Trends and anti-trends in design

So much of the time we see an endless waterfall of posts and paper etc. gleefully following on with the ‘trends’ of the day in terms of the design used by businesses and more. Here and there we see an anti-trend such as brutalism or anti-design. Those trends and their anti- versions have an impact and an influence but why not occaisionally add something a little different. We can add a diversion or difference to add a little commentary, a particular emotion, a statement or allusion to some other meaning.

https://graphicmama.com/blog/graphic-design-trends-2022/

https://99designs.co.uk/blog/trends/graphic-design-trends/

https://www.creativeboom.com/features/biggest-trends-in-graphic-design-for-2022/

https://fontbundles.net/f4mmediahttps://fontbundles.net/f4mmedia

design resources, bringing a little art and style to what you have available

Source: f4mmedia, Designer at Creative Fabrica

https://designbundles.net/f4mmedia/1829646-the-works

Yes! the styles associated and used by business change over time, but, a question – do the emotions associated change? Tell me! There is certainly movement in terms of the overall manners and ways of doing business but do we not have a continuity in terms of things associated with it – happiness, content, loss, gain, interest, boredom, and many more.

https://designbundles.net/f4mmedia/1845829-grit-n-grime

and so the return begins

So we are seeing the opening back up of many businesses, but are we going to see all of them suddenly put the motor into 5th gear and hurtle down the road. So many of us have been crippled or close to over the past year plus. One thing we try to do here at F4mmedia is to help businesses starting out. Basically it is what many of us are doing once again given a new lockdown opening. You cannot earn from a business that is not earning itself, so we look to take things gently with the small, the start-ups and the like.

On top of all of this we are seeing a completely different business landscape. With the losses, personal, financial and more, that so many of us have witnessed or directly experienced, outlooks are different, we feel different. Our eyes look for things of a changed hue, palette and outline. Our ears search for a different tune and tone. Taste, smell and touch have also moved , grown and widened.

https://www.webdesigndev.com/design-trends-you-should-not-be-using/

https://fontbundles.net/font-bundles-store/1005239-the-big-bundle-of-fantastic-fonts?ref=nuSRfV

https://designbundles.net/the-love-to-craft-bundle-volume-7?ref=nuSRfV

design resources, bringing a little art and style to what you have available

Source: f4mmedia, Designer at Creative Fabrica

So should we be looking for a new palette, background, key image, flavour of text?

The changing landscape

Yes! we are faced with a business landscape that has changed massively over the past months. We have to continue, to battle on! So much of our time is now home or home office based and much more emphasis is on our online presence and channels. So what are the watchwords littering or filling this new terrain?

Content – as always content is king, or queen, whichever you want to characterise it, we have to have something to present to those out there, and that can come in many forms, be it just plain text, telling it simply or entertainingly, it can be visual be it design, photographic imagery, all with or without text, perhaps even video

Message – as is obvious there is always a need for a message, what else are you doing otherwise, that message needs to convey, perhaps to portray, yes it can be humorous or plain factual, but it needs to connect and create a foundation for something further, elicit interest, make people think, feel, react

Resonance –- there needs to be resonance, as said create feelings in those receiving the message, so many of us are feeling lost at the moment, give them a way to move on, a road, a route, perhaps a wall to climb but one providing a view at the end, a sense of achievement

… just a few thoughts to make you or help you think

A growing new set of resources for you –

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5 Takeaways from Vidcon Europe 2018: Social Video Trends & Insights

VidCon Europe is one of the must-attend events for online video executives. Read our top 5 takeaways from the Industry track of 2018

Source: 5 Takeaways from Vidcon Europe 2018: Social Video Trends & Insights

Three key charts from our 2016 Email Marketing Census | Econsultancy

This year it’s the 10th anniversary of Econsultancy’s Email Marketing Industry Census, in association with Adestra.

