML files, and during this period the first attempts at collaboration were made (via SharePoint). Also, the first animated GIFs were given life.

 

3.7. PowerPoint 11.0

PowerPoint 2003

PowerPoint 11 is part of Windows Office 2003 and has played its role in the new era in PC software – Windows XP. It gave presenters more freedom regarding their notes, clock time, etc. Other than that, you could use a camera, and enjoy a better overall experience. The legacy 35mm slides were removed.

 

The end of binary formats

Although still fairly reliable, binary formats were not considered a new technology in 2007. That is why the launch of Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 has put an end to them. The new XML format (.pptx) could make presentations more efficient and interoperable with other pieces of software. Not only that, it would significantly increase the security of the files.

 

3.8. PowerPoint 2007

PowerPoint 2007

PowerPoint 2007 (or PowerPoint 12.0) brought a lot of changes. Apart from the one we mentioned above, there a whole lot of things that took place. Apparently, the UI became more mature and intuitive. Design-wise, new 3D effects, and rotations appeared, as well as SmartArt graphics that allowed you to create all sorts of diagrams. However, what really made PowerPoint 2007 shine is how it became print-friendly – with Print Preview and the support of PDF format. Last but not least – you could finally track presentation changes, and digitally sign documents.

 

3.9. PowerPoint 2010

PowerPoint 2010 (or PowerPoint 14.0) didn’t bring that many changes but rather improved the layout of 12.0. Still, this PowerPoint version brought a lot of goodies – such as importing videos from the Internet, and different embedding options – including video and audio, plus editing options.

 

3.10. PowerPoint 2013

PowerPoint 2013

PowerPoint 15.0 was rather an addition, than a separate program but it was the first time PowerPoint was available on the web, and collaborations were finally possible. On top of that, the first versions for iOS and Android were released. 2013 was a year to remember for the developers.

 

3.11. PowerPoint 2016

PowerPoint history version 2016

PowerPoint 2016 was another grand release. It provided an option to collaborate in real-time (something that wasn’t present in 15.0), presentation translations, and brand new Morph transitions that are smoother than standard animations.

 

3.12. PowerPoint 2019

PowerPoint 2019 doesn’t have the “wow” effect but this is because the previous versions have already delivered most of the great experience. In fact, a few awesome features appeared: vector file imports, inserting 3D models and 360-degree view, export as 4K video, and a great background removal feature.

 

3.13. PowerPoint 2021

This is the latest version of PowerPoint.  While it doesn’t add a lot of things, it finally equals its biggest rival Google Slides in terms of online collaboration. You can now co-author with other people, and write comments to which others can reply.

 

Conclusion

PowerPoint hasn’t always been the leading presentation software.  There was a certain period when Microsoft engineers were wondering if they have wasted their hard-earned money but it wasn’t long after when PowerPoint took off and became one of the most dominant niche programs of all time, and certainly one of the most iconic names in the digital era.

If you find our content valuable, why don’t you check some of our other PowerPoint-related articles:

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The Best 24 Fonts for Modern PowerPoint Presentations [+Guide] https://graphicmama.com/blog/powerpoint-fonts/ https://graphicmama.com/blog/powerpoint-fonts/#respond Mon, 25 Jul 2022 19:39:27 +0000 https://graphicmama.com/blog/?p=50145 Presentations are pieces of art. From slide structure to animations, every single detail matters. In this blog post, we will show you the 24 best PowerPoint fonts for all uses. Of course, like everything in design – you might like some and frown at others. What we can guarantee you is that using this collection...

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Presentations are pieces of art. From slide structure to animations, every single detail matters. In this blog post, we will show you the 24 best PowerPoint fonts for all uses. Of course, like everything in design – you might like some and frown at others.

What we can guarantee you is that using this collection of top fonts for PowerPoint will always be a safe bet when you’re in doubt.

Article Overview:
1. How to import a font into your presentation?
2. Great Fonts to Use for your PowerPoint Presentations
3. Great System fonts for PowerPoint Presentations
4. How to design text in PowerPoint?

1. How to import a font into your presentation?

If you don’t know how to import fonts into PowerPoint, it’s important to learn how to do it.

Step 1. Download your fonts

The first step is to select your desired font and download it.

Step 2. Extract the font

Once you’ve downloaded the font, it’s most probably compressed. You need to extract it before installation. If it comes directly as a .otf or .ttf format, there’s no need to unzip.

Step 3. Install the font

Install the font. The process is similar to installing any software, just press “Next” until you see the option “Finish”. If your fonts have been successfully installed, they should appear in the Font library in Windows. To access it, go to your computer, Local Disk (C:)->Windows-> Fonts.

Step 4. Open PowerPoint

Once you open your PowerPoint, the new font should appear among the others.

 

2. Great Fonts to Use for your PowerPoint Presentations

Fonts are a great way to show some branding skills but also a significant part of your presentation. Of course, we cannot select the best PowerPoint fonts or the best fonts in general, it’s a too subjective matter. But we will try to show you some of the most versatile ones that you will not make a mistake with. Let’s start!

1. Lato

Lato font

Lato is a very common font that is used in digital forms since it was created for this purpose. It is a sans-serif font that is flexible. One of the most useful things about it is that you can choose between 5 different options for font thickness, giving it extra value when creating PowerPoint presentations.

Recommended title size: 20px

Optimum size for legibility: 18px

Perfect for: headers and body text

You can combine it with: Roboto, Montserrat, Merriweather

Download font

 

2. Open Sans

Open Sans typeface

Open Sans is another great font that can fit PowerPoint presentations perfectly. Since there is some line spacing, it can be easily readable. If you have large paragraphs that you cannot break down in bullets, it’s your perfect choice. It’s a standard PowerPoint font, so you’ll most probably have it in your font library.

Recommended title size: 28px

Optimum size for legibility: 16px

Perfect for: body text

You can combine it with: Georgia, Lucida Grande, Publico

Download font

 

3. Candara

Candara font

Candara is not your everyday font. While you cannot use it in Linux or the web, as it’s proprietary,  it’s accessible in PowerPoint, and what makes it interesting are the curved diagonals, and it’s the curves that give it more “personality”.

Recommended title size: 20px

Optimum size for legibility: 16px

Perfect for: body text

You can combine it with: Calibri, Cambria, Corbel

Download font

 

4. Tahoma

Tahoma font

Specifically designed for Windows 95, Tahoma is a very formal font that can fit business presentations perfectly. It is a very clear and distinctive font which can help avoid confusion, thus it makes it great for formal presentations that need clarity.

