As 2017 comes to a close, we’re on the lookout to see what the new year has in store for design and fashion trends. We’ve included some of our predictions & notable trends to keep an eye on in 2018 – we’re excited to see where the new year takes us creatively!

Color:

We’re seeing the continuation of the popular 90’s influence into the new year. The nostalgic nature of these tones (teals, purple-hues, & pinks) bring levity, and a casual-cool essence to a brand. In 2018 we are on the lookout to see more risks with color, pairing unlikely hues for a fresh take on contrast. Dropbox recently unveiled their new brand evolution, which is a great clue in on this trend.

On the flip side, 2018 will continue to usher in upscale neutrals that we’ve become accustomed to in fashion and design over the last few years. We’re also starting to see new takes on the ever-popular millennial pink (lavender is cropping up, and muted, neutral tones jumping off the pink bandwagon are something we’re keeping an eye on). We predict these tones are here to stay throughout the new year.

Typography:

Humanist, bold, san serif typefaces started becoming quite visible in 2016 (think Hillary Clinton logo & branding) and in 2018 we’re predicting an even greater rise as the visual voice of brands in various industries. They bring a friendly and optimistic characteristic to language, while staying simple and approachable.

Some fonts we’re excited to use in 2018 include: Canela, Regular, and Work Sans

Design:

The inclusion of simple illustrations and textures is fun and we’re curious to see more illustrators pair with designers to include custom artwork into websites, brands, and more. Life Wtr does a nice job of including organic illustrations and textures to their marketing and packaging.

Speaking of Packaging…package design is one way that consumers choose their preferences by the way a brand appears on shelves or online. We’re loving Halo Top ice cream’s brand story, and how it’s personality is reflected in their package design. The continuity of the brand shows all the way through to their social media presence.

We’ve seen art direction pushing the envelope in mass-market consumer products over the last year and a half (sometimes it’s challenging, and bizarre!) We’ve been eyeing the artistically-odd creative marketing campaign of Thinx, as an example.

Fashion:

In fashion we’ve been noticing lots of great textures lately that will carry over into 2018: velvet (you’ll see a crossover on this trend in home decor!) sequins/glitter, and fringes. On the opposite spectrum, simple white t-shirts and 90’s era denim will continue to be staples in our wardrobes.

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words by jena – art director