It’s no secret that the graphic/visual design industry changes frequently. It’s one of the many things that never lets there be a dull moment. There is a conflict that I believe most designers face. And that tension comes from the age-old contrast of trends vs principles in design.
The Merriam-Webster definition for the word “trend” is, “A prevailing tendency or inclination; a general movement; a current style or preference; a line of development.” The key part of that definition is the “current style or preference”. What was eye-candy 5, 3 years ago or even last year is not guaranteed to appeal today. Trends can be fickle. “But you need principles!” and “You need trends to stay relevant” are constantly being bounced back and forth. So where do I stand as a designer in this matter?
Current Web Design Trend of 2020 featured multiple layers involved in the design.
First, I’m not the kind of person who believes in “exclusive camps”. Meaning you have to believe entirely one way or not at all because you must be in the other camp (except when it comes to my faith beliefs). In this particular instance, I believe you need both in your design methods. I’ll highlight the pros and cons of my position and why I believe its best for anyone to take this approach.
PRO-PRINCIPLE
Picture a building. The absolute must to any building standing strong through the years, weather, and elements is a good foundation. Letting the elements and principles of design being your foundation is what keeps you when the trends change. It’s your artistic foundation for success. Another good illustration I like to use for any human body, having a working spine is key to the structure and functioning of the body. Without a spine, everything about the human body wouldn’t work at all. The same is true with principle in regard to a designer’s method. It would like trying to design a logo without any idea of what fits as far as text, graphics, symbolism, spacing, and contrast. Or even trying to design the structure of a website without a general approach that executes the message and design effectively. Principle is key.
PRO-TREND
Relevance is the key to any message. If a message is not relevant, then it is no good. What I like about designing with trends is that it keeps the message of your design fresh and relevant for the present time. Trendy design keeps things flashy and interesting. It’s a common language that the average person can understand. Adaption to current climate and changes keep you as a designer valuable to the world you work in. And if nothing else, it can stretch your creative limitations as a designer. It’s easy to get stuck doing the same kind of work over and over again. With trends, it forces you to max out your vision and creative juices to deliver a product that demonstrates you’re endless possibilities as a creative designer.
CON-PRINCIPLE
When there’s a pro, there’s usually a con. The con of designing purely from principle without any consideration for current trends is that your work can become stale, basic, and overly expected. Doing the same kind of design method all the time leaves little room for creative growth which can leave you feeling left in the dust if you’re not careful. The logic of basing your work from principle is a win, but logic can’t be the only driving force into creativity. Creativity is meant to defy logic and use one’s imagination. One of my favorite teachers from college, Mark Bender, had a famous quote that most of my fellow classmates can relate to “Draw from life, but don’t be limited by reality.” The same concept applies here. Build from principle but don’t be limited by logic.
CON-TREND
The biggest con with a trend is in the name. A trend is a trend for a reason. It’s primarily based on what works for the moment. I’m all for utilizing trends in design but I stop short of agreeing with every trend. Most of the time they don’t age well. Hence why designers tends to move on from what worked in the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s, 2010s, etc to create something new. There are some examples of timeless brand designs like Coco-Cola (1887), Nike (1971), Chanel (1921), McDonald’s (1962), and FedEx (1994). However, those are far less common instances as most brands are designed utilizing the trends of the day they were created. Times changes, therefore trends do too. Rebranding and redesigning older logos cost time and money, hence that you can never dive headfirst into just trendy designs. You almost have to have fore-sighting of knowing which trends will last longer and use them in the graphic design.
In conclusion to this, I’m a believer that having a principle design method is a must not just because it’s principle. It’s what makes you a designer that sticks. I am also a believer in incorporating current design trends into your work because it keeps you connected and relevant to the ever-changing world around us. And being around is how you are able to receive opportunities to perfect your craft and produce really great design work. Stay hungry. Stay principled. Stay trendy, my designer friends.