Recommended title size: 28px

Optimum size for legibility: 18px

Perfect for: title headers and body text

You can combine it with: Georgia, Helvetica Neue, Arial

Download font

 

5. Montserrat

Montserrat font

Montserrat is an extremely popular font, as it can be utilized everywhere – from website texts to presentations. Due to its high practicality, you can find it almost anywhere. Well, we need to warn you that you won’t get many “originality” points but you’ll also be “safe” when using it.

Recommended title size: 30px

Optimum size for legibility: 16px

Perfect for: body text

You can combine it with: Open Sans, Lora, Carla

Download font

 

6. Whitney

Whitney font

Whitney is an amazing font that will make your presentation stand out. There are two options – Whitney Condensed and Whitney Narrow. To be honest, Whitney can be used for both headers and body texts (check Discord), but we find it a bit overwhelming for PowerPoint paragraphs.

Recommended title size: 22px

Optimum size for legibility: 15px

Perfect for: title headers

You can combine it with: Sentinel, Mercury, Gotham

Download font

 

7. Proxima Nova

Proxima Nova font

Proxima Nova is one of the most versatile fonts out there with not 2 but 7 variants! That makes it a viable choice for many purposes and it’s part of the Adobe Fonts collection. The popularity spike is not without a reason, and Proxima Nova certainly won’t disappoint as it is one of the better fonts for PowerPoint.

Recommended title size: 26px

Optimum size for legibility: 16px

Perfect for: headers and body text

You can combine it with: Adobe Garamond, Futura, Helvetica Neue

Download font

 

8. Oswald

Oswald font

Oswald is a very decent sans-serif typeface and has 3 different versions – light, normal, and bold. It’s an interesting combination of some modern elements combined with classic gothic style, thus it’s perfect for your presentations.

Recommended title size: 18px

Optimum size for legibility: 16px

Perfect for: headers and body text

You can combine it with: Merriweather, Arial, Roboto

Download font

 

9. Europa

Europa font

Europa is an amazing font from the Adobe Font Family. It’s a modern geometric sans-serif font that goes well with other fonts from the Adobe family but it can be used in a combination with non-Adobe fonts. It’s up to you.

Recommended title size: 32px

Optimum size for legibility: 20px

Perfect for: headers

You can combine it with: Adobe Garamond, Chaparral, Kepler

 

10. Roboto

Roboto font

Roboto is one of the most versatile fonts for the web, as it comes with 6 variations. Described as a grotesque sans-serif, it is the default font of Google Maps. Being easy to read makes it great for body texts where scanning is pivotal. While it’s great for small texts, it doesn’t perform that well for titles.

Recommended title size: 38px

Optimum size for legibility: 22px

Perfect for: body text

You can combine it with: Roboto-Slab, Oswald, Abel

Download font

 

11. Adelle

Adelle font

Adelle is a slab serif font that is part of the Adobe Family. It’s multipurpose and could work be well utilized and magazines. Its personality and great visibility make it a viable choice on our PowerPoint fonts list. While it can be used for body text too, we prefer to recommend it for headers.

Recommended title size: 36px

Optimum size for legibility: 18px

Perfect for: headers

You can combine it with: Freight Sans Pro, Proxima Nova, Lucida Grande

Download font

 

 

12. Bebas Neue

Bebas Neue font

Bebas Neue is one of the best PowerPoint fonts we could recommend for headers and a good variety of font weights – five. Bebas Neue, however, is only available in uppercase, thus it isn’t a good fit for body text, so consider this before utilizing the font.

Recommended title size: 60px

Optimum size for legibility: not recommended

Perfect for: headers

You can combine it with: Аvenir, Roboto, Montserrat

Download font

 

13. Avenir

Avenir font

Avenir is a relatively old geometric sans-serif but it’s beautifully made and has been highly regarded. There are six font weights available and if creativity is the focus of your presentation, then Avenir is your perfect choice.

Recommended title size: 30px

Optimum size for legibility: 14px

Perfect for: header and body text

You can combine it with: Canela, Future PT, Kepler

Download font

 

14. Lobster

Lobster font

Lobster is a great choice if you want to create some funky text. It’s a great font for posters and headers but ensure you don’t use it much for body text, as it has very poor legibility if written in small letters.

Recommended title size: 58px

Optimum size for legibility: not recommended

Perfect for: headers

You can combine it with: Lato, Open Sans, Muli

Download font

 

15. Futura

Futura font

Futura is almost a century old but still converts well today! It’s one of the most versatile fonts for PowerPoint in case you download it. Who would suppose a 95-year-old font would still be relevant these days? And you will win points for creativity.

Recommended title size: 22px

Optimum size for legibility: 17px

Perfect for: headers and body text

You can combine it with: Proxima Nova, New Caledonia, Trade Gothic

Download font

 

 

16. Canela

Canela font

Canela is a hybrid font, as it can neither be called serif, nor sans-serif. It’s a very graceful typeface and we find it amazing for title texts. We also loved how it performs in the body from an artistic standpoint. However, we cannot rate it as very suitable for long paragraphs. Still, it can be used in bullets quite well.

Recommended title size: 22px

Optimum size for legibility: 16px

Perfect for: headers

You can combine it with: Caslon, Futura, Maison Neue

Download font

 

17. Aleo

Aleo font

Aleo is an modern slab serif typeface designed as a “companion” to other popular fonts, like Lato. It has a sleek design but that doesn’t sacrifice readability which matters the most. As it has great clarity, it can be used both as a title text and in the body.

Recommended title size: 25px

Optimum size for legibility: 19px

Perfect for: headers and body text

You can combine it with: Lato, Arimo, Halis Grotesque

Download font

 

18. Poppins

Poppins font

Poppins is a playful sans-serif font that can be used as a main PowerPoint font without any issue. Thanks to its versatility, this PowerPoint font can be used both for title headers and body text, although we prefer the latter.

Recommended title size: 24px

Optimum size for legibility: 17px

Perfect for: header, body text

You can combine it with: Raleway, Work Sans, New Caledonia

Download font

 

19. Eras

Eras font

Eras font has 4 weight options in PowerPoint and is absolutely stunning. It won’t be a mistake if we use it as a synonym to “elegance”. It’s slightly italic, thus making it perfect for long paragraphs and web content.

Recommended title size: 20px

Optimum size for legibility: 16px

Perfect for: body text

You can combine it with: Garamond, Futura, Helvetica Neue

Download font

 

20. Lora

Lora font

Lora is a great font that is offered for free by Google. It is a formal font that doesn’t turn its back on art, and as a result, it can be utilized greatly in PowerPoint both as a header and in the body, and it can work perfectly in print, too.

