In this blog, I want to talk about the current trends in design, technology, marketing, and social networking. I think all of these are an important part of the design industry and knowing more about them provides a better understanding of what they are and what currently is happening. It broadens your horizon with the world and keeps you updated. Staying updated helps you be able to find new ways and ideas to improve your career and knowledge as a person. So the following is current information on four trends.
Design
Some 2024 trends in design are minimalism, a “less is more” philosophy where every element in the design serves a purpose, stripping away the unnecessary to reveal the essence. Minimalist designs are characterized by clean lines, ample white space, and an uncluttered aesthetic. Another trend is gradients, which are all about seamlessly blending colors from one shade to another, creating mesmerizing transitions that add depth and dimension to designs. Gradients are versatile, lending themselves to a variety of applications, from backgrounds to typography and logos. One more is hand-drawn doodles, also known as hand-drawn art. This brings out the ‘human’ in design. This derives from the idea that handcrafted elements infuse warmth style to create a friendly, approachable image [1].
Technology
Some technology trend in 2024 is AI generated content. Artificial intelligence can generate high-quality, creative content, including text, images, videos, and music. This technology uses algorithms like GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) and DALL-E to understand and produce content that resonates with human preferences. This speeds up content creation and reduces costs, and democratizes access to creative tools, enabling small businesses and individuals to create content at scale. Another trend is Virtual Reality, enhanced VR technologies are offering more immersive and realistic experiences. With many improvements in display resolutions, motion tracking, and interactive elements. New VR systems are also becoming more user-friendly, with lighter headsets and longer battery life, which could lead to broader consumer adoption and integration into daily life.
And Augmented Reality technology or AR is transforming the retail industry by allowing consumers to visualize products in a real-world context through their devices. This trend is evident in applications that let users try on clothes virtually or see how furniture would look in their homes before purchasing. These interactive experiences enhance customer satisfaction, increase sales, and reduce return rates [3].
Marketing
A few marketing trends in 2024 are short-form videos, like TicTok or YouTube. This content type has the highest return on investment and is to see the most growth in 2024. This targets digital-first generations and meets them where they are. A second trend is community efforts and building. Community building is key for customer retention and it says that 82% of consumers are more likely to purchase new products from a company with an engaging online community. One last trend is personalization, by enabling personalized experiences marketers are enhancing the user’s experience. This leads to repeat business and a 94% increase in sales [2].
Social Networking
Three current social networks are Facebook, YouTube, and WhatsApp. Facebook is currently the number one social network with around three billion users, YouTube is the next with 2.7 billion, and WhatsApp is third with 2.4 billion users. These are all popular and trending social networks. Some more would be Instagram, TikTok, and WeChat [4]. In these networks popular trends used are videos, streaming, and behind the scenes.
I think knowing these four areas will help in your knowledge and connection to the world. As times change, so do they, and keeping up with them is important. Knowing more about the current trend keeps you connected to the world and what is going on in it. Knowledge of them helps you stay informed and lets you do the best practices for your job. So it is always good to keep up with any current trends, not just these.
Sources:
[1] Codeart. (2024, January 15). Graphic Design Trends 2024. medium.com. https://medium.com/codeart-mk/graphic-design-trends-2024-52c4b55981df
[2] Coursera Staff. (2024, April 11). 9 Top Marketing Trends and Strategies of. coursera.org. https://www.coursera.org/articles/marketing-trends
[3] Duggal, N. (2024, October 7). 24 New Technology Trends in 2024: Exploring the Future. simplilearn.com. https://www.simplilearn.com/top-technology-trends-and-jobs-article
[4] Howarth, J. (2024, October 1). Top 35 Social Media Platforms (September 2024). explodingtopics.com. https://explodingtopics.com/blog/top-social-media-platforms