Now that we’re well into 2019, we’ve all seen plenty of articles detailing this year’s graphic design/marketing/photography/[insert literally anything here] trends. Everyone wants to be ahead of the curve, making predictions based on what the latest tastemakers are saying, or what they’re seeing in fashion, art, or just in their own imaginations. While I read these blogs religiously and love every second of it, I’m going to do something else today. Instead of giving you another trendy blog, I’m going to tell you what the 2019 trends will NOT be.
Feast your eyes on trends that may be back, but probably won’t be seen as trendy anytime soon. Also, just things that I’m tired of seeing and think we should give a rest. Enjoy.
Purple is so… last year. Literally. Ultra Violet was Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2018, and while I love the nod to the late, great Prince and the infamous raspberry beret (and the creative inspiration and potential this color signifies) I’m honestly really over it.
Enter: Living Coral.
Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2019 is a fresh, “animating and life-affirming coral hue.” Read: the total opposite of purple. Don’t get me wrong, I will absolutely tire of this color by 2020, just like I did purple, greenery, and rose quartz and serenity ombre, but right now it’s fun and exciting and definitely not purple.
Photographers, I know you know what I’m talking about! This is going to really tick a lot of people off, but I’m so over this preset pack (and all of its subsequent copy cats) that I’m willing to risk saying what I’m about to say: This is the Sepia of our generation.
Tell me I’m wrong.
If I was going to write a real 2019 Content Trends, this is where I would tell you that I think the next big thing is going to be very crisp, bright, well-balanced photos. I would tell you that I think this would be a breath of fresh air. I would tell you that you’re all about to pump the breaks on your grain adjuster and chill with some tasty, bright, colorful photos and we would all be relieved (until next year). But that’s not the article you’re reading.
P.S. This is nothing at all against the Dirty Boots presets, for a long time I was in love with these, too. Nonetheless, it’s time.
This is a tough one for me because I love these so much. I’d consider myself a minimalist (in some ways, at least), and these photos make me very happy. But, from what I’ve seen, many tastemakers are moving towards more fun, lively photos in their feeds. Right now, we’re at a cross-point where many people are moving towards minimalism in their lives (hooray! and thank you, Marie Kondo) and this aesthetic is becoming more mainstream. However, for all the people who’ve been doing minimalism for a long time- the artists and tastemakers ahead of the curve- I see a collective movement towards more bright colors and… I don’t know… things.
But my absolute favorite is mixing the bright and minimalist aesthetics to create a kind of vacation in Palm Springs vibe that’s hitting the scene these days. I feel like we are holding onto the awesome principles of simplicity we learned from minimalism while freshening up a bit and letting go of some monochrome.
If you don’t know what I mean, look no further than the incredible Art Director, Adrienne Raquel. Her work is glamorous, yet simple, and always full of color:
Stay tuned for our real Content Trends of 2019 article, coming soon!