Recommended title size: 22px

Optimum size for legibility: 15px

Perfect for: header and body text

You can combine it with: Lato, Avenir, Montserrat

Download font

 

 

3. Great System fonts for PowerPoint Presentations

System fonts are a classic choice for PowerPoint presentations as they are a pretty safe bet – you can access them on all types of devices and operating systems. While some of them might not be as beautiful as the previous ones on our list, they will serve you well!

21. Georgia

Georgia font

Georgia is a classic serif font that doesn’t impress with outstanding looks but what makes it a viable choice for PowerPoint presentations is its versatility – you can use it on any type of presentation, as a header or in the body. It’s popular, so you won’t make a mistake using it.

Recommended title size: 24px

Optimum size for legibility: 16px

Perfect for: headers and body text

You can combine it with:

Download font

 

22. Times New Roman

Times New Roman font

Times New Roman was “The Thing” back in time. It was used as a default font for many web browsers and software, thus it was overwhelming. Recently, this serif font has lost its “halo” and is less common but you will never get it wrong if you bring it back to life.

Recommended title size: 18px

Optimum size for legibility: 12px

Perfect for: header and body text

You can combine it with: Arial, Gotham, Helvetica Neue

Download font

 

23. Arial

Arial font

Arial is another well-known name in the web font industry. You can also check this neo-grotesque sans-serif font used in PowerPoint presentations quite often, as it offers a lot of versatility.

Recommended title size: 22px

Optimum size for legibility: 15px

Perfect for: headers and body text

You can combine it with: Oswald, Verdana, Georgia

Download font

 

24. Helvetica Neue

Helvetica Neue font

Helvetica Neue is the successor of Helvetica which improved legibility and made it more modern. It is one of the most formal fonts that you can use in PowerPoint (and at all). This sans-serif font has 23 different variations in PowerPoint 2022 that you can choose from.

Recommended title size: 22px

Optimum size for legibility: 16px

Perfect for: headers and body text

You can combine it with: Open Sans, Proxima Nova, Adelle

Download font

 

4. How to design text in PowerPoint?

There are certain standards that should be met, in order for your PowerPoint fonts to appear correctly. Let’s see how to order your texts.

1. Make sure the font size is readable

Fonts in PowerPoint tip: the font should be readable

Do you wonder why some websites have HUGE fonts? It’s to ensure their content will be easily scannable. While you don’t have to use a 60px font size for your letters, you should consider making your text more readable.

Pro tip: A simple and straightforward way to achieve this is to try and remove large paragraphs, and replace them with single sentences and bullet points.

 

2. Make a contrast between the text and background

Tip for fonts in PowerPoint presentation: make contrast with background

There is an adopted standard of a minimum 4.5:1 contrast ratio between text and background for content to be scannable, and 3:1 for large text. There are people who have bad eyesight, and others are color blind.

 

3. Use white space

Use white space for text in PowerPoint

White space (or negative space) is crucial for your slide design. It is used to separate different parts of the text, making content more readable. It’s crucial to remember that you should leave some “air” after finishing a main point in the slide.

 

4. Find the right text balance

Balance text in PowerPoint - presentation design tip

One of the best PowerPoint presentation practices is to write between 6-8 lines and use no more than 30-35 words. Also, you should try to balance the text evenly – you cannot write 4 lines, then follow them with 3 lines, and then 1. Typically, writing 2-3 lines per paragraph is considered a good move, then followed by white space.

 

Final words

Structuring your PowerPoint text is not an easy feat. You need to pick the right PowerPoint fonts, as well as follow some basic instructions to make your slide text more scannable for your audience.

If this article has helped you, why don’t you have a look at some other font-related content from GraphicMama:

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How to Use the Principles of Marketing to Boost Your Business https://graphicmama.com/blog/principles-of-marketing/ https://graphicmama.com/blog/principles-of-marketing/#respond Tue, 19 Jul 2022 14:02:21 +0000 https://graphicmama.com/blog/?p=44063 Marketing is the mechanism in which suppliers aim to understand what their potential client needs, wants, and is willing to spend money on. By perfecting the principles of marketing, you will be able to convey how you meet the demands and give people a reason to buy from you. One of the best ways to start...

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Marketing is the mechanism in which suppliers aim to understand what their potential client needs, wants, and is willing to spend money on. By perfecting the principles of marketing, you will be able to convey how you meet the demands and give people a reason to buy from you. One of the best ways to start is to go online.

Article Overview:
1. What are the Principles of Marketing?
2. The 4 Basic Principles of Marketing
3. The 7 Principles of Marketing

 

1. What are the Principles of Marketing?

Even when you offer revolutionary solutions, you still need to make your presence known and build trust with your audience. The oversaturated market with competition in your way is also something to overcome when you start your business.

The principles of marketing are what a business looks at when it wants to improve or create a good marketing strategy that will be profitable in the long run.

 

2. The 4 Basic Principles of Marketing

4 Principles of marketing

4 Principles of marketing

These are the original principles that successful companies have been using since the 1960s. They have stood the test of time and continue to prove themselves today.

Principle 1: Product

The products are the services your business provides to the market. If you want them to sell and be profitable you will need to consider a couple of things:

Demand

No matter how good and unique the service is, you can only make it successful and profitable if there is a market for it.

Quality

Your product should always be as advertised. In this age of information if you are selling bad products the negative reviews can hurt your reputation and ruin your future sales.

Uniqueness

This is no easy task in an oversaturated market. However, there are still ways to be unique and stand out from the competition.

  • Have a product or service never seen before
    For example, cars have been around for a while, but the company Uber took this infrastructure and solved a problem in a way that was not seen before at that time. If you have a good idea you are passionate about and believe it solves a problem enough people have- go for it!
  • Take an existing product or service and improve its quality or offer something new
    You don’t have to invent the next future gadget to be successful. There could be a part, design, method, or mechanism that you can improve, which is also a viable business model. Razer didn’t invent the mouse or headphones, but they keep making better ones than their competitors with new technology inside and that’s why they are so popular.
Reliability

The longer your customers can use your product after they purchase it- the better. This is especially true for physical products that suffer the consumerism culture the most. Unfortunately, many manufacturers tend to build products with great specs but with a short life span. There are two reasons for that: quick profit (for short-term businesses that don’t rely on building reputation), or preparing the market for a newer model of the same product ( for big companies whose brand already works in their favor and can afford the scam without damaging their reputation). Needless to say, you will build trust and respect if you choose to make reliable, high-quality products that last.

