Web & UI design trends for 2024.
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Hello design enthusiasts…. 2024 is here and you don’t want to be stuck in the past. So, I would like to share my 5 design trend predictions for 2024. Lets jump straight into it!
Layering
This trend has been hot in the previous year and I feel its still going to be a hot trend for 2024. Its all about adding depth with layering element on top of each other. This could be text overlapping on images or even shapes overlapping over sections. I would say this trend is like a scrapbook style with elements scattered to bring the design to life.
Grids
Dark Mode
As many websites and apps switch from light-mode to dark-mode depending on the time of day; now dark mode is no longer an option – its an essential. Get comfortable with seeing dark colours across digital designs.
Gradients and Bright Colours
Step aside neutral colours! 2024 is all about boosts of colours and gradients. Think of it like playful and fun colour combinations even with the added textures. Gradients will be everywhere, from websites to mobile apps. – Take our website as an example, we have added gradients and complimented these with pops of colour… We love bright colours!
BIG Typography
Stand out from the crowd with large typography on both web and mobile. Think interesting things like offset or offscreen typography. This trend is all about experimentation and breaking the mould with playful huge fonts.
How can social media increase brand awareness?
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Most businesses will know that brand awareness is completely essential to growing your business sustainably. But, many businesses are unlikely to have thought about the huge part social media can play in generating that brand awareness. Here’s how social media increases positive brand awareness for thousands and thousands of businesses every single day.
Show some personality!!
Social media offers an exciting new avenue for your business to add a touch more personality, to create your very own community and to get involved in activities which other outlets don’t allow.
Whether you’d like to be seen as professionals in your field, as a page for inspiration or to build more of a fun community, you’ll need to decide on a tone of voice which will achieve that for your business. Choosing something a little more unique will help your business stand out and could help your business to become more memorable. It’s certainly a brand awareness opportunity not to miss out on!
The importance of consistency.
Although it’s likely that a large number of businesses do now have a presence on at least one social media platform for their business, are they using it effectively to positively impact brand awareness? One of the biggest pitfalls for busy companies is neglecting their social channels. Consistency is always preached when it comes to social media, but for good reason. If you push posting on social media down to the bottom of your to-do list, your account can start to look a little neglected. Sometimes, even looking so neglected that when people search for your business and see that you haven’t posted in weeks, months or even years, there’s a good chance they’ll get the impression that you’re no longer in business anymore.
A stat to get you straight onto that content calendar of yours is that 21% of consumers are more likely to buy from brands that they can reach on social media! Not having consistent posts being published to your social accounts could leave people hesitant to make an enquiry through social media due to your account becoming seemingly inactive. A lack of consistency could result in a lack of enquiries. So essentially, our tip is to post consistently and as often as you can to keep your presence maintained.
Social media is the new Google search!
As buyer habits continue to change, a huge development announced by Google itself, states that nearly
40% of Gen Z prefers using TikTok and Instagram as a search engine over Google!
Whether that’s looking for the best shampoo on the market, or watching reviews on the latest technology, the social media platforms have become the go-to place to search for reviews and honest opinions from content creators.
Creating short-form videos for TikTok and Instagram is a great way to get your brand out there and discovered by new interested people! Get a conversation going, show some personality and become memorable as people begin taking to TikTok and Instagram over Google when looking for products and services on offer.
Hashtags- the easiest way to increase brand awareness.
Hashtags offer another chance at increasing your company’s brand awareness, on the topics you’d like to be most well-known for too. It’s a quick and easy way to get those extra few keywords into your posts and to help your post show up in search results when people type in words related to your brand.
Believe it or not, less is often more with hashtags to avoid things looking too spammy. Make sure to get in a good mixture of broad and popular hashtags, with more specific and less used hashtags to increase your chances of reaching your target audience.
Manage the publics perception of your brand.
The good, the bad and the ugly, social media has undoubtedly become the place for customer feedback. Whether it’s positive or negative feedback, on a public channel or through private messages, any feedback is an opportunity for you to manage public perception of your brand.
If somebody compliments your products or services, you’ll want to make sure to thank them right away, so they know just how appreciated their custom and feedback really is.
In the case of receiving a negative comment or message, being active on social media means you can respond quickly and professionally, willing to resolve any issues which may have arisen. On a public channel, other customers will be able to see you actively addressing customer issues, meaning they’re likely to turn the negative they’ve seen into a positive!
There were just a few of the many reasons why incorporating a strong social media strategy into your marketing plan can skyrocket your brand awareness! Need a hand with getting your social media off the ground? Get in touch with us and let’s have a chat!
Beyond the logo.
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Brand storytelling with character design
I’ve been drawing characters since I was a little one – what started in the 80s and 90s as reading comic books and watching Transformers, He-Man and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on the TV has turned into a passion of mine both inside and outside of my career.
Having recently had the chance to design brand characters for some of our clients at Creative62, I have seen the power of characters first-hand and how they spark imaginations for future projects.
The landscape of marketing and branding is an ever-evolving beast, with brands constantly searching for ways to connect with their audience. Beyond the traditional logo and brand elements, the creation of characters or mascots adds a dynamic and relatable dimension to the right brand identity. In this blog post, I’ll be talking about the significance of using characters with a brand architecture and how it can elevate the right brand to new heights. So, let’s get to it!
Duolingo’s Duo
Fun, bright and engaging.
Waze’s Bubble Car
Combining everything that the brand does with its communication tool.
Reddit’s Snoo
A perfect execution by Pentagram.
Octopus Energy’s
Constantine, cute and welcoming.
Headspace’s Smile
Although not a mascot, the warm use of colour and emotion in such a simple way is perfect.
Duracell’s Bunny
Originally launched in 1973 and has been through various iterations, has continuously evolved for the target market.
Kaws
Although not a brand that utilises marketing in the traditional way, Kaws shows just how powerful a perfectly executed character can build a brand on its own!
Everyone Active’s
Active Monsters, would be a bit silly to not put one of our own creations in the mix now, wouldn’t it?
Storytelling
Character design, when used in the right way, provides a visual narrative that enables the brand to speak to the viewer in a completely different way than words alone can get across. Humans are natural storytellers and readers, you can tell the story of a brand’s journey, mission, values or cadence in a much more engaging and personal way in an instant.
Recognition
By creating a distinctive character or mascot for a brand, it gives the brand a face, a recognisable face, a personality and a story that makes the brand memorable and forges an emotional connection.
Loyalty
Well-designed characters or mascots have the potential to become a cherished symbol for a brand. Looking at characters that have stood the test of time are the Compare the Market Meerkats, Monopoly’s Milburn Pennybags, Pringles’ Julius Pringles and the Michelin Man, whose brands can all be recognised without a single word.
Target Audience
Brand characters can be tailored to suit the demographic of the brand, which is something that can be difficult to do using any other method of branding as it leaves very little in terms of interpretation when used well.
Versatility
From packaging and printed advertising to digital and social animated campaigns and merchandising, a strong character is versatile and can be used across various marketing channels.
Stand out
In a noisy modern marketplace, it is increasingly more difficult to stand out from the crowd. Character design offers a memorable way to differentiate brands from the next, which isn’t easily replicated.
In conclusion, by utilising character design within a brand, you are connecting with the audience via storytelling on a purely visual platform. It’s not creating a logo or mark that people might recognise… it’s creating an ambassador for the brand that can speak to the hearts and minds of the customers when you can’t.
If what you have read here resonates with your brand in any way, please just reach out for a chat and see if we can create some storytelling magic together.
