We have undergone a tremendous change due to the pandemic in the past 2 years. People are now eager to move life forward while having to stay safe at the same time. To adapt to the new hybrid forms of living, people are taking more intelligent approaches: working remotely instead of commuting to the office every day; social distancing for health protection instead of physical contact; a safer, worry-free shopping experience to avoid contagion; and trying to reconnect to the world while reviving the economy.

In this report, we would like to explore HOW this worldwide crisis has impacted on visual design styles, and what kind of service or art form will define the trends in 2022.

Work Nomad

Globally while some companies are welcoming employees back in the office; some companies are still fully remote or at least occasionally. To utilize the WFH flexibility and break down communication barriers, CI guidelines have become more important than ever because they not only deliver the right messages to your brand audience, but also keep consistency within your teams; open source is another popular tool as it is accessible from anywhere and allows teams on different locations to collaborate effectively; the easy-to-understand explanatory visuals are crucial for giving instructions during complex times and increasing awareness of health and safety; with the popularity of 5G, Extended Reality allows us to have large scale of events with customized environments and live interaction.

Revenge Fun

After multiple rounds of isolation forced by the pandemic, people are craving for the outdoors and longing to feel connected. More activities and entertainment are made available at home, among which, online touring has become a preferable way to see museum and gallery exhibitions, and thanks to these virtual tours, geographic restrictions don’t exist anymore. To answer people’s aspiration for nature and the rising of eco-consciousness, graphical elements are incorporating organic colors and nature-themed botanical or animal prints; on the other hand, while the world is slowly opening again, safety warning signs have become indispensable. This makes hyper informative colors essential because they generate attention.

Shopping Shift

E-commerce was already growing year by year. The pandemic only accelerated it even more and reshaped consumer behaviors drastically. People make purchases online for safety reasons and convenience, but packaging waste from express delivery has become a major issue, making sustainable and low carbon packaging solutions a top priority. While online shopping is a habit set to stay, a more satisfying and smart shopping experience can be enhanced by better UI as well as interactive and AR technology. This also extends to the brick-and-mortar stores. For customers who still think seeing is believing, contactless, scan-and-go, and self-pickup services reinterpret what physical shopping could look like. The pandemic increased digital media traffic and made influencer marketing even more influential. This urges brands to create Instagram worthy unboxing experiences for more attention that will be transformed into revenues.

Global Gameology

With much of the world spending significantly more time indoors, the gaming industry has leveled up and widen its spectrum. It serves different purposes for everyone, gamers or spectators, pros or amateurs. It is played to maintain physical fitness, for entertainment, or even as a source of income. The versatility of the gaming culture encouraged crossover collaborations to reach a broader audience through partnerships. When E-Sports teams are regarded as brands, rebranding the teams becomes necessary to connect players to the younger generation and opens a new door for merchandising. Video game live streaming platforms are designed to provide instant feedback and interaction to make people feel more engaged. The video game UI has also gone serious. With the monitors getting bigger and resolution getting higher, a cleaner, more intuitive interface is needed to avoid visual overload.

If you are interested in getting more insights and a full report, please CONTACT US for an online presentation!