For several years, illustrations have been one of the strongest trends in design. Illustrations are a visual interpretation of a concept that makes the user better understand the idea behind the product. Besides the fact that some good illustrations give originality to the concept, they convey the message much faster.

Storytelling in design is about helping the user on his journey on your platform, so that his experience is as easy and smooth as possible ( in UX design).  A good story helps the user understand the product easier. To tell a story we can use a specially created character, to whom we attribute a personality, we create a story and a conflict that is finally solved by our product ( UI design). This is the basis of storytelling in product design. Storytelling is used in both UI and UX and is based on the same principle but implemented differently.

As we said, motion graphics is the trend of the year and it also manifests itself strongly in UI design, it adds power to an illustration, makes the idea easier to assimilate and stays in the user's memory. 

Micro interactions fist peeked in 2018 but this is a trend that is worth keeping an eye on in 2020. They are an extremely important trend in UI design, making the difference between a basic app/website and an extraordinary one. Micro-interactions play an essential role in making the user understand how the system works and guide it towards a better experience. 

If you are a UI designer and have not yet used micro interactions in your work, we advise you to do it because in 2020 any UI design without it, will be pretty basic. 

In 2020 the information must reach the user very quickly, and this is best done through video content. Either you choose to explain the product through an animation or a classic movie, video content is a must for any website or application.

An important part in UI design is functionality, that is, each element is chosen based on its purpose and function. many people think that you have to choose between design and functionality, but with the new technologies, these two go very well together and complement each other. The design is responsible for drawing attention to the site or application, and the functionality makes the experience easier. It makes the user find the information faster.

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Greater attention to detail is very important in UI design. From the buttons, icons, loading to navigation the small details make an extraordinary design. The details we have to pay attention to in UI, are always changing with the advent of new technologies.

In the next year we will see less and less buttons, and more gesture-based navigation. For example the back button, a navigation staple of Android, is officially going away with Android 10.

For several years we have been talking about gradients in design, and this trend will continue in 2020 quite strong, so it is worth mentioning. Fresh colors are the perfect choice for a successful gradient. They can be used in buttons, icons, illustrations and even in typography.

Character design consists of defining a character that supports an entire concept. The most important thing is that, trough drawing, the designer instills a strong personality to the character. The virtual assistants you meet in applications or websites are a good example of character design.

Illustrations and textures are great together and can create memorable compositions. You can find lots of ideas to add texture to your illustrations, from grainy textures to pre-made brush strokes, or you can just manually create them. Browsing the web you can find many textures, pre-made brushes and tools that you can use in your illustrations. 

In the last years we have seen flat illustrations everywhere. They are still in trend but now there is a new component: a thin stroke line applied to each element. Most artists choose to use a thin black stroke, but it can also be coloured, in a darker shade than that of the object in question.

YES, the isometric illustrations are still here. They can be found mainly in UI design. This trend appeared in force with the increased interest for cryptocurrencies but during the year 2019 it has developed and now we find it in other business areas.

3d renderings have changed gradually with the emergence of increasingly efficient software and tools. 3d illustrations have become very popular because, unlike the 2d ones, it offers a more realistic image.

The bold colors are perfect for illustrations. They create a jovial atmosphere, make the characters stand out and bring out the story behind the image.

In 2020 it is impossible to imagine motion without 3D design. This branch of design has opened the door to a world in which only imagination is the limit. We can find 3d in commercials, movies, games, advertising campaigns and many more.

The combination of a filmed video, the animated illustrations and sometimes a still photography, can produce an extraordinary result. The 2d or 3d illustrations create memorable videos, which can be from a few lines in motion, to real characters in 3D or even complex visual effects that do not exist in real life.

2D animations focus on creating stories and characters and is using vectors in the creative process. 2D can be a perfect choice when you want an explanatory video for a campaign or product. In a world that is always in a hurry and has no time to read, explanatory videos are a must-have for any website.

You have already understood that animations are a "must have" in 2020, and in order to remain competitive we must also integrate them in logo design. Many companies have started to animate their logos to draw attention to them. This is also the main trend in logo design.