Another factor that shouldn’t be neglected in some cases is the ease of use. Your customers should not have any problem with using, setting up, or finding information about the product. A good instruction manual is a thing companies often forget. Another alternative is a scannable QR code, leading to complete instructions and Q&As.

 

Principle 2: Price

There are 3 driving factors that you should consider before choosing any pricing:

Cost-based pricing

This method uses the cost of the product to determine the price. The product cost includes the product itself, but also shipping, advertising, and others. This is a good starting point when trying to figure out how to price something, but should be used alongside the other two methods.

Competitor’s costs

Before choosing your pricing, you should look at similar products or services from your competitors. If their prices are much lower than yours, people might not want to buy from you. However, if your prices are too low you will be getting lower profit margins than your competitors.

This should be taken with a grain of salt because it is always possible that your competitors didn’t do their research beforehand, so you need to have multiple reference points.

What your customers are willing to pay

The customers don’t care what your production costs are or how much you spend on marketing. The only thing that is important to them is if the product is as described, reliable and affordable (but not cheap, because the cost is often associated with quality).

 

Principle 3: Place

Physical stores

Having a store and people walking around it is a promotion by itself. It is where you display what you offer and sell it.

Online marketplaces

Online stores are as important as physical ones. A visually-pleasing comprehensive website goes a long way and has its own advantages. You can build an interactive journey for your visitors through your services, social proof, brand philosophy all the way down to the final logical conclusion: the CTA. Purchasing your services online should be convenient and quick.

Having your own business website isn’t the only way. You can list your physical (or downloadable) products on AmazoneBay, and Etsy.

 

Principle 4: Promotion

This refers to the process of making potential customers aware of your product or service. It should show the product in its best light and convince the customer that they need it.

Organic content marketing

Writing search engine optimized (SEO) posts and descriptions is a free way of promotion. You need to target highly searched keywords, which you can find with the free google keyword planner tool.

Paid advertising

The age of TV commercials and billboards is coming to an end. Instead, online advertising can target your specific market segment better. The most popular services are Google ads and Facebook ads.

Social media marketing

Having a good social media presence is something you absolutely need to invest resources in. Using Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and TikTok will help you get closer to your audience, learn their valuable feedback, and even build a community.

Email marketing

This is a simple passive one. When someone goes on your website and creates an account or purchases something, they will receive promotions, news, blog articles, events, etc. This type of passive interaction also increases the chances of your visitors returning.

Influencer marketing

Another popular way to advertise your services is through influencers with a great number of followers. They can promote what you offer to their loyal fanbase. Influencers’ videos often go viral which would be a huge benefit for your services. The negative side is that is nowhere near as focused as when using just normal ads.

Public relations

Being close with your customers is very important. Bigger businesses need PR agents for this job and you might do too.

Event marketing
  • Online live events
    • You can implement scarcity tactics to make people feel that they will be missing out if they don’t join.
    • The cost on your part is minimal.
    • You are not restricted by space so you can have as many people as you want.
  • Physical fairs, events, and trade shows
    • If you participated last year have photos or videos.
    • It’s a great way of collecting testimonials. By far the best method is to film short videos of people interacting with your products and showing positive emotions.
  • Facebook events
    •  This is by far one of the most popular places to organize events. It doesn’t matter if it is online or a physical one, having a Facebook event set up will let customers know about it and will provide information for anyone interested.

 

3. The 7 Principles of Marketing

With the evolution of marketing, in 1981 the principles were extended to 7Ps, with Process, Physical Evidence, and People added to the basic 4Ps. Nowadays, most companies prefer the 7Ps. Let’s take a look at them:

 

7 principles of marketing

7 principles of marketing

 

Principle 5: People

Hiring the right person for the right position is a key factor in your success. Make sure that your managers have good communication and organization skills. Your customer support staff should also know how to talk to clients and help them efficiently. After all, high customer satisfaction means good long-lasting relations.

Principle 6: Process

Optimizing this principle within your business will reduce your costs, handling, and production time while increasing your productivity. This includes finding suitable software to automate a huge portion of your tasks and creating specific standards for the process for everyone to be on the same page.

 

Principle 7: Physical Evidence

This refers to social and physical proof.

  • Testimonials: You can add a rating method, comment section, and social buttons for people to show their experience with what you offer. This creates social proof among potential clients and increases your exposure.
  • Online demo: If your product is physical this will include photos, video or 3d models, or virtual tours. If it is virtual you can get really creative with you you present it, depending on the nature of the product or service.
  • Seeing in a physical store: Being able to see in person, touch, and know the quality and materials better than a picture can tell.
  • Shipping and packaging: Fast shipping or distributors in every target country you sell to. Another thing to consider is how your packaging looks. Great package design is a huge part of your branding.

 

In conclusion

It doesn’t matter if you are just starting a business or have one already, by understanding the principles of marketing, and how and where to apply them you can have the upper hand in this modern world, ruled by technology and algorithms. It is likely that your business model won’t need all of the principles of marketing, or even that you will be using them in the same way other businesses choose to apply them. The best thing you can do is research as much as possible and draw inspiration to create the best marketing strategies for your specific business.

You may also be interested in some of these related articles:

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Brand Equity: How to Build and Maintain A Strong Brand That People Love https://graphicmama.com/blog/brand-equity/ https://graphicmama.com/blog/brand-equity/#respond Tue, 12 Jul 2022 12:33:57 +0000 https://graphicmama.com/blog/?p=44108 You can measure the success of your company easily by financial statements, customer satisfaction, new and returning customers, employee performance reviews, and staying current on the market.  Your brand’s value, however, depends on the public perception of your brand and its recognition compared to its generic equivalents. With this in mind, today we’re going to...

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You can measure the success of your company easily by financial statements, customer satisfaction, new and returning customers, employee performance reviews, and staying current on the market.  Your brand’s value, however, depends on the public perception of your brand and its recognition compared to its generic equivalents. With this in mind, today we’re going to talk about brand equity. What is brand equity, how do you measure it, and how to build it for your brand? Let’s find out.

Article overview:
1. What is Brand Equity?
2. The Benefits of Brand Equity
3. Keller’s Brand Equity Model
4. The Four Components of Brand Equity
5.  How to Build Brand Equity
6. How to Measure Brand Equity

1. What is Brand Equity?

For Google, it was the moment people started using the phrase “I’m gonna Google it” instead of  “I’m gonna look it up on the internet” that cemented the company’s brand equity.

