Forward-thinking as tech companies may be, brands in other industries might find it easier to get ahead of the design curve. Apparel companies may be quick to incorporate a brutalist style into their design. A new burger joint might have an elevated retro menu. Tech companies should also take advantage of new trends to showcase their platforms in bold, rule-bending ways.
At FINAO, we’re keeping our finger on the pulse of these always-changing landscapes. Today, we’re breaking down notable illustration and design trends to help tech companies level up their visual identities in 2023.
Text-Forward Minimalism
Some industry designers are stripping away traditional elements like images, icons, and animations to bring concrete elements to an often obscure industry.
Standing out from constantly-evolving trends and technologies by highlighting essential information is a timeless and modern way to make a product or service more accessible.
Image Left: Finao design work for Primer.ai
Image Right: Finao design work for Primer.ai
Modern Typefaces
The recent proliferation of typefaces could make for its own article. From Art Deco callbacks and retro minimalism to tall, thin serifs, many brands are expressing themselves in ownable ways through typefaces.
Image Left: betterwise.com
Image Right: sendelemental.com/why-elemental
Pastel colors
Utilizing elements of the playful pastels while also leaning into the futuristic and arcane are illustrations in the style of French artist Jean Giraud (Moebius). This dimensional style features smooth linework and harmonious color palettes.
Financial service company Robinhood began using Moebius-esque designs in icons and illustrations when it debuted an elevated visual identity in 2020, calling the new look “delightful and future-focused.”
Image Left: transposit.com/accelerate-employee-onboarding
Image Right: quantumlifecyclemarketing.com
Moebius-style illustration
Utilizing elements of the playful pastels while also leaning into the futuristic and arcane are illustrations in the style of French artist Jean Giraud (Moebius). This dimensional style features smooth linework and harmonious color palettes.
Financial service company Robinhood began using Moebius-esque designs in icons and illustrations when it debuted an elevated visual identity in 2020, calling the new look “delightful and future-focused.”
Image Left: Finao Agency visual concept
Image Right: sendelemental.com/404
Grid Systems
Visible grid lines give website users a sense of organization and clarity. By taking advantage of the structure and consistency of grid systems, websites may connect disparate elements while making sure users easily digest the information of a product or service.
Image Left: similar.ai
Image Right: intelligence.abnormalsecurity.com
Brutalism
Sharing qualities with minimalism but differing starkly from the organization of grid systems is raw, rule-breaking brutalism. With an emphasis on utilitarianism and a rough-around-the-edges aesthetic, brutalism runs against many common design principles to make for a memorable website experience.
Image Left: hackerone.com/security-at-beyond
Image Right: Finao Agency visual concept
Color Gradients
The renaissance of vintage and nostalgic aesthetics is hardly limited to web illustrations, but designers are also finding ways to breathe life into styles from past eras. Colorful gradients break from previously monochromatic options, offering flexible, unique textures for sophisticated tech settings.
Image Left: vectara.com/solutions/support
Image Right: Finao Agency visual concept
Interactivity and Animation
Adding interactive and gamified elements to a website is an increasingly popular way to keep users in the driver’s seat of their experience. Inviting and animated components can round out a website and ensure potential customers remain engaged.
Image Left: apollo.io
Image Right: behome247.com
Using Design Trends in 2023
Tech companies should use these design trends as inspiration to step outside of their comfort zone in 2023, experiment stylistically, and improve user experience. If you’re in the market for an agency with the expertise and knowledge to produce show-stopping illustrations and designs, FINAO is here to help.
