Kulture Konnect Blog

It is an exciting time to be a part of... the dawn of a new decade! The year 2020 has already been showing signs of a great new era of graphic design. It is a time where designers are busting through the status quo and creating new and fresh designs. These are the top 5 design trends for 2020.

1. Monochromatic Images
2. Simplified Gradients
3. Muted and Neutral Colors
4. Abstract Illustrations and Line Drawings in conjunction with photography
5. Modernized Art Deco 

1. Monochromatic Images

There was a huge craze of duotone images during 2018/19 that has transitioned to monochromatic imagery for the new decade. Overall, design is moving onto the very edge of fantasy and reality... so, removing the original color from the photograph helps to push the visual imagination past its limits.

Below, you will find a classic example of a purple-toned monochromatic image. 

 

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In the example below, two different monochromatic images were juxtaposed together. The abstract elements help to create depth between all of the pieces.

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Take a look at the cityscape in the image below. The graphic designer converted it to a monochrome image giving the piece a surreal look and feel.

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Apple is leading the monochromatic trend with their grey on black iphone imagery. Event the water splash blends into the black background with its beautiful transparency.

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2. Simplified Gradients

Last year, in 2019, we saw tons of gradients in the background. These gradients were bright with multiple colors blending into eachother. Now, in 2020, we will be seeing much more simplified gradients. The gradients will be used in creative ways inside of an image instead of just as the background. They will be more muted colors as you can see in the examples below.

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Take a look at how the gradient is used as a flowing art element from the two digital screens. The designer used muted colors and only combined a couple of colors together for each gradient.

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This image uses simple gradients throughout the image in the water, the sky and the rocks. It makes a 2d image pop with dimension.

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3. Muted and Neutral Colors

The shift from bright to muted will be in full force for 2020. The goes with the general theme of vintage for the new era 20's. I've even heard mentions of the roaring 20s! The mixing the old with the modern is definitely trending.

In the image below you will see the combination of muted blue with simplistic geometric shapes. This shapes creates a vintage feel that is eye-catching.

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This is an interior of a restaurant. You will notice the muted color palette with the color of the wals, floors and lamps. there is a lot of this muted color palette in Instagram where there are filters that can change any color scheme to something more neutral.

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Apple is always on the edge of what is trending. You can see in their new releases of apple watches that the colors of the bands are muted and earthy. 

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4. Abstract Illustrations and Line Drawings

As AR technology advances more and more by the day, we see this juxtaposition of reality versus fantasy. Abstract illustrations are becoming very simplified in 2020. Line drawings will be seen more and more on packaging, magazines and billboards. It is easy to animate line drawings so they are being used extensively in digital marketing to catch the consumer's attention.

In the illustration below, you can see the muted tones of the over-simplifed image of a woman sitting on the grass, holding a globe. Most all of it is in 2D and the muted color palette goes along with the current trend. 

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The pattern below is a good example of a simplified 2D illustration that shows depth through color and placement.

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Below, is a perfect example of combining the real with the fantasy. For the women to stand out, the designer chose to put them in black and white and used soft, neutral colors to provide shapes that would create depth in the 4 scenes. This example also uses line art to draw the eye's attention to certain elements of the composition.

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Below, you will find a prime example of the use of simplified line art in packaging design. The simplicity of the drawings convey the real fruit that is used to flavor this drink. These elements can also be used in their digital marketing strategy as an animation.

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Again, here is an example of combining the real photography with the illustration. The designer added simplified line drawings to convey the message of the successful students on these two magazine covers. 

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5. Modernized Art Deco

Metallics are back with a vengeance in 2020. They are bold and they are shiny.  Some say this trend is a nod to the art deco era of the 1920's but the mix of the new modernism really brings a new meaning to Art Deco.

The logo below for Coco Mood

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2020 is going to be a great start to a new decade for the branding and digital marketing world. We are lucky to be a part of it!

 

Check out 2019 Trends!

Check out 2018 Trends!

 

 

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5 Leading Web and Graphic Design Trends for 2019

Design trends come and go, but no matter what there is always a new one brewing. When it comes to design you either have to stay on top of these trends or fall behind the pack. This is especially important to graphic designers and agencies who want to stay above current trends for clients who are looking for certain designs. But wait a minute...isn't design about being creative rather than following the crowd? Sure, you can ignore the trends, but that also puts you and your company at risk of not being able to advance in the industry.

While some trends remain each year, there are those that step out of the box and challenge us. We can't wait to see what else is to come.

So, what do you say? Let's dive into how we think the year will go in terms of web and graphic design this year.

The goal of SEO for a multi-location business is to achieve an organic page 1 ranking for your multiple locations. If successful, this should result in an increase in your revenue, site traffic and a great return on investment (ROI).   

