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2021 Design Trends

Share the goods.

Green and blue shapes moving on top of a yellow and pink background

Are you even a creative firm if you don’t write about design trends for the year? This past year has inspired some pretty cool trends for us creatives. We’re talking sustainability and representation, thrown in with a bit of nostalgia.

All-natural

It’s all about earth tones, texture, sustainability and embracing organic. It seems 2021 has led humans to finally put a focus on our environment. Brands are putting this trend into action with a focus on positive packaging and messaging to support this big ‘ol planet we live on. What a concept.

According to Creative Boom, this trend is visually represented through tasteful textures that mimic hand-print techniques, grain, brush strokes and organic shapes. All of this is intended to connect the person who created the design with the person who views it.

Envato points out that nature has been a source of inspiration for designers and artists for centuries. Deeply rooted in our strong connection with the world around us, the organic design trend is all about using natural, tactile elements to evoke the feeling, sight, and sound of being immersed in nature.

Anyone else feeling inspired to go stare at some trees?

Diversity and representation

2020 represented some of the best and worst times in our nation—ranging from an earth-shaking pandemic and violence against Black individuals to greater mental health awareness, LGBTQIA+ advocacy, feminism, body positivity and the Black Lives Matter movement. 

As marketers and designers, we have an opportunity to do better, whether that means being conscious in our efforts to represent people of all races, backgrounds, body types, religious beliefs and sexual orientations or taking a firm stance on social issues. 

(Aim for C. All of the above.)

We will begin to see this play out through illustrations, photography and more.

As we roll into June, Pride Month, you’ll see brands embrace this trend as they attempt to show their support for the LGBTQIA+ community. We say “attempt” because, quite frankly, it’s in poor taste to simply change your logo to rainbow to showcase your support when there are many, far more impactful ways to do so. 

Taking mom jeans to a new level

We are seeing this trend play out in real life with the return of mom jeans, crop tops, white tennis shoes and more. We are truly being haunted by our past.

Fortunately for us, retro or nostalgia design focuses on taking things we already know and love (not mom jeans) and using the familiarity of the old to sell the innovation of the new. We’ll take this trend by decade to illustrate what we mean.

  • The 60s – grainy colors, heavy lines, modern pop art, psychedelic aesthetic
  • The 70s – bold colors, free-form typography
  • The 80s – neon, cyberpunk
  • The 90s – grunge, rave, cartoons and iconic pop culture.

In conclusion, just say no to the mom jeans.

These are just a few of the trends we’re seeing, and whenever relevant to our work, you’ll see these reflected in the designs we create for our clients.

Ready to embrace the trends? Get a hold of us.

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FUN FACT FRIDAY: It’s only fitting for us to own a building where a trailblazing female operated her businesses in 1906. The Phillips family represented one of the longest-running retail tenures in Grand Rapids history; L.E. Phillips Jewelry in the 1365 Plainfield Ave. building from 1906 until 1973.
Dr. Eva Phillips, a certified and licensed optometrist ran her practice out of the jewelry store’s secondary parlor and was an equal partner in the jewelry store.

Together, they offered a unique one-stop shot which expanded to include appliances, record players, and more. The couple operated the shop through two World Wars and the Great Depression, acting as the neighborhood matriarch and patriarch.

@crestongr @crestoncorridor @crestongrandrapids @citygrandrapids @grandrapidspubliclibrary

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Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 17898983202545176
FUN FACT FRIDAY: It’s only fitting for us to own a building where a trailblazing female operated her businesses in 1906. The Phillips family represented one of the longest-running retail tenures in Grand Rapids history; L.E. Phillips Jewelry in the 1365 Plainfield Ave. building from 1906 until 1973. Dr. Eva Phillips, a certified and licensed optometrist ran her practice out of the jewelry store’s secondary parlor and was an equal partner in the jewelry store. Together, they offered a unique one-stop shot which expanded to include appliances, record players, and more. The couple operated the shop through two World Wars and the Great Depression, acting as the neighborhood matriarch and patriarch. @crestongr @crestoncorridor @crestongrandrapids @citygrandrapids @grandrapidspubliclibrary

Have you tuned into The Happy Hour Hustle Podcast yet?
If not, a) you’re missing out and b) you need to follow immediately. Hosted by @bodespeaks, episodes drop every other week, and feature some pretty bada$$ guests if we do say so ourselves.