In marketing, brand equity is the term that describes the brand’s recognition and added value in its name. This is determined by how the customer perceives your brand and what opinion they have of it. It refers to the premium that you generate from a product compared to a generic equivalent. For example, you can generate more sales by making better, new, or improved products constantly. But if you manage to take care of your brand equity and make sure public opinion is on your side, you won’t have to. Your brand equity will do the work for you.

In fact, if your company has positive brand equity, your customers will be happy to pay a much higher price for your services in comparison to the same services by a generic brand for much less. The three basic components of brand equity:

  • Perception: This is the knowledge customers have of your brand and the experience they’ve had with your services.
  • Effects: They can be positive or negative for the brand, organization, services, and profit.
  • Value: Tangible value that translates into revenue, and intangible value that translates into brand awareness. Depending on the effects, the value can also be positive or negative.

 

2. The Benefits of Brand Equity

The market is a giant ladder and you want to be as high on it as possible. Brand equity plays a big role in that since it attaches a level of prestige to your brand. There are three major benefits to why brand equity is that important.

  • Profit Margin: The amount by which revenue from sales exceeds costs is your profit margin. Higher levels of brand equality allow you to charge more for a product or service in comparison to your competitors, despite the fact it was obtained or manufactured at the same price. Logically, the difference will be much more profitable to the company with high brand equity.
  • Sales: Since customers tend to purchase products and services from brands with a good reputation, this will have a direct effect on sales.
  • Customer Retention: Your customers will not only wish to pay more for your product. They will want and anticipate more products. In this phase, your brand equity does the job for you and your company doesn’t even need to spend that much on marketing.

 

3. Keller’s Brand Equity Model

Kevin Keller is a marketing professor at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. He is also the author of “Strategic Brand Management”, which is one of the most recognized textbooks about marketing in the world! In his work, he presents us with his Customers-Based Brand Equity Model. It illustrates how building a successful and stable business depends on how customers perceive and experience your brand. This will create positive feelings and will sway public opinions about you.

Keller’s Brand Equity Model

Keller’s Brand Equity Model

Brand Identity

Also known in the model as Brand Salience, this is your brand awareness. It determines who are you and what makes you stand out from other brands offering similar services. The key take here is that in addition to building your identity and awareness, you tick all the correct points to ensure the right type of perception.

In order to do so, it will take thorough market research to understand how the different market segments interact with your brand. These are the questions to start with:

  • Are there different market segments and their specific needs?
  • In what way do different market segments have a different relationship with your brand?
  • When it falls to your brand and a competitor’s brand, what makes the customer choose your services?
  • Do you have a unique selling proposition in comparison to your competitors?
  • Is your unique selling proposition clear to your market?

Once you’re able to answer these questions, you’ll be able to understand exactly how your market perceives your brand. Does your market perceive your brand the way you intended, are there any specific issues you need to address, do you need to change the way you communicate your message, and more valuable insight.

Brand Meaning

The next step is identifying your brand meaning and communicating it properly. According to Keller’s model, there are two building blocks: performance and imagery.

  • Performance: This block defines how your services meet the needs of your customers. There are five categories in which your services “perform”: features and main characteristics; reliability; service effectiveness; design; and pricing.
  • Imagery: This block also refers to how your services meet the need of your customers, but on a social level. It’s when the services meet these needs on a psychological level, from the customer’s own experience with the services; or with marketing.

For example, on a performance level, your services meet your customer’s needs with valuable features, the durability of the product, an effective way to solve the problem, great design, and competitive price. On an imagery level, however, your brand takes part in environmental programs and part of your profit goes to causes that help to recycle. Your brand has a meaning: great service performance and contributing to important causes. To create your own brand personality, you need to identify what your brand meaning currently is and is it what you originally intended. In this step, you determine if you need to make changes in “personality”.

Brand Response

Once you’ve built your identity and meaning, what comes next is the responses by your market segment. These responses fall into two categories:

  • Judgments: Your customers will make judgments about your services and brand based on its quality; your credibility; how relevant your services are to their specific needs; and are your services superior to similar services by competitor’s brands.
  • Feelings: This refers to what feelings your brand evokes in your customers. In Keller’s model, these could be warmth; security; fun; excitement; self-respect; and approval.

For this step, you have a lot of work to do. Starting with the judgments, you need to consider what you can do to improve the quality of your services and your brand credibility. The second step is for your marketing strategy to determine an efficient way to communicate the relevance of your services is to your customer’s specific needs. Third, find out how your services compare to those of your competitors. And last, consider determining which feelings your brand evokes in your customers and how to enhance them.

Brand Resonance

The last segment of the pyramid, which is the very top, places the brand resonance. This is the degree every brand strives to reach as it reflects resonating with your customers on a deep psychological level. According to Keller, brand resonance means your brand has achieved: customer’s behavioral loyalty; attitudinal attachment; a sense of community; and active engagement.

Often brands encourage behavioral loyalty through rewards, gifts, social presence to inspire engagement.

 

4. The Four Components of Brand Equity

We can also call them the 4 dimensions of brand equity. Once your brand identifies its value, you’re ready to follow the roadmap for building and managing that value.

Brand Loyalty

Your customers already have a good experience with your services. You have built their trust and earned their loyalty. This means they will choose your services instead of similar ones by competitor brands and will even recommend them to other people. At this stage, you can safely introduce them to new products and services that they would gladly try.

Another part of your business that greatly benefits from good brand equity is your stock price. If a lot of people believe in your brand, the company’s stock will most likely continue rising in the long run.

Your brand can capitalize on this by reducing marketing costs, trade leveraging, attracting new customers, enhancing awareness, and responding to threats by the competitors.

Brand Awareness

Brand awareness refers to how much people recognize you. It might take years of brand campaigns running in the background, but when it pays off, your brand is on its way to achieving high equity. This dimension includes attaching associations to your brand; building familiarity and liking; gaining visibility, and signaling commitment.

Perceived Quality

Customers are often willing to pay more for a product or service from a brand with a good reputation. There are many ways to sway public opinion in your favor. However, no matter what strategies you implement, the most proven way to ensure that people perceive your products as quality ones, is to offer high-quality services and improve them further based on customers’ feedback.

Brand Association

The last brand equity dimension refers to a set of qualities that communicate specific information to your customers. Brand associations exist thanks to your brand marketing activity. Their purpose is to differentiate your brand from the competition and give your desired market segment a reason to choose your services. More specifically, the brand association helps customers remember your brand and its unique solutions to a specific problem.