This trend is not a new one, but it is definitely worth mentioning. Hybrid animation is all about combining 2D with 3D using specific softs, created for this. 

Although the 2d monopolizes this branch of the design, the 3d can add an extra to the final concept. 3d rendering can be in the form of illustrations, animations or typefaces.

Less is more is the concept that perfectly describes this trend, in which the designer creates bold elements, with an elegant touch and a strong contrast. This trend is the perfect choice to create a more accessible print, as certain print techniques are more expensive if they have more colours.

Op art works are abstract, with many better known pieces created in black and white. Typically, they give the viewer the impression of movement, hidden images, flashing and vibrating patterns, or of swelling or warping. (Source: wikipedia.org).

This trend gives the impression of movement, but in a static way. If you want to implement the idea of ​​moving graphics in a printed poster, this is the most appropriate way.

01 & 02 Tokyo Blends Film Festival by Mercedes Bazan , Adobe Live 03. Posters — Vol I by Xtian Miller​​​​​​​

Illustrations are very important in all fields of design, so we find them in graphic design as well. The 2D illustrations are extremely popular for a few years now and will continue to be designer’s favourites, even in 2020. 

Animations are everywhere, we find them in all fields of design and of course they are present in digital posters. The animations can mix 2D with 3D, and the results are fascinating.

Retro synthwave is a trend that came out in the 80's but started to reappear once Hollywood started releasing movies from that decade. With the success of the series Stranger Things, this current has begun to catch on again.

The most important movements of the 20th century in graphic design are always the inspiration for the best designers. These styles are worth mentioning because they are always current and following the rules imposed by them is almost impossible to make mistakes in design. In general, these movements emphasize typography, sans serif fonts (Helvetica was created in the Bauhaus stage in 1957) geometric shapes, simple lines, volumes and colors.

Large, uninterrupted color spaces will be a very popular trend next year. They are paired with a bold typography and can be found in graphic design, product design but also in ui.

The ultra-minimalist design uses only the essentials, a very limited color palette and simple shapes to create a memorable identity. Giving up the extra elements, it makes all design items have a purpose. to create an ultra-minimalist design you need to use as much white / negative space, a simple color scheme and just a few basic geometric shapes.

Technology is revolutionizing our life with smart devices and brand new ideas. These new technologies have made designers already develop new features that have entered the current trends. Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, Virtual and Augmented reality are influencing how designers think and how they create their work.

With Apple and Google introducing their own AR development platforms,, ARKit and ARCore, it is quite clear that the whole world will be oriented towards Augmented Reality technology. 

Many big brands have already adopted this technology in their applications, and those who have not done so yet, have to seriously think about how to make users interact with it in this new reality.

There a a few AR interactions that can be used to create an intuitive app. The first one is when the app is fixed on your phone’s screen. Another one is when the AR UI correlates to the environment around the user. One of the most used interactions

is when the UI is object related and is triggered by scanning a specific item. This action connects a digital animation to a special 'marker’. 

For more specific AI Rules read Apple’s guide to delivering “immersive, engaging experiences that seamlessly blend realistic virtual objects with the real world”.

A chatbot is a piece of software that conducts a conversation via auditory or textual methods.[1] Such programs are often designed to convincingly simulate how a human would behave as a conversational partner, although as of 2019, they are far short of being able to pass the Turing test.[2] Source: Wikipedia

People are not used to talk to AI yet, so a big part of a designer’s job (and developer) is to make the process simple and to build trust. They need to help people understand what the system can do and how they can use it.

Designing and scripting chatbots in AIML (Artificial Intelligence Markup Language) is where the magic of a good UX designer can make a difference.

Most companies that use a chatbot have chosen to illustrate an assistant to put a face to an AI. Here are some brands that use Chatbots in their UI design: Spotify, Starbucks, MasterCard, Sephora, Lyft, Pizza Hut.

