A couple of months ago I wrote an article about flat illustrations as another trend for 2020, and it was quite a success. Maybe because I managed to share some handy insights — or rather because it was another trend report, which the mass of creators is hunting for from December to January. Anyhow, I was okay with it until I got a response from one of the readers.
“Flat design looks like every. single. tech. company. ever,” he wrote — and that was the beginning of my departure from the blind trend-following and trend-announcing.
Being in The Middle
Behance and Dribbble deliver hundreds of incredible design projects daily — and lots of similar projects, too. 3D art, flat illustrations and sterile minimalism are just everywhere, and will you dare call these works tasteless?
In fact, neither 3D nor minimalism are a problem. The problem is that they’ve become so popular that every second designer is trying to implement them in the project to the detriment of their creative identity — just because they know the trend will work ion 90% of cases.
It makes me think that trends are acting as tutorials. They define what a designer should do to succeed, while the creative skills ensure how precisely the trend will be realised in the particular artwork. As a result, we have this mass-scale design that everyone wants — and that makes a creator average, in the middle between outstanding and mediocre.
Non-Format Design
Being average is not a problem either. Our life is composed of average items, which are functional and perfectly perform their functions. The problem is that designers stick to being average and don’t make risky stuff. And how is it possible to stay in the middle and become prominent?
How about picking a trend and instead of using it according the instruction pack it with your personality?
Or set a trend of yours?
Or doing something totally random and making an entire project out of it — without going tacky and mockery?
With this question on my mind and went browsing Behance (for the millionth time) and came across a music packaging design project for Digital Technology, an album of The Clap — and that was the first time in a while when I had nothing but “WOW!” Custom typography which reminds of medieval typography but doesn’t imitate it. Classic visual art that meets digital collage but doesn’t turn into suffering Middle Ages. The design team walks on the edge of common sense and masterly minds the balance between weirdness and good taste.
I checked another hundred of quality branding projects and all of them were built around a trend. Flat design, neon, bold 3D — and the fact this very work doesn’t have them makes 70% of its success. How about you doing the same risk instead of using a safe and trendy template?
Trends come and go. And I infinitely respect those who can adapt to this change and be great whatever the circumstances are. But those who have the bravery to go beyond will always be above — at least, because they have this very courage to risk, fail and become high rollers someday.
