Ready to get ahead of all the biggest graphic design trends in 2020?
This year we’ve teamed up with design app Over to share a roundup of all the hottest design trends heading your way on Instagram this year.
Based on months of pop-culture analysis and trend forecasting, Over’s 2020 Trends Kit is a definitive source of inspiration for all design professionals.
Plus, we’re sharing tips from design experts on how to apply these graphic design trends to your social strategy — so you can really elevate your Instagram aesthetic in 2020!
Graphic Design Trend #1: Analogue Texture
That’s right, the next big digital design trend is actually a blast from the past.
Analogue texture is about to fill our feeds and if, like most of us, you’re wondering how something digital can become more “analogue”, then it’s time to get creative.
Think peeling high-street billboards, broken glass, crumpled and folded papers, or the dog-eared corners of a magazine. It’s real-life wear and tear meets digital perfection.
Edgier brands like W Magazine are already embracing this grungy new trend, which is great for adding more standout character to everyday Instagram content.
And if your brand isn’t quite ready for a gritty aesthetic, you can always try this trend on Instagram Stories.
“This trend is an easy way to make your Instagram Stories more interesting, without having to commit to the trend on your grid,” says Later’s Creative Design Lead, Chin Tan.
“It’s great for brands who are focusing on an edgier audience and often looking to change up their look, such as fashion, music, and cosmetics brands,” Chin explains.
On Trend with Over
Over has a huge range of analogue textures in their graphics library that are great for recreating this trend.
If you’re looking to be even more creative, you can even use real life textures to use in your Over designs. Layer photos of concrete, tarmac, scratched metal, brick, sand, or torn paper and experiment with the opacity for a one-of-a-kind effect!
Ready to get started? You can download Over for free — just click the link below!
Graphic Design Trend #2: Powder Pigments
Pastel tones have been going strong on Instagram since 2015’s millennial pink boom — but in this decade we can expect to see pastels taking on a whole new hue.
The luminous, peachy pastels of 2019 will give way to darker, dustier, more textural shades.
According to Over’s design experts, we can anticipate pastels to become more “industrial” and “masculine” on Instagram, often set against near identical colors with a minimalist composition for a cool, modern look.
These hard-wearing pastels offer a new way for brands to introduce powder pigments into their palette — without falling into the baby-ish or clichéd category.
On Trend with Over
The great news is there are tons of ready-made templates and graphics in the Over library that are perfect for the powder pigment trend.
Once you’ve found a powder pigment graphic that works well for your brand, you can always use Over’s color picker to layer additional elements (such as a background, shapes, or text) to elevate your design.
Graphic Design Trend #3: Vintage Tech
Designs inspired by vintage tech have been gradually infiltrating our Instagram feeds throughout the last decade, and we only expect this trend to grow in 2020.
Vintage photography equipment is a huge influence for this trend, with Polaroid frames, vintage camcorder watermarks, print negatives, exposure light leaks, and grainy film effects all proving to be extremely popular.
We can also expect to see a rise in mock-ups of nostalgic computer applications (like Microsoft Paint and Windows 95) making their way onto our Instagram feeds too, alongside nods to vintage manufacturing methods like screen-printing.
Much like analogue texture, this trend is all about mirroring the imperfections of the real world.
It’s also a quick and easy way to add a little extra uniqueness to your content, without damaging a carefully curated Instagram aesthetic.
On Trend with Over
If you’re feeling the vintage tech design trend, Over’s in-app tools and varied graphic packs have got you covered.
For example, you can edit an image layer in blend mode to introduce film grain, negative frames, and light leaks — creating that perfect 35mm photo look.
You can also easily add a Polaroid frame or film roll effect into any image, just by searching in Over’s huge library of graphics.
Once you’ve added a graphic from Over’s library you can edit it to fit your image perfectly — swapping colors, altering the opacity, and even masking out parts of the graphic.
Ready to start curating your Instagram feed like a pro? Plan, preview and schedule your posts with Later – the #1 marketing platform for Instagram!
Graphic Design Trend #4: Authentic Imagery
Authenticity has been a huge trend on Instagram in recent years, with brands and content creators alike shifting away from picture perfection to share real emotions and experiences on the platform.
And with this shift we’ve seen a whole new editing style arise: the “no-edit” edit.
Carefully curated images are becoming a thing of the past, as consumers look for more relatable content that feels more organic and less produced.
We’re seeing tons of brands getting on board and sharing more “every day real life” shots rather than polished photoshoots or glossy edits.
Hayley Zielke, Marketing Coordinator at Artifacts Uprising (a Later customer) explains that as a brand, their mission is to share images that are beautiful and inspiring, but more importantly, it’s about telling a story.
“That has been a focus of ours the past few years,” Hayley explains.
“How can we highlight every kind of experience — the imperfect and all? Because “aesthetic” is what you make it and connection is what really matters.”
Want to know more about where the Instagram aesthetic is headed in 2020? Check out this blog post as we predict the trends that will shape Instagram this year!
Graphic Design Trend #5: Collage
Thanks to creative design apps like Over, collage designs have had a huge resurgence on Instagram over the last few years.
In 2020 we’ll see this playful trend go even further, mirroring homemade cut and paste scrapbooks with a mix of pictures, fonts, and textures.
Expect to see this trend combined with vintage tech effects and analogue textures (like heavily grained filters or paper folds) in a bid to amp up the authentic homemade look.
Brands like Nasty Gal are already embracing this trend on Instagram, layering fonts and images with dusty filters for a vintage scrapbook effect.