This week, Kim sits down with @kelsey_orchard , VP of Marketing and Communications at @fifthwheelfreight to chat building a personal brand, Gen Z entering the workforce, misconceptions about logistics, spotting fake LinkedIn profiles – oh and why your GPA doesn’t matter anymore.

Grab a watermelon margarita, sit back and enjoy for lots of laughs and real talk.

Listen now at the link in bio.

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Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18112263326023209
Have you tuned into The Happy Hour Hustle Podcast yet? If not, a) you’re missing out and b) you need to follow immediately. Hosted by @bodespeaks, episodes drop every other week, and feature some pretty bada$$ guests if we do say so ourselves. This week, Kim sits down with @kelsey_orchard , VP of Marketing and Communications at @fifthwheelfreight to chat building a personal brand, Gen Z entering the workforce, misconceptions about logistics, spotting fake LinkedIn profiles – oh and why your GPA doesn’t matter anymore. Grab a watermelon margarita, sit back and enjoy for lots of laughs and real talk. Listen now at the link in bio.

National Perimenopause Month starts today. We have a LOT to say, and we’re not going to be quiet about it, especially this month, so buckle up.

We were not prepared for perimenopause, much like our periods, sex, or anything else to do with our bodies. God forbid we talk about it openly.

We were taught to be ashamed, keep quiet, and to accept that it is just part of being a woman. We reject that narrative. In fact, like @bodespeaks, we want to bring it up in every conversation.

When we normalize perimenopause and the conversation around it, we stop isolating, and we’re all more prepared.
Join us for Uncomfortable Conversations: The Pause on September 24th — a powerful conversation hosted alongside the @smallbusinessassocofmichigan
Women’s Business Council, featuring some kicka$$ experts who will give you the real talk on perimenopause (more to come on them later).

Register at the link in bio.

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Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18132641716644887
National Perimenopause Month starts today. We have a LOT to say, and we’re not going to be quiet about it, especially this month, so buckle up. We were not prepared for perimenopause, much like our periods, sex, or anything else to do with our bodies. God forbid we talk about it openly. We were taught to be ashamed, keep quiet, and to accept that it is just part of being a woman. We reject that narrative. In fact, like @bodespeaks, we want to bring it up in every conversation. When we normalize perimenopause and the conversation around it, we stop isolating, and we’re all more prepared. Join us for Uncomfortable Conversations: The Pause on September 24th — a powerful conversation hosted alongside the @smallbusinessassocofmichigan Women’s Business Council, featuring some kicka$$ experts who will give you the real talk on perimenopause (more to come on them later). Register at the link in bio.

You asked, we delivered.

Introducing the Women`s Owners Network - a new program built for what comes first, joining our proven Fellowship model to support Michigan women at every stage of business ownership.

Whether you`ve got a team of 10 or it`s just you and your laptop, you deserve a room full of women who get it.

Six months of leadership, finance, operations, capital access, paired with real support for the isolation, emotional volatility, and decision fatigue that come with owning your own business.

You`ll have your own board of directors in your corner, including @bodespeaks plus a group of mentors, instructors, and coaches who`ve been exactly where you are.

Applications due October 1. Apply now at the link in bio.

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Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18089775152664042
You asked, we delivered. Introducing the Women's Owners Network - a new program built for what comes first, joining our proven Fellowship model to support Michigan women at every stage of business ownership. Whether you've got a team of 10 or it's just you and your laptop, you deserve a room full of women who get it. Six months of leadership, finance, operations, capital access, paired with real support for the isolation, emotional volatility, and decision fatigue that come with owning your own business. You'll have your own board of directors in your corner, including @bodespeaks plus a group of mentors, instructors, and coaches who've been exactly where you are. Applications due October 1. Apply now at the link in bio.
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