 

5.  How to Build Brand Equity

After learning how brand equity works, let’s have a look at the 5 best strategies for building high equity for your brand.

Make your brand recognizable

Building brand awareness is a hard task, but a path worth taking. In order to introduce customers to your brand and become recognized, there are a couple of strategies you can try.

  • Consistency: Build a distinctive identity for your brand by creating the name, logo, design, symbolic elements, and color scheme related to the brand. It will give you consistency.
  • Story: Who are you? What is the story behind your brand? Why are you so passionate about what you do? Make people care.
  • Value: Provide ongoing value to your services.
  • Presence: tap into social media platforms to share quality content people would love. Also, keep in touch via email and newsletters.
  • Customer Service: Offer quick and effective customer service.

Creating a bond with your customers

Making a deep psychological bond with your customers means gaining their loyalty. To accomplish that, first let your customers know you see them as people, not money dispensers. Focus on paying attention to their needs by conducting surveys, asking for feedback, answering their comments, and being accessible. Make communication as simple as possible.

In order to build such a strong bond, honesty is key. You can maintain that integrity by delivering services or responses exactly when you promise and leaving a good impression. If that means giving something for free to boost your reputation, don’t hesitate.

Make people know what you stand for

Your services meet your customer’s needs in terms of performance. This is great. However, consider the social and psychological needs as well. This includes a genuine commitment to a cause, sharing your values and brand mission. What do you contribute to the world? What will your customers contribute to the world by supporting and associating with your brand?

Find the target audience

People are very different and the more successful your company becomes, the more diverse your customers will be. It is important to divide your target customers based on specific criteria and run different campaigns simultaneously. This will give you valuable insight into what your target market actually looks like and to whom you’ll be communicating your message.

Know your data

Knowing who, when, where, and why is using your services could be critical to achieving success. Consider linking your website to Google Analytics and using the insight to target with more precise parameters for Google and Facebook ads. You can improve your marketing campaign and social media posts, custom-tailor for your specific audience and their purchase patterns.

 

6. How to Measure Brand Equity

As subjective as it seems, there are six metrics to help us measure brand equity.

  • Sentiment Analysis: This technique determines whether data is positive, neutral, or negative. Also known as opinion mining, sentiment analysis uses textual data in the form of customer feedback.
  • Brand Awareness: You can measure it by launching awareness surveys to your target group; checking your social media following and engagement; using Google trends data; using brand tracking software; checking mentions and extra publicity on third-party websites.
  • Preference Metrics: This method measures your brand’s competitive position and determines customers’ preference patterns.
  • Financial Metrics: This refers to your brand’s monetary value, market share, company value, and revenue potential.
  • Competitive Metrics: It refers to the areas where your competitors fail to meet the customer’s needs. You will learn exactly the areas you need to capitalize on. This refers to measuring customer acquisition rate, ROI of distribution channels, and sales lift.
  • Brand Audit: And last, in order to understand how successful is your brand, is to find the inconsistencies in your market strategies and locate potential opportunities and threats.

 

In conclusion

Brand equity is the key factor that determines your business performance over time. It’s strategic support to build a long-term brand value, recognition, and loyalty.

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30 Inspiring UX Design Examples For Your Next Vision in 2022 https://graphicmama.com/blog/ux-design-examples/ https://graphicmama.com/blog/ux-design-examples/#respond Mon, 11 Jul 2022 12:04:27 +0000 https://graphicmama.com/blog/?p=49996 Users get more and more demanding and if a design itself delivered great outcomes some years ago, there is no guarantee it will work today. However, finding inspiration for your next website or app design might be a tough task. You need to consider plenty of ideas, many of which not be suitable for your...

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Users get more and more demanding and if a design itself delivered great outcomes some years ago, there is no guarantee it will work today.

However, finding inspiration for your next website or app design might be a tough task. You need to consider plenty of ideas, many of which not be suitable for your business. As a result, you might be wasting productive time.

In this article, we have gathered 30 design examples with an outstanding user experience, which can serve as a guiding light and inspire you to the bones. We have carefully selected our examples to cover as many niches as possible, focusing on both B2B and B2C. Let’s take a look:

1. MILU – Product Tutorial

MILU website - tutorials in ux

Type: Cosmetics | Country: the Netherlands

MILU is one of our top user experience design examples for a couple of reasons: not only does the color palette indicates who these products are for, but there are a lot of high-quality images and videos, and on top of that – there are explanations of each product (ingredients, target audience, etc.) and a video of how to use it. Simply amazing!

A great example for:

  • Video instructions
  • A detailed explanation of each product
  • A beautiful feminine color palette, indicating the target audience
  • Creative choice of icons
Visit Website

 

2. Revolut – Personalizing user experience

Revolut - personalization example

Type: Fintech | Country: UK

Revolut offers an exceptional experience for its customers. You can personalize everything there – from your virtual card look to your user interface. It’s an example of mobile UX design that can serve as a role model for other apps that want to offer such a level of customization to their clients.

A great example for:

  • Great attention to detail
  • Sublime personalization
  • Simple, and well-explained icons with services
Visit Website

 

 

3. Clutch – Detailed Filters

Clutch website - using filters in ux

Type: A Review Platform | Country: USA

Clutch.co showcases a large portfolio of B2B agencies. It offers one of the most advanced filters we have seen, thus the platform can easily qualify as a benchmark in filter design examples. On top of that, the review feature gives companies a lot of credibility and makes people trust Clutch when making decisions. Users can also see hourly rates, total budget costs, etc, which is pivotal. The cherry on the cake is the “Verified” badge that is the whole essence of such platforms – to connect clients with trusted partners.

A great example for:

  • “Verified” badge
  • Advanced filters
  • Service focus tab
Visit Website

 

4. Kitchen.co – A Brand New Service Explained

Kitchen communication platform website

Type: Communication platform | Country: Bulgaria

Kitchen.co is a B2B and B2C communication platform that allows seamless information exchange between teams and clients. What made it rank among the good user experience examples is how well-explained each feature is on the landing page and the interactive Agency/Client view achieved by a toggle button. There are lots of platform screenshots and bullet points that make things clear to understand.

A great example for:

  • Complicated service explained simply
  • Great, descriptive visuals
  • Showing multiple reviews
  • 100+ features explained clearly
Visit Website

 

5. Vunabaka – Useful Time and Weather Plugin

Vunabaka travel website design example

Type: Luxury resort | Country: Fiji

Vunabaka is a luxury resort in Fiji and the website shows it as such. The website design boasts a friendly UI with amazing high-quality images of the place and a luxurious copy that goes along. What ranked it in our UI and UX design examples is the smart plugin that allows you to access the local time and weather forecast in Malolo village in real-time and make you want to go there. A small but smart and creative concept.

