5 Brand Design Trends for 2021

Design trends are an interesting subject that can be both fun to keep an eye on and valuable for the growth of your business. They provide new ideas and inspiration that may encourage you to step outside of your design comfort zone and totally transform your brand! This article dives deep into 5 Brand Design Trends taking 2021 by storm.

If you've been in the iGen Creative world for a while, you'll know that we strive to curate brands that stand the test of time. That's why we believe in taking inspiration from design trends and altering them to suit your unique needs and brand message.

Adapting brand trends to suit you will allow you and your brand to maintain your authentic identity while remaining relevant and competitive in the market.

Let's take a look at a few popular design trends and how you can incorporate some of them into your style to enhance your brand while retaining your identity!

1. Geometric Patterns

Clean, minimal and contemporary are words that come to mind when considering the idea of geometric patterns in design. Geometric patterns can be seen across industries whether as a block shape in a logo or as repeated linear patterns on a website reminiscent of wallpaper. Geometric patterns are proving to be quite popular!

Geometric patterns can come across as sharp and professional, giving your design an additional edge. Stimulating your audience is imperative for success with your brand - you want to be remembered. With this design trend, you have hit the perfect middle ground between subtle yet forthcoming.

So, how can you incorporate geometric patterns?

A great place to start is by taking an element from your logo and copying it into the geometric pattern. If you are using a geometric shape in your logo, you could transfer that into a pattern and create a wallpaper for your website or develop a company print that can be used across materials for collateral (etc.).

Another excellent way of making the most of geometric patterns involves the strategic placement of them. If you currently have quite a minimal logo, you could combine it with the pattern in certain content to heighten the awareness of the logo and accentuate what you want to stand out.

2. The Experience

In today's society, technology has made the world so much smaller. We have access to so many more companies. As consumers, when we're searching for a specific product or service, the options are endless. For this reason, the product or service offered needs to be immaculate! However, not only does it need to be immaculate, something more needs to be available to the consumer to make them choose you.

An excellent product or service is no longer enough. You must engage your clients in an unforgettable brand experience.

Amazon is a company with an extremely customer-centric approach. Originally starting as an online bookstore, they are now a leading online retail centre and have definitely dominated their niche.

How have they continued to dominate? When it came to a point where books were going out of style, they created the Kindle. Modernising once again with the times, they developed the kindle with their customers in mind. Following on from this successful decision, they then expanded their product inventory and streamlined the process by allowing the consumer to shop in their own currency & language no matter where they are in the world.

Even now, they have return pick-up points worldwide to make the journey for the consumer that bit easier. Positive experiences are what Amazon strives for, and with over 197 million users per month, they are doing something right!

What can you add to your system to act with a more customer-centric methodology?

3. Organic Colour Palettes

Choosing the correct colour palette for your brand is a very personal thing that relates deeply to the overall goal for your brand, and how you wish to be perceived in your market. Selecting a specific colour palette is a core part of your brand identity, however, that doesn't mean you can't incorporate colour trends along the way.

A huge trend at the moment is choosing a natural, earthy colour palette. Neutral tones are everywhere! They ooze stability and calm energy in a way that feels classic and reliable, one that your customers can trust. You may already have a brand colour palette that you love, however, that shouldn't stop you from adding to what you already have.

Strategically combining neutral tones with your current ones may help to highlight aspects you want to stand out. Also, note that you don't have to change anything you already have. For example, you could add elements to photos or stories on social media that will include that trend and potentially engage new prospects, without dramatically impacting your core identity.

4. Sustainability

With our environmental awareness constantly increasing, it is only natural that business choices mirror the global situation. As a result, a huge trend right now is in sustainability, stemming from the universal effort to have the most positive environmental impact possible.

A lot of successful brands have used marketing strategies that highlight what they are implementing to become more eco-friendly, in an effort to attract those who are eco-conscious. Many behind the scenes videos and images are used on websites to showcase the story of where the product is actually originating from. Not only that, some companies even have designated pages on their site or social medias to explain specific steps they have taken to lower their carbon footprint.

If this is something you are passionate about, or if you are currently working towards a 'greener' system, then you should definitely emphasise and draw attention to this where possible. It could really encourage certain people to work with you, while also creating access to a whole new niche of people.

5. Retro vibes

Vintage, rustic and classic brand designs are extremely popular right now, tying in with the organic colour palettes. They can be a stunning addition, whether you are primarily contemporary or you already have a more traditional visual style. Adding 'retro' elements to certain details can be an excellent way to reinforce your brand's prominence in your niche and offer a more mature and trustworthy display. Successfully integrating vintage aspects will add a certain sophistication to your brand identity which may help to gain consumer's trust earlier in the discovery stage. 'Older' styles can offer a certain wisdom, making your business a more practical choice to work with!

Those are the 5 Brand Design Trends that have taken 2021 by storm so far. Are you going to incorporate one of them into your future brand designs? Let us know below! Utilising trends in the small details of your brand is a great way to evolve with the times, whilst maintaining your core identity.

To unleash your full brand potential, click here and get in touch with one of our specialists.

Until next time,

Sarah

Content Manager

iGen Creative