Last updated September 2017

Design is always changing and evolving to meet the needs, tastes, and expectations of consumers. 2014 was no different as we saw a continuation of some positive, user-friendly digital design trends such as larger photography and better typography. Last year also hinted at some of the digital design trends to come in 2015. What are these trends and why are they becoming prominent now? Our infographic will explain just that.

As 2014 comes to a close, the prevalence of pure flat design has subsided to make way for more practical semi-flat design elements. Google, for instance, ran with this development of semi-flat and branded it as their own form of Material design. This departure from skeumorphic graphic design marks a shift towards truly embracing and designing for the strengths of digital spaces. Instead of trying to replicate nature, digital designs are beginning to take advantage of the unique capabilities of digital: clean lines, bold colors, and elegant interfaces.

Some of these trends have to do with recent advancements in technology. As the definition of screens improves, internet connections speed up, and mobile data packages become more generous, we’re starting to see big, beautiful photos, video backgrounds, and cinemagraphs everywhere on the web. Large file sizes like these would have been impractical just a few years earlier, when they would have taken ages to load and eaten up nearly a month’s worth of mobile data in the process. Today, it is safe to assume that most users have a device with adequate display capabilities as well as a fast enough internet connection to handle these designs.

But this trend of huge, striking images as backgrounds is hardly limited to the digital world: we are also starting to see more wall murals, canvas, and acrylic prints designed with a similar aesthetic displayed in commercial and office spaces. And just as typography is beginning to hold an elevated role in design on the web, it is also making its way off our screens and onto our home and office walls. Mantras, mission statements, and quotes from famous thinkers, either as die cut vinyl or as typographic dibond signage, have also become a noticeable trend in offline design in recent years.

So is design in the offline world influencing trends in the digital world? Or are digital spaces making an impact on the design of physical spaces? We say it’s a whole lot of both, and that this interplay is one of the most fascinating aspects of design trends. Our design trend predictions below discuss this interesting dynamic and will help you draw connections between the trends you are probably beginning to see all over the web. See also our breakdown post highlighting each trend separately.