This design trend can work with almost any picture, font, or texture, making it a super versatile trend for brands to experiment with in 2020.
On Trend with Over
The Over app is perfect for creating custom collages that reflect your brand personality — with heaps of collage-inspired graphics and font options to make the creative process seriously easy.
They even have a collage layout collection, which is a great way to apply this trending look to Instagram Stories.
Graphic Design Trend #6: Childlike Expression
From colorful doodles to chaotic crayon scribbles, this design trend may be childish in style — but it’s gaining real momentum with some very “grown-up” companies, like Mailchimp.
By embracing such wild and carefree illustrations, brands are showing their alignment with creative freedom, spontaneity, and imagination.
“Illustration is an incredible tool for getting your message across,” says Becky Okell, co-founder of limited edition jacket company Paynter.
“It’s a borderless way of communicating,” she explains.
On Trend with Over
If childlike expression speaks to you, you’re going to love the illustrated graphics in Over.
There are dozens of graphic design packs to choose from, ranging from squiggles to splashes and splotches. There’s also an impressive collection of fonts in the app that pair perfectly with this style.
Looking for even more illustrated shapes to layer in the Over app? Download Later’s free pack of Instagram Overlay Stickers now!
Graphic Design Trend #7: A Squeeze of Citrus
When it comes to color trends, the design experts at Over predict that subtle accents of mellow yellow and blood orange will be a big hit in 2020.
These colors are traditionally associated with warmth and health, making them the perfect choice for cosmetics, fitness, and wellbeing brands looking to strengthen their brand voice through their social content.
Alongside citrus-inspired font and border accents, we can expect a messier, more artistic application of this trend.
Think spontaneous paint splatters, doodles, sprays, dribbles, and splotches for an imperfect finish — often paired with a slightly desaturated or monochrome background for maximum impact.
“If your color palette doesn’t include these colors, you can always use them for a specific campaign or to mark a special occasion,” said Later’s Graphic Designer, Martina Freyer.
“Brands can afford to be more playful with their color choices on Instagram — it’s okay to break rules sometimes!”
On Trend with Over
From citrus paint splatters to cute stars, Over has lots of graphics to add a pop of high-energy color to your content.
And if you can’t find the graphic that’s quite right for you, you can always experiment with citrus-inspired shapes or text accents in the app.
Graphic Design Trend #8: Delicate Serifs & Sans Serifs
Fonts can have a huge impact on a brand’s aesthetic, so keeping up with the latest typography trends is always a good idea. In 2020, Over’s design experts predict that delicate, elegant fonts will take center stage on Instagram.
This font trend is all about balancing delicacy and strength to provide a sophisticated first impression — while still being easy to read on application.
French womenswear brand Sezane regularly shares quotes on Instagram in their trademark serif font, which perfectly captures their elevated and modern brand values.
Later’s Creative Design Lead Chin Tan explains how fonts can be pivotal for a brand’s identity.
“By investing in a good unique font you can easily create creative assets that are identifiable as part of your brand,” Chin explains.
“It’s an easy way for brands to make their mark, quite literally, on Instagram.”
If you’re looking to tap into the typography trend on Instagram, Over has a huge library of fonts to choose from — as well as the option to import custom fonts!
Download Over’s 2020 Trend Kit today for the full trend report plus a 1 month subscription of Over Pro for free!
Graphic Design Trend #9: Phygital Objects
Get ready for a new kind of artist on Instagram: the digital sculptor.
From perfectly smooth spheres to curved conicals, digitally created shapes will be popping up all over the grid in 2020.
Australian skincare brand Aesop is an early adopter of this trend, combining their products with perfectly formed 3D objects.
@aesopskincare
This trend is almost futuristic in its application, and is a great option for brands looking to champion modernist and minimal design through their Instagram aesthetic.
On Trend with Over
Thankfully, you don’t need a working knowledge of the latest 3D software to jump onto this trend. Over’s extensive library of graphics has a whole range of phygital objects (and even fonts) that you can add to your designs with just a quick tap.
For extra impact, you can even try combining multiple phygital object graphics together, experimenting with subtle shadows, to create your own surreal world.
Graphic Design Trend #10: Type Heroes
Statement typefaces will never go out of fashion, and in 2020 we can expect to see them taking on a new and rebellious form.
Typography is a typically rule-bound area if design, but this year we can expect to see more quirky typefaces entering our Instagram feeds — often with stretched or distorted lettering.
This trend is well suited to brands looking to make their brand feel more youthful and edgy, as these twisted fonts have a certain psychedelic quality.
The design professionals at Over also predict we will see more animated type heroes in 2020 — a trend that fashion powerhouse Gucci is already getting to grips with on Instagram.
On Trend with Over
From bold and trippy to subtle and serious, there are hundreds of fonts to choose from in the Over app.
Keeping up with the latest trends is a great way to keep your brand feeling fresh on Instagram, as long as they are in-keeping with your brand values and aesthetic.
“Trends are great for inspiration, but you should always think about adding details to tie them back to your brand.” warns Later’s Graphic Designer Martina Freyer.
One of the best ways to make sure your content is always on-brand is to preview before you publish. With Later, you can plan and preview your Instagram posts in advance.
Later’s visual planner is one of the best ways to preview your new designs before you publish — so you can be as creative as you like, while still keeping your aesthetic on point!
Looking to create a killer aesthetic on Instagram? Start planning, previewing and scheduling your Instagram posts with Later today!
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