Due to their very large user base, marketers have taken to social media in droves and today it is rare to find businesses that do not have an active social media presence on one or multiple platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, etc.
With its visual orientation and ease of use on smartphones, Instagram has quickly emerged as one of the leading social media networks with more than one billion active monthly users.
However, for marketers on Instagram to be able to advantage of the network’s huge reach among young and affluent customers that form its bulk of users, their accounts need to be dynamically aesthetic and the visual content to be current and lively and in line with the prevailing graphic design trends.
Some of the top graphic design trends that Instagram marketers will do well to keep in mind in 2020:
Powder-Finish Pastel Colors
Colors play a very important part of Instagram marketing, which is popular on account of the vibrancy of the content posted by its users. While in 2019, baby-soft pastel hues replaced bold colors to a large extent, it is expected that in 2020, there will be a trend of using darker and duskier tones with a pronounced powder finish.
This means that we are liable to see more images in matte tones rather than edgy shiny ones. Graphic designers are expected to elevate the impact of the images by using the same color but in different gradients. Expert graphic designers suggest that marketers pick a pastel color of their choice as a theme for the posts and use it to the maximum extent.
By doing this consistently, they will not only make their content look distinctive but also the viewers will start associating the color scheme with the brand ensuring better recognizability and memorability. However graphic designers should avoid drastically editing the photos as it is liable to change their character. The desired effect can be achieved by just altering one or two elements in the selected signature shade. While you are realigning your graphic design for Instagram to boost your engagement, you can buy 50 likes on Instagram for a pittance to set the ball rolling.
A Touch of the Vintage
People are falling in love with the old once again and it is expected that in 2020, there is going to be increased use of the vintage theme. Graphic designers are expected to gravitate to more saturated and warmer color tones inclined to natural greens, browns, and oranges. The vintage effect trend is also like to manifest itself in watermarks and a distinctive grainy effect that highlights the age of the visual.
The retro look has always been popular with graphic designers and there is a feeling that in 2020 the trend will become more main-stream with marketers trying to move away from the falseness of picture-perfect representation to images that are more natural and reflect better the imperfect and real nuances of life. According to experts, using the built-in filters is no longer a practice that is in vogue.
In their place, you can use a large number of apps to create vintage-look themes that are more real or even video editing apps that can take your Instagram videos up several notches. In addition to being able to lend a vintage theme to the videos, the apps will also let you add stickers, transitions, and music.
The Imperfect Look
Ever since Instagram started gathering momentum, it has gained a reputation for having visual content that is perfect from every angle. So great was the obsession with perfection that marketers resorted to hiring professional photographers to shoot and edit stills and videos as if they were meant to be used in print or TV advertising.
In 2020, it is expected that that cycle of perfection will be finally over and Instagram content will revert to a time when the appeal of social content was not based on how perfect it looked. Several reputed brands have already started using analog textures that are deliberately gritty and grungy to create a high-impact contrast with the subject.
Brands will increasingly be seen to be using artifacts like wrinkled faces, crumpled paper, tarmac, shattered glass, brick and cement walls, dog-eared books, scratched metal, etc. to create the used and imperfect look that carries a lot more credibility than artificially posed and cleaned up images. According to https://www.inc.com, the use of authentic imagery makes it easier for the target audience to connect with the brand.
Conclusion
It is becoming increasingly evident that graphic design used by marketers for Instagram content in 2020 will tend to make a departure from the bright and bold colors, beautifully poised, and perfectly finished images to content that mimics reality with all its imperfections, including soft and varied color palettes. The retro look will be in vogue, especially for fashion and lifestyle products. The accent of the graphic design will be to present things naturally and without any artificial look that is often the result of aggressive editing and use of filters.