Source: Three key charts from our 2016 Email Marketing Census | Econsultancy

Designing for the Web: Are There Colors You Should Avoid? | Design Shack

The web is a rainbow of color options. Color is a great tool for grabbing the attention of users, providing visual interest and impact and creating contrast for readability. Color is also at the center of many design trends, including flat and material styles. But can you go wrong with color? Are there hues or […]

Source: Designing for the Web: Are There Colors You Should Avoid? | Design Shack

Enterprise Nation

Kathy Ennis, an email marketing expert, challenges some common email marketing misconceptions.Kathy is a speaker at Digital marketing demystified, a great event focused on all aspects of digital marketing in London on 22 March. Book a ticket here.You may be using email marketing already and recognise its value in enabling you to keep in contact with your customers, while at the same time generating more opportunities for your business.But you may be new to email marketing, sitting on the fence or even sceptical because it’s ‘old tech’. Maybe you have had some bad personal experiences, or heard things, that have put you off. There are some bad practices out there, but when done well, and ethically, email marketing can really benefit your business. So, let’s tackle some of the most common email marketing misconceptions.1. Email marketing is spamYou may have been on the receiving end of people or organisations sending you unsolicited email, which may have made you reluctant to try email marketing for yourself. That’s understandable. Why would you want to risk your reputation or the reputation of your business?Good email is delivering professional email communications to an interested audience with information the recipient finds valuable that looks great in any inboxAbove all, it’s sending information to people who have self-selected or signed-up to receive your messages. If you are doing anything else you are likely to be alienating the people receiving your emails as well as breaking quite a few regulations under the Data Protection Act.2. People don’t like receiving emailsReally? Well, some recent research carried out in the US by MarketingSherpa found that 91% of those surveyed like to receive promotional emails from companies they do business with, while 86% said they like to receive promotional emails at least monthly and 61% at least weekly.If you think about yourself as a consumer, there are likely some emails you receive and rarely open, but there’s a good chance there are a few people or businesses and that you do appreciate hearing from on a regular basis. Receiving a regular email enables you to stay up-to-date with what’s going on in a way that’s convenient for you. And if you ever decide you want to opt-out, you have the ability to do that, no questions asked.3. People can’t unsubscribeOne of the biggest benefits of email marketing is the control you give to your customers and contacts. You give them the ability to opt-in to receive your messages; you also give them the ability to opt-out at any time. Every email you send should contain an unsubscribe link. This makes it really easy for people to opt-out when they want to.4. You need to be a marketing expert to get the best out of email marketingThat’s not true.What you need is to use an email marketing platform that provides you with a large selection of professional looking, highly customisable, mobile responsive templates. These templates should be designed to enable you to make it quick and easy to get your message out to your audience, and ensure you look professional when it lands in the Inbox.But things can go wrong and you may need help. Make sure that the email marketing platform you choose also has dedicated telephone support as well as support videos and documentation that will teach you how to make the most impact with your email marketing.5. Email is old-school and not as effective as social mediaToday, small businesses have access to low-cost, far-reaching marketing channels that could only have been dreamed of 20 or 30 years ago, but because there seems to be something bright, new and shiny almost every other day some of the more established marketing methods get pushed to one side.Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter can be highly effective, but you don’t own your network and your reach can be hit and miss. Let’s take Facebook as an example. A simple comparison shows that email gets delivered to its target destination (into the Inbox of your customers and potential customers) 90+% of the time, whereas your Facebook posts reach about 2% of your fans.In fact, email is almost 40 times more effective than Facebook and Twitter combined in helping your business acquire new customers (McKinsey, 2014).In marketing terms, it’s not a question of either/or; it’s a question of multiple methods and multiple channels. In a Constant Contact survey carried out in 2014 it was shown that using social media channels in conjunction with email marketing increased customer engagement by 73%, increased the number of new customers by 57%, increased website traffic by 54%, increased turnover by 40% and increase referrals by 39%.Kathy Ennis is a speaker at Digital marketing demystified, a great event focused on all aspects of digital marketing in London on 22 March. Find out more here and book a ticket below.Powered by Eventbrite

Source: Enterprise Nation

The Future of Creativity: New Tools for a New Generation – HOW Design

Robust web-based design tools are disrupting the creative industries at large, compounded by the rise of ‘robots’ taking over mundane production tasks.

Source: The Future of Creativity: New Tools for a New Generation – HOW Design

City flow Stock Video Footages | C-8003

flowing water involved in architectural and other features of a city, often Sheffield

Source: City flow Stock Video Footages | C-8003