For the next few weeks we’ll be presenting the Ninjawards 2015—a series of 6 design articles covering what’s rad, bad, and the next fad in print, presentation, web, app, branding, and virtual reality!
Want your print collateral to stand out this year? Keeping up with the latest trends in print can make a big difference, but we understand it takes time and a ton of research. That’s why we compiled over 50+ examples of the latest print design trends. Use this guide all year long and feel good about how you’re spending the marketing budget.
Personalization
There are always plenty of opportunities to get personal with print. Take advantage of the great options out there to create a stunning piece that stands out from the rest.
Small-Run Publications
Large and expensive catalog runs are dead; the future is in small-run publications. These smaller runs create desire for a piece of beautiful printed art to hold and experience, and allow for your budget to include foils, letterpress, die-cuts, and other amazing treatments to deliver that “wow” factor.
Large Images
Already a huge trend in web, large image design is now making it’s way into print. Think high-quality photography and illustrations. Large images add a big fat (!) to print design.
Big Blocks of Text
Using text as a visual element has been around forever, but utilizing font choices and size to create clean, simple, and elegant visual hierarchy that reads as information and eye-candy has emerged more fully during this generation of designs less is more aesthetic.
Hand Lettering
Hand lettering adds originality and gives your work that human touch to help make an emotional connection with your audience.
Abstract and Geometric
A continued trend from the past few years is the embracing of geometric often contrasted with the organic.
Generic Foundation
Knowing the past and applying great fundamentals are a key factor in creating great design in the present, but relying on what’s been done to create something new will make you look like the other 500 people doing the same. Keep it current and break away from the pack of underachievers.
Using Print (Because You Don’t Understand Digital)
Print will always be a great method of executing design, but depending on it because you don’t understand digital is using that 1990 set of encyclopedias because that darn Google is just too hard to use.
Lying By Design
Did I really just receive a $500 check in the mail? Oh wait— just another envelope stuffed with false hope. Remember… lying is never on trend.
Augmented Reality
Connecting the dots between virtual reality and print, augmented reality is already being used by top brands to create memorable experiences for their clients and customers.
RFID / NFC
RFID and NFC chips provide what QR codes didn’t—connecting print to digital, without taking up precious design real estate with an ugly pixel blob collage.
3D Printing
If Portlandia devoted a whole episode around it, it must be the latest fad. 3D printing has already made headlines, but as it becomes more affordable, we’ll see a whole new generation of the print options available to share with the masses.