A great example for:

  • Luxurious text copy
  • High-quality images
  • Real-time time and weather plugin
Visit Website

 

6. eDreams ODIGEO – Case Studies

eDreams ODIGEO case studies in User Experience

Type: Travel site | Country: Spain

eDreams is a travel website with a couple of different services. What we loved, though, is the case studies that sparked our interest. It’s very interactive, full of infographics, and it has plenty of high-quality images and illustrations. We believe it’s one of the best UX design case study examples you can find today – elegant, professional, interactive, and most notably – creative.

A great example for:

  • Creative concept for case study
  • High-quality images
  • Interactive infographics
Visit Website

 

7. DrinkPerfy – Product Benefits and Reviews

DrinkPerfy - reviews design

Type: Soda Drinks | Country: USA

DrinkPerfy is a company that offers non-alcoholic beverages with natural ingredients. We rated their design based on how well they managed to promote their product by stressing its benefits and attaching reviews from people. Lots of bullets, illustrations, and a gradient background make the website interface more “juicy”.

A great example for:

  • Product benefits
  • A unique UI that matches product design
  • Comparison table between Perfy and other similar products
Visit Website

 

8. Netflix – TV Streaming Services Made Simple

Netflix - Great user experience example

Type: Streaming services | Country: USA

Netflix is the most popular streaming app available. It ranks as one of the best wevsute design examples because of the simple navigation, the dark theatre-like theme, and a straight-to-the-business structure – they know you are there to watch movies – you will find completely different movies/series based on your taste on one page, and nothing else to distract you from movies. And you don’t even have to read a synopsis or search for a trailer – it automatically starts on hover, genius! Not to mention our favorite function to automatically start the next episode or skip the intro.

A great example for:

  • Clean and simple navigation
  • Great visuals
  • Explanations written in a plain language
Visit Website

 

9. Octaevo – Using Shape Patterns

Octaevo shape patterns ux

Type: Accessories | Country: Spain

Octaevo is one of the examples of UX design that impresses with imagination. It perfectly blends shapes and images, and the 3D illustration design makes this website extremely useful if you want some motivation for your next art design project.

A great example for:

  • 3D forms
  • Use of shapes
  • High-quality images
Visit Website

 

10. Blueventure – Utilizing Color Theory

Blueventure website using colors in ux

Type: Accessories | Country: USA

We have brought this UI design example because the whole website is made to ease people who want to be credited. Venture capitalism is hard to explain but here, things are made simple and friendly, and another thing we loved is the elements that have been used – a positive trend that appears when the website is loading and utilizing the color theory perfectly.

A great example for:

  • Illustration with a positive trend (arrow up)
  • Combination of whites and blues (build trust)
  • Simple explanations
Visit Website

 

11. Clac – Getting Personal

Clac site - User personalization

Type: Personal Assistant Services | Country: France

Clac is a very interactive animated website. What makes it a great user experience example is how well the design “communicates” with users – it’s playful and quite interesting. What impressed us is the direct tone of voice that gets personal. In fact, the FAQ section leaves us with the impression that Clac is a name of a person, rather than a platform.

A great example for:

  • Design communication with the audience
  • Lovely explanations
  • Quirky FAQ section
Visit Website

 

12. Google – Competing Against Itself

Google - clear user experience

Type: Search Console | Country: USA

Don’t you find it weird how design trends change but Google has remained with the same interface since 2016, and it even has similar looks to the design from 1999? The concept “less is more” will never get old. There are a lot of features that you will only access once you look for them. It’s the recipe for being #1 in the world for so many years.

A great example for:

  • Design consistency
  • Lots of tools available upon search
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13. 2Create – Showcasing Brand Portfolio

2Create - Great portfolio Showcase

Type: Service page | Country: Bulgaria

2create is one of the best-looking portfolio design examples. It may serve you as inspiration if you have multiple brands which operate within the parent company. All products are explained with a few sentences but include numbers, the black and white color palette gives the company a more premium interface, and the big bold letters ensure great text legibility – crucial for mobile experiences.

A great example for:

  • Lots of branding, including font colors
  • Great explanation of the brands
  • Creative navbar
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14. Paolo Cottini – Adding Elegance

Paolo Cottini - elegant ux example

Type: Winery | Country: Italy

If you sell high-end products, then having a premium user design is a must. We can easily spot the elegant touch with the handwritten signature text and using “premium” colors plus black-and-white photography makes the design exquisite.

A great example for:

  • Personal signature
  • Detailed product explanations
  • Bold letters
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15. Soxey – Minimalistic Design

Soxey - minimalist web design

Type: Socks | Country: Switzerland

We rate Soxey highly among the examples of UX design because of its design consistency, minimalism, and the usage of square forms. We can also praise the Swiss for adding such a photo as the main one. It sets the tone of the whole website. Last but not least – for each pair of socks there is a detailed explanation that gives further value in terms of SEO.

A great example for:

  • SEO
  • Great filters
  • Detailed About Us page
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16. Masterclass – Aggressive Sign-Up Page

Masterclass - user experience and interface

Type: E-Learning | Country: USA

Masterclass is a premium e-learning platform with lectures from industry professionals like Gordon Ramsey, Marques Brownlee, Richard Branson, etc. It’s one of the best customer-focused experiences for SAAS companies, as it offers easy access, a dedicated B2B portal (called “At Work”), and an amazing Plan page with comparison. Add the stunning user interface with rich blacks and red CTA buttons, and we see why this platform is so popular.

A great example for:

  • Dedicated B2B section
  • Great Price page
  • Aggressive Sign-up page
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17. Rib Rack BBQ – Stating its Benefits

Rib Rack BBQ - product presentation experience

Type: Sauce | Country: USA

Rib Rack BBQ is another website design that utilizes comparisons between the product and competition. One page that many other websites lack is the Community page where people can share their experience with the sauce. It creates good vibes and brings more attention. Other than that, we also have to compliment the FAQ page which has 14 questions that concern the product and allergens.

A great example for:

  • Community page
  • FAQ page
  • Highlighting features through a product comparison
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18. Wana Brands – Playing with Text

Wana Brands - text in user experience

Type: Gums | Country: USA

Wana Brands focuses on showing off some creativity. And indeed – it works. From creative headlines to a great podcast section and a variety of other videos and blog posts. If you want to express yourself, then this is one great customer-centric approach to how to do it.