Most people associate VR with the gaming industry, and for a good reason, but with all the major tech companies developing VR kits and apps we can say with certainty that we will discover new ways to use and enjoy this technology. VR is already used in education, health care, tourism, real estate or architecture. 

A voice-user interface (VUI) makes spoken human interaction with computers possible, using speech recognition to understand spoken commands and questions, and typically text to speechto play a reply. A voice command device (VCD) is a device controlled with a voice user interface. Source: Wikipedia 

In the last year 40% of the people who use an internet-connected device have used a voice assistant at least once a month and the numbers increased with 10% from last year.

In a supersaturated packaging market it is very difficult to create something new that will stand out, so the designers go back to the roots and create patterns to make products stand out on crowded retail shelves. Whether geometric, floral, romantic or monotype patterns are a bold choice for the packaging of any product.

Illustrations have always been a powerful element in packaging design. Through them we can tell a story that will make the targeted audience understand better the history behind the concept. Flat illustrations have been around for decades and they, most likely, will always be on trend.

Minimalism is a basic principle in design and that is just as new today. It gives up everything that is not essential in design and replaces it with negative space. This trend brings functionality to the forefront and focuses on clean design, leaving the typography to stand out.

Using only 1 or 2 tones in the color palette may seem restrictive at first, but they can create a very strong visual identity. Using only 1 or 2 colors, you can keep a minimalist look, giving up everything that is extra. The result is a fine, elegant product that pleases the eye.

Bold colors and gradients are still a very strong trend that will continue in 2020. Using these colors you can create an unforgettable product.

Packages that pay close attention to detail are more popular than ever. Designers choose this trend because it gives the product authenticity. This trend takes us thinking of the classic but in a modern way. 

By 2020, brands will have to rethink their products and packages. The brand must tell a story to help the customer experience the essence of the product. This can be achieved by creating a visual and narrative identity for the packaging.

Bold typography is an essential trend in design, which replaces the image as the main element. Brave typography can make a difference in both web design and graphic design.

More and more applications use totally lower case texts, is very easy to read and integrates perfectly into a minimalist and modern design. In the next year we definitely have to keep an eye on this trend.

Although there is nothing new in custom typography, we will see this trend increasingly present in design, especially in logos and posters. This practice is more common in big brands, because it can be quite expensive to produce an exclusive font, but designers can make small adjustments to an existing font and the result can be quite unique. 

As we said, animations are everywhere in the design, so it is quite normal to find them in typography as well. Kinetic typography uses small and simple interactions to move and shift the font on the screen. This simple technique manipulates the text and creates a final product that remains in the viewer's memory.

Stacking text can be a modern solution that draws your attention to essential information. We can see this trend in web design, app design and in graphic design as well.

Adobe Spark is an integrated suite of media creation applications for the mobile and web developed by Adobe Systems.[1] It comprises three separate design apps: Spark Page, Spark Post, and Spark Video. (Source: WIkipedia) 

his free Adobe Spark web app syncs with Spark Page, Spark Post and Spark Video iOS mobile apps, allowing users to create, edit and share their visual story from any device.

[3] The three design apps allow users to create and design visual content that can be used for businesses, education, social media marketers, and etc.[4] The Spark Gallery highlights different projects made by people using the application. When using the three applications the user has the ability to import pictures or search pictures.

 Procreate is a raster graphics editor app for digital painting developed and published by Savage Interactive for iOS. Designed in response to the artistic possibilities of the iPad, and catering to artists from beginners to professionals.

 It offers over 130 realistic brushes, multiple layers, blend modes, masks, 4K resolution export of process videos, autosave, and many other classic and original digital art tools. In addition to raster graphics, this software has limited abilities to edit and render text and vector graphics. (Source: Wikipedia) Procreate was 2018's best selling app on App Store.

Adobe XD is a vector-based user experience design tool for web apps and mobile apps, developed and published by Adobe Inc. It is available for macOS and Windows, although there are versions for iOS and Android to help preview the result of work directly on mobile devices. XD supports website wireframing, and creating simple interactive click-through prototypes. (Source :Wikipedia)