2022 Graphic Design Trends for Social Media Marketing

Humans are visual creatures. If you want to make the best of your social media marketing efforts in 2022, you want to make sure that your graphic design and overall content creation processes are fresh, vibrant, and in line with current trends. What are those trends? Fortunately, the Zebra 360 Digital Marketing Agency team is on-hand to guide you through some graphic design trends in 2022 you need to know for great online marketing.

Think Inclusive

This isn’t merely a graphic design trend, but something to consider in your overall marketing and content efforts. Gone are the days when you added a ‘token’ woman or person of colour to the photo and left it otherwise whitewashed. Get bold and creative, and draw on a diverse range of faces and people for your pictures, icons, and content. The default should never be white, male, and able-bodied. 

90s (and 00s) Nostalgia

It seems we’re caught in the decade of nostalgia, and it’s finally time for the 80s to move over and let the 90s have another moment in the sunshine. The uncertainties of the global health crisis have left us craving comfort, simplicity, and familiarity. While simple emojis, bubble icons, grunge, primitive web frames, and other old-school cool nods may not fit every brand, it’s worth keeping an eye on. 

Bold colours and colourful icons allow you to add a touch of this magic to even the most forward-thinking page design. If the 90s vibes don’t work for you, we’re also seeing Y2K-inspired designs creep back, a reminder of a time when digital space usage was optimistic and fresh, not bogged down by modern misinformation and anger.

Fun and Simple

There’s a reason infographics often go over well. Making data crunching fun for people through charts and graphs not only draws them in, but can be a great way to simplify tough concepts, too.

Flattened, Dreamy Art

Ukiyo-e art was a particular flat, simple, and yet evocative art style used in Japanese history, and it’s seeing a comeback today. Bold outlines, flat colours, and odd perspectives give a simple, yet refreshing, take on conveying visual impact. Even the ordinary looks extraordinary. 

Another art take that’s set to be popular in graphic design in 2022 is the ‘doodle’ style. Sharing some features with Ukiyo-e, but more abstract and personalised, it’s a nice way to keep digital marketing spaces clean and forward-thinking, but keep a human touch. A general sense of escapism is key.

Safe Fonts

Talking about creating a sense of safety through design, the serif font is rising in popularity once again. It’s mostly credit to a feeling of safety and trust, something we all need at this point in time. 

Name-dropping Memes

Is it really a viral meme if no one knows you made it? Branded memes offer a rare chance to be light and funny in your marketing efforts as well as engage customers and spread the word. Plus, it can bring them more into line with your other shared content, making them look more professional. You can do the same with meaningful quotes, too, which are also shared at a meme-like rate in social media marketing spaces. 

Toot Your Horn

Social screencaps shared from your other platforms are another graphic design trend for 2022 to keep in mind. 

And there you have it! While it’s as important to keep your overall brand personality in mind as it is to chase graphic design trends, they’re an important way to keep your content fresh, exciting, and visually appealing. Don’t know where to start on a 2022 content revamp? Why not reach out to the Zebra 360 Digital Marketing Agency team today to get started?