A great example for:

  • Creative headlines
  • Different types of content
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19. Booking – Gamification in user experience

Booking - level user personalization

Type: Travel App | Country: the Netherlands

Gamification is a great way to optimize the user experience and Booking.com are well aware of it. Genius Levels incentivize customers to spend more money and serve as loyalty programs. On top of that, travel-related services are also offered, like rent-a-car and flight services. It is one of the best examples of gamification and cross-selling opportunities.

A great example for:

  • Cross-selling
  • Gamification (progress levels)
  • Search options
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20. Duolingo – User Personalization

Duolingo UX personalization

Type: Language App | Country: the USA

Duolingo can easily go down one as one of the best mobile UX design examples. The app offers an easy-to-use interface and access to many languages. You get to answer how you reached Duolingo which is crucial to show which channel delivers. On top of that, there are other quiz questions you need to answer to be segmented.

A great example for:

  • Client personalization
  • Gamification
  • Additional services (upselling)
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21. Burger and Sauce – Utilize Options

Burger and Sauce unitize features example

Type: Restaurant | Country: UK

Customers love to choose. That’s why we bring you one UX design example that provides you with lots of choices. Want to check menu online? Sure! Or do you prefer to download it, instead? Okay! You can also place an order or subscribe. One thing that can serve (pun intended) as inspiration can be the gallery – as a restaurant, this is a must-have condition.

A great example for:

  • Choice of options
  • Following industry guidelines
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22. Aspen Homes – Direct Call Button

Aspen Homes - contact forms example

Type: Real Estate | Country: USA

Aspen Homes is another one of our UI/UX design examples that stands out with original ideas. What we love is the seamless “mature” experience of the website. Designated pages such as “Our Approach” give more depth, while advanced filters, high-quality images, and short and clear explanations impress a lot. And let’s not forget about the truly amazing button that calls the number directly.

A great example for:

  • Advanced search options
  • Our Approach page
  • Direct Phone Call button
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23. Apple – Product Comparison

Apple product comparison design

Type: Electronics, Services | Country: USA

We cannot submit an article about amazing user interface designs without mentioning Apple. If your brand offers a variety of services and products, you can get inspiration from Apple – they have an amazing multi-page layout. You can find FAQ sections for everything, and the comparison tables between their own product lines are a genius idea.

A great example for:

  • Product comparison
  • Designated FAQ section
  • Insane page optimization
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24. Zapier – Connecting Clients with Professional Guides

Zapier - useful guides in ux

Type: SaaS | Country: USA

It’s always challenging to create a web design for B2B clients. There are different demands and simplicity plays a crucial role. The business automation software is hard to understand, but we love how each supported service is easily available through scrolling and a search box. On top of that, there are flexible pricing charts, a big community, and a network of experts that can help you set up your account.

A great example for:

  • Big professional network
  • Flexible pricing models
  • Lots of useful information on the website
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25. We Are Jude – Showing Stats

We Are Jude - showing stats example

Type: Supplements | Country: UK

It’s not an easy task to create a website for bladder pads and supplements that attracts audiences. However, this website comes with a stunning UI design – lots of numbers, all proven statistics, many useful infographics, comments from a Ph.D. from Harvard, and a Community section. Top that with an amazing blog section, and you can clearly see why it appears on our example list.

A great example for:

  • Superb use of statistics
  • An amazing blog section
  • Easy access to all products
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26. Puzzle Break – Offering New Solutions

Puzzle Break - experience offering solutions for user

Type: Virtual Meeting App | Country: USA

Puzzle Break offers brand new experiences for its customers. We gave it a place in our UX examples list because we believe CX (Customer Experience) is a crucial part of it. And we can see it with the variety of opportunities to organize team buildings online, virtual escape rooms, and even escape rooms in Seattle. A lot of options, and you can get a quote easily.

A great example for:

  • A variety of choices
  • You can get a personal quote
  • Good FAQ section
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27. Amazon – Overal Experience

Amazon - website overal experience

Type: Ecommerce| Country: USA

Amazon offers a unique experience for its customers. Starting from the “Buy Box” button that allows users to shop directly if they don’t want to choose between different manufacturers, to Amazon Prime which gives plenty of options for discounts, free shipping, etc. Also, Amazon gives plenty of other services – like video streaming, TV channels, servers, and lots of B2B tools. However, if there was one thing that makes Amazon truly awesome, it’s Amazon Prime – arguably the best loyalty program globally.

A great example for:

  • Buy Box button
  • Detailed filters
  • Loyalty programs
  • Range of services
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28. ESPN – A Complete Media Package

ESPN site - media in design example

Type: Sports Channel | Country: USA

It’s common for TV channels and radio stations to slightly neglect their websites. That’s not the case with ESPN. It can be classified as one of the finest UX website design examples for sports fans, with lots of videos from games, a large article collection, interview sections, social media handles, TV channel integration, and a live score plugin.

A great example for:

  • Video footage
  • Live data
  • Social media handles
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29. Birkenstock – New Market, New Version

Birkenstock - web ux example

Type: Shoes | Country: Germany

Birkenstock is among the most popular manufacturers of sandals and has a long history. The reason this legacy shoe producer ranks in our example list is simple – it customizes its product according to the market. Not only does the Birkenstock website has different cover photos and images for each region, but also the featured models are tailored to fit local shoppers.

A great example for:

  • Separate edition for each target market
  • Product customization per region
  • Quick loading speeds
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30. BMW – Delivering More Than What is Expected

BMW great user experience example

Type: Car Manufacturer | Country: Germany

BMW has a superb website design. You can feel the BMW experience – by listening to some podcasts or reading articles about climbing Mount Fuji. Of course, if you’re just looking forward to buying a new car, just press the “Models” sections and you can configure the models in your local language, as the website optimizes user experiences for local markets. You have all the standard options and a high-quality rotation image of the car’s exterior/interior.

A great example for:

  • Focusing on the customer journey
  • Easy car configurator
  • “Hypnopolis 2” page
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Final words

It’s easy to get carried away by our top UX design examples. And while for brands like BMW and Apple exclusive design comes at a high price tag, you can always think of Google – delivering simple solutions but optimized to the last bit. After all, design is all about customers. Your customers.

If you find our article helpful, you can also check some of our other content:

The post 30 Inspiring UX Design Examples For Your Next Vision in 2022 appeared first on GraphicMama Blog.

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