8 Graphic Design Styles for Your Branding Inspiration

In the world of graphic design, there are different styles that you can use to create visual works. Several trends have unique characteristics in their graphic design styles.

In short, graphic design style is a reference for designers in composing visually appealing works. 

As design trends evolve from time to time, designers get creative in adopting or combining these genres to suit their design needs. Take a look at this article for more explanation of the styles and genres.

What Is Style in Graphic Design?

A graphic design style refers to the approach or aesthetic used in creating graphic design work. It includes various elements such as the use of color, typography, visual composition, and other graphic elements. 

Graphic design styles can range from minimalist and clean to bold and experimental, depending on the purpose, audience, and message the designer wants to convey. If you're building an aesthetic for your brand but aren't sure which one to use, you can check out some of the style examples, each with its aesthetic. 

You can customize them with the vision of your brand or business project. This can make your brand design style more recognizable both inside and outside the target audience.

8 Types of Graphic Design Styles

Styles in graphic design have plenty of varieties and involve describing the style, layout, and use of graphic design elements. Here are some widely recognized types of graphic design styles.

1. Victorian

The first graphic design style was Victorian, a style that flourished in America, England, and Europe from the 1820s to 1900. Born in response to the Industrial Revolution, this graphic design style is known for its intricate ornamentation and use of dark colors such as black and brown. 

In addition, this style is often characterized by the use of highly detailed ornaments and embellishments such as curlicues, flowers, leaves, and carved motifs applied to design elements such as borders, typographic ornamentation, or backgrounds.

2. Arts and Crafts

This style, which began in England and spread to Europe and North America in the 1880-1910 period, resurfaced in Japan in the 1920s. It is characterized by an emphasis on texture and typographic illustrations. 

Arts and Crafts is a graphic design style that emphasizes a handcrafted aesthetic and style. Graphic design in this style often includes unique and high-quality illustrations, typography, and decoration.

3. Art Nouveau

Emerging in the late 1800s, Art Nouveau was one of the first truly modern design styles. One of the hallmarks of Art Nouveau is the use of long, organic lines, often depicting animals, plants, and other delicate objects.

Typography in this style also follows a similar pattern, with the use of natural-looking serifs and repetitive graphic elements. Colors in Art Nouveau were kept to a minimum due to the relatively high cost of color printing at the time. 

As a result, these designs tend to use a single color, usually black, with subtle shadows.

4. Contemporary

Contemporary design is not limited to a particular graphic style but rather follows the latest trends and developments in the design world. It is one of the trending graphic design styles that includes a variety of line styles, shapes, and textures that reflect current trends that change from time to time. 

For example, there are cartoon styles that feature bold lines, while there are also more minimalist styles with simple color palettes. It's contemporary and will be very popular in 2021.

5. Scandinavian

Originating in the Nordic countries of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland, Scandinavian design is known for its simple yet effective approach that gives importance to every element. It is one of the modern graphic design styles often used in this era.

Unlike the luxurious Victorian style, which is closely associated with the British royal court, Scandinavian design focuses more on beauty, which is more relevant to the general public. The color palette consists of neutral and soft colors, with minimal ornamental shapes and clean typography without added serifs. 

The extensive use of white space is also a hallmark, allowing important design elements to take center stage without distraction.

6. Psychedelic

Psychedelic design is an instantly recognizable design style because of its bright colors and many wavy lines. 

This design principle reflects the psychedelic movement of the 1960s, which was fueled in part by LSD (a drug that drastically altered people's perception of reality), and influenced the way objects were seen, as the lines waved and curved as if swaying from both ends. 

The colors used also appear much brighter. Both of these visual effects were captured in a psychedelic design style that became a metaphor for the experience of taking the drug.

7. Art Deco

Art Deco is a design style characterized by strong geometric patterns, striking color choices, and consistent symmetry. The style is influenced by Cubism, a school of design that emphasizes bold shapes to create the illusion of three dimensions, and Futurism, such as the designs of Metropolis. The different and modern design is eye-catching if you decide to use it as your brand or campaign design.

8. Late Modern

Late Modern is a design style that promotes simplicity with geometric shapes that are unusual, simple, and not too ornate. This illustration is inspired by the modern European avant-garde style. The use of more modern photography, layout, and printing techniques further expanded the range of methods in this design. 

That's the end discussion of styles in graphic design and their characteristics. These styles can be a reference style that you can adapt to the needs of your design project. 

When it comes to creating your business design project, you can consider the help of a professional team like VISUWISU. VISUWISU can help you create the visual assets you need. 

So don't hesitate to contact VISUWISU for your creative and visual business needs and get the best quote from our team!