2022 design trends & predictions, according to Aruga

We live in an increasingly interwoven age, so it’s becoming harder to pinpoint exactly where we think creative trends will lean. The viral nature of social media means it just takes one overly popular product to redirect everything.

The variety in viralness also means we’re seeing more and more micro-trends emerge as niches that previously didn’t exist are suddenly taking up space in our awareness and feeds.

There are still overarching trends that collect these micro-niches in broad strokes – these are the ones to watch in 2022.

We know social media is the birthplace of trends that end up shaping industries. Instagram is a major player for the delivery of design – switching from a photo-sharing platform to focus on video to compete with TikTok will force (ahem “strongly encourage”) many creators to add a bit of motion to their content.

Templating apps, such as Unfold, have already added video options to bring static graphics to life, which will only become more widespread. There will also be an emphasis on kinetic type, a playful and highly technical typography niche that’s been bubbling away for a few years and will become much more of a staple in the graphic design world in 2022.

The move to authentic content has already happened in social media and now we’re seeing it in graphic design – people want what’s real. Overly polished, elegant designs are becoming less popular, while textured, playful and personality-driven brands are rising to the top. There’ll be an increase of designs that offer interactability with the consumer, pushing quotes and testimonials to the forefront.

After a crazy and uncertain couple of years, people want to return to simpler times – and design is following them. Like rewatching your favourite TV show, we’ll see consumers return to products that remind them of the nostalgic ‘good old days’. Block colours and flat geometric shapes will reign supreme.

Type is BACK, baby. The hyper-fixation with Helvetica is waning and serif fonts are in again. (Can you tell we’re particularly excited about this one?) We predict fonts will swing a bit too far into form as we shun function, but we’ll hit a sweet spot after suffering from too-tight counter spaces and ‘creative’ kerning.

 Much like the push for organic design, we’ll see an increase in creatives cross-pollinating on projects as the desire for connection takes a front seat. This means we’ll be exposed to some crazy-fun Frankensteins of niches and aesthetics with entire trends born from the mix n’ match!

But wait… there’s more. Pantone’s Colour of the Year is still to be announced for 2022, which is both a prediction and a prescription. Whatever colour Pantone puts forward will take a strong lead in interior, production and graphic design and will help to inform the visual identity of 2022.

Editor’s Update: Pantone’s Colour of the Year 2022 has now been revealed and reportedly encourages personal inventiveness and creativity. Colour your world here.