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Offering their insights into 2020 design trends, Alexa and Sean from Rizco’s Design Department, explore colors, illustrations and more.

2020 Design Trends

2020 Pantone Color of the Year by Alexa Saltzman

As a designer, color theory plays a significant role in how I approach my work daily. Color influences the visual and psychological perceptions of a brand. Companies need to choose colors that convey qualities representative of their brand’s values.   

The beginning of a new year is always an exciting time because it means that Pantone will release its Color of the Year, which has the potential to shape trends in design, fashion, architecture, beauty, home décor, and many other industries.

For 2020, the Pantone Color of the Year is 19-4052 Classic Blue.“Instilling calm, confidence, and connection this enduring blue hue highlights our desire for a dependable and stable foundation on which to build as we cross the threshold into a new era.” 

Through a lens of color theory, utilizing this shade of blue for your brand evokes a perception of trustworthiness, honesty, and reliability. These words represent some of the most coveted pillars of business and serve as a dependable foundation to anchor your brand as we enter a new decade.

2020 Web Design Trends by Sean Healey 

Dark Mode

With Apple having just rolled out its first official dark mode with the release of iOS 13 and OS X Catalina, the masses now have their hands on the inverted alternative. Dark mode is expected to rise to the top of the trends over the next year, popping up in every place imaginable. The legibility of graphics and type on dark backgrounds can be more effective than light ones, and with digital wellness in mind, it puts less strain on the eyes. For frequent web users, the only thing better than dark mode is the choice to toggle between the two, which is another part of the trend we’ve been seeing.

Illustrations in Marketing

As we ease our way out of the age of templates for everything, brands are beginning to harken back to custom illustrations for not-so-permanent applications like temporary webpage hero graphics, social media posts, etc. Custom designs are a welcomed shift from the pre-designed drear of yesterday—a new decade means new efforts, and we think it’s time to push the creative envelope to reintroduce the artistic side of innovative design and marketing.

Cards as a Layout Tool

Most, if not all, modern websites are designed on an invisible grid that helps determine how the layout responds. Using “cards” is becoming more popular. Cards are a more visually direct way of organizing data to show grid items and impose a more tangible, interactive feel for the user when navigating the site.