Local SEO is tricky enough for a single location business, but for those with numerous locations across the state or even nation, your strategy has to be next level. You need to structure your corporate site to accommodate pages for multiple locations and then work to boost their SEO rankings individually. Obviously, incorporating multiple locations to your local SEO plan can be difficult and overwhelming if you don't have a solid plan.

In an ideal world, everyone should have access to the internet. In reality however, there are many obstacles one can face when trying to access the internet. It can be slow internet speeds, outdated browsers or ISPs blocking access to certain websites.

One obstacle that website owners need to pay more attention to this year is website accessibility for the disabled. Some companies might not be aware of the new laws and standards surrounding website accessibility until they're hit with a nasty lawsuit. If you want to avoid the hefty fine of $55,000 to $150,000; better read on!

When talking about creating or rebuilding a website, one of the biggest questions is always the cost. There are also many other factors to consider. Do you have the time? Can you even do it yourself? Fortunately, there's always the option of outsourcing.

Outsourcing Can be Cost-Effective and High-Quality

If done correctly, outsourcing can bring excellent results while giving you flexibility in terms of budget and control. Why go through the hiring process when you can simply find a good outsourcing company and pay for their services? And with today's technology, communication is no longer a problem, which means you get almost the same control during your project's development that you otherwise wouldn't have if you hired in-house. In short, it's cost-effective while maintaining quality.

This is an age where people are on-the-go and an online presence isn’t just a recommendation, but a requirement. According to a new study by Pew Research, eight in 10 Americans are now shopping online. That’s 79 percent of U.S. consumers who shop on the web or their phones, up from just 22 percent back in 2000. This means only one thing: you NEED to get your business “listed” on the web, and the first step to do this comes in the form of a website.

Now, websites are not created equal, and you can go the easy and quick way with a template, or really find your online tone of voice through a customized website. Here are four reasons why you should choose a custom made website over a template:

The amount of web traffic your business receives is a way to analyze if your brand is catching the attention of consumers - new and old.

When running a business, it can be a challenge to get your website to rank on a search engine.

If you feel that you are doing everything you can to market your website, but the clicks are just not coming in, then it's time to try something new!

Here are seven different ways you can increase your web traffic. 

There was one point several years ago the Kulture Konnect Blog went dark for a few months. This is a classic example of "Do as I say and not as I do!"... Please, don't ever let your blog go dark for three long months as we have done. Of course, there are a bazillion reasons why we put a tragic halt to our content marketing machine like getting too busy to manage the content, prioritizing our client work over our own marketing, scrambling to get everything done before the holidays, etc. As they say though, hindsight is 20/20 and looking back today, those excuses seem to be small potatoes. After looking at our website analytics (comparing/contrasting, before and after), we learned some lessons the hard way and we want to share these lessons with all of you in the hopes of inspiring you to keep chugging along the content marketing train. Here is what we noticed when looking at our metrics over our dark period.

The prospect of AI ruling over humanity isn't a new one. However, with today's artificial intelligence technology becoming more and more... intelligent and widespread; could it be time to start worrying?

What is Artificial Intelligence?

AI gives a machine the ability to imitate intelligent human behavior. The concept of AI is based on the idea of building a machine capable of thinking, acting, and learning like humans.

With enough input (like historical data and user data), advanced hardware, and software systems combined, AI is a force to be reckoned with. From virtual home assistants (Apple's HomePod, Google Home and Amazon's Echo) that can adjust the lights on command, to healthcare systems that can potentially give a more accurate diagnoses than a human counterpart, AI can be utilized in many different industries and is continually growing throughout the years.

Conventional wisdom may have told you that writing is a good habit. In today’s digital world, however, and especially in case of restaurant businesses, this statement holds true to a greater extent. Blogging is one of the most efficient ways to improve your search engine ranking.

One of the biggest challenges most restaurant owners and managers face is deciding on what to write on. The possibilities are endless. Here’s a look at 5 great blog post ideas that help improve a restaurant’s marketing:

If your restaurant accepts reservations and has a website or any form of online presence, then you need to have at least one online reservation system in place!

Why, you ask? One reason is simply because they're just worth it for all the benefits they can bring to the table.

If a website is essentially a free round-the-clock sales person for your business, then an online reservation system is the host/hostess version of that. They will save your staff time by essentially taking a task off of everyone's workload. Someone wants to walks in your restaurant for a reservation? Your staff themselves can use the online system in place. Easy. And with most people going online to find places to eat, it's actually a must to have these channels in place.

Even your brand perception can get a boost. A restaurant with no website or online reservation system can easily give a "behind the times" vibe.