24 Oct Five design trends for communicating better and boosting engagement
Any good communications strategy goes beyond the use of words to reach an audience with visual elements, enticing them to engage further with your content. Despite the old saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” the reality is that we do. And why shouldn’t we? A book cover, like any design, should be efficient at communicating with its potential audience about what to expect if they delve further. However, it’s easier said than done. Successfully appealing to an audience with visual communication is an ever-moving target. We have put together this list of five trends which should help you design better in 2021.
Muted colours
The COVID-19 pandemic has been traumatic for the world, with “red alerts” and “code blues”. With the bold, bright colours being used by government, health agencies and news outlets, consumers have learnt to associate these pallets with fear and uncertainly. To combat this, brands should consider using muted colours in their visual messaging, presenting themselves as calm and non-threatening.
| Avoid bright and bold | Implement soft and calming |
|---|---|
 |
 |
Data visualisation
Some good has come out of the pandemic. Because statistics have been vital in tracking and combatting covid-19, people have become more comfortable with engaging with data. But it is crucial that this data is presented in an easily digestible format. Infographics, bars, and charts have become an increasingly useful communication tool. In more good news, there is also a host of online tools and software which helps you create accurate and aesthetically pleasing visualisations – try out Canva, Infograpia or Venngage. Alternatively, contact us to do it for you! Our design team is well acquainted with best practices in information design.
Icons and illustrations
Gone are the days of using cringey stock photos in your media campaigns. Today’s winning designs are those which use quirky illustrations and icons to present an idea. In some cases, this means you probably shouldn’t rely on free photo databases for your design elements. However, we have noticed that some image banks have picked up on this trend and there are more widely available illustrations and cartoons – just remember to take note of the usage rights and, if possible, rather commission original designs to ensure your content is truly unique.
| Avoid stock photos | Implement unique illustrations |
|---|---|
 |
 |
Text-heavy video
What started as an effort to make videos more accessible to those with hearing impairments has led to a growing trend of text-heavy videos. Although it seems counter to the current perception that “people don’t read”, wordy videos on social media have grown in popularity as many people mute their phones when using social media at work, next to sleeping partners, or when watching TV. It seems that combining engaging visuals with subtitles or associated wording is something brands should consider moving forward.
Slide decks
Social media content is famous for having to be short and snappy, but there are some messages that you just can’t shorten, or which would be better told through several frames. In efforts to avoid diluting content too much, we have seen a surge in social media “slide decks” which bring an aspect of storytelling into the picture. Great storytelling helps keeps the audience captivated from start to finish, resulting in improved engagement.
