Graphic Design Trends in 2025: Top 7 Trends to Keep an Eye On

Design is evolving; are you? If you're in branding, marketing, or design, 2025 isn't just another year. It's a fresh canvas, a chance to stand out, and graphic design trends in 2025 are already making waves. You cannot compromise with trends, whether you're a startup or an agency building. It is simply non-negotiable. We’re not just talking about aesthetics. The right visuals can boost recognition, trust, and conversions. In this blog, we break down the top 7 trends that are turning heads globally and especially across the U.S. Let's have a look at how you can make them work for your brand. Jump in and discover how the future of design is more vibrant, intentional, and wildly expressive than ever. If you're looking for great design support, check out the top-rated agencies on Directory Goo, it's a solid place to start.

1. Minimal Maximalism: Graphic Design's Fine Wine 

Minimalism never goes out of style. And 2025 has introduced it with a fresh twist: minimal maximalism. Think of simple layouts with exaggerated type, bold color blocks, or chaotic asymmetry that somehow feels organized. Why does it matter? Brands are realizing that clean doesn’t have to mean boring. This trend gives you a visually arresting identity while keeping your message sharp. From tech startups to wellness brands, everyone’s leaning into this trend and it's especially prominent in branding design trends 2025 reports. 

Our experts’ advice:

Make your site's layout pleasing to the eyes with minimalist designs. 

And keep it catchy with maximalist flair in campaign visuals.

If you are looking for help with visuals that match your brand's personality, check out our graphic design services and bring ideas to life.

2. Chicken Scratch Design: Chaos Meets Creativity

Messy, hand-drawn, and full of charm, chicken scratch design is becoming a bold statement in 2025. It is inspired by doodles, notebook sketches, and collage-style layering, connecting with the audience on a warmer and more personal level. If the perfect, polished, and professional designs are the North pole, it is the South. But that’s what makes it effective. It brings a human touch to digital spaces and makes brands feel more approachable. The next time you're brainstorming content, try adding a chicken scratch element. It might just become your most-loved asset.

3. Structured Scrapbook: Design with Depth

Layered textures, mixed media, torn paper edges; welcome to the structured scrapbook trend. It feels handcrafted but is highly curated, often used in print, editorial, and fashion-forward brand campaigns. It is one of the most exciting graphic design trends of 2025, especially for brands looking to tap into emotional storytelling. Pair it with muted tones or experimental typography, and you get a visual language that’s both nostalgic and fresh. U.S.-based beauty and lifestyle brands are embracing this in packaging and social carousels. If you’re looking to add visual storytelling to your branding, this one’s for you.

4. Hypercolor

Hypercolor is painting 2025 in neon and chromatic tones, and honestly, it’s hard to look away. With its vibrant and unapologetic charm, it doesn’t just want attention; it demands it. There’s something magnetic about these bold color palettes. They bring a certain aliveness to your brand, making it instantly more energetic, especially if you’re speaking to Gen Z or a younger, digitally native crowd. But like all things bold, balance is everything. Hypercolor works beautifully in digital spaces, think landing pages, email headers, and social campaigns, where its intensity can really shine. For print, though? A little goes a long way. You’ve probably already seen this trend all over U.S. campaigns. That’s no accident. In a world where everyone’s scrolling at lightning speed, bright stands out. And if you're feeling like your brand’s visuals are stuck in neutral, incorporating hypercolor could be the bold, fresh push they need.

5. Strange Historicism: A Nod to the Past

Strange historicism isn’t your typical throwback. It’s retro but with a twist. Picture Gothic lettering tangled up with ‘90s pixel art, or a classic Victorian flourish sitting beside some shiny Y2K metallics. It’s unexpected. It’s bold. And somehow, it works. This trend instantly gives your brand a sense of depth, like there’s a story behind the design just waiting to be discovered. It’s especially powerful for industries built on storytelling, where every visual detail can hint at meaning or heritage. You’ll find strange historicism showing up all over branding design trends in the U.S. because it invites curiosity. It doesn’t just say, “Look at me.” It says, “Stay a while.” Want to experiment? Try it in your next campaign header, on limited-edition merch, or even in an animated brand teaser. Wherever you want people to stop, squint, and say, “Wait, what is that?”, this trend belongs there.

6. Sustainable and Ethical Aesthetics

Sustainability is not a passing trend anymore. It's a mindset that’s showing up in how brands present themselves. Earthy, soft, and calm designs that feel like a peaceful retreat are quietly reshaping how we communicate values. And also making brands stand out. There’s beauty in simplicity, whether it’s uncoated paper, soft greens and browns, or visuals that feel handcrafted, real, and raw. Today’s consumers are paying attention. Ethical branding has moved up their list of priorities. They’re more likely to connect with brands that reflect the world they want to live in, and a big part of that connection starts with design. So if your brand already stands for something meaningful, let the visuals match. Let your packaging breathe. Let your site feel grounded. When your aesthetics and ethics speak the same language, people listen, and often, they buy.

7. Inclusive & Accessible Design

Among all the graphic design trends of 2025, this one feels the most personal. Inclusive graphic design is no longer just a “nice to have”; it’s part of what makes design meaningful and respectful. And no, it’s not just about showing a range of faces (though that’s part of it). It’s also about clear fonts that everyone can read. Thoughtful color contrast that works for all eyes. Icons and layouts that feel welcoming, no matter who’s navigating your content. More and more brands, especially in spaces like healthcare, education, and finance, are realizing this isn’t optional anymore. Inclusivity is fast becoming a standard If you want your message to reach everyone, design like you mean it. Choose images that represent real people. Test your contrast. Ask if your design works for someone who sees differently, moves differently, or thinks differently. Because when we include everyone in the process, the work gets better, and so do the results.

FAQs on graphic design trends

1. What kind of graphic design is actually trending in 2025?

2. How important is inclusive and accessible design in 2025?

3. Why has Chicken Scratch design become so popular?

4. What exactly is strange historicism in design?

It’s a mashup of eras, and it’s kind of amazing. Strange Historicism combines things like vintage Gothic fonts with modern, futuristic vibes, sometimes even 90s internet flair. It’s weird, layered, and, honestly, a refreshing change from flat, safe design.

5. What does the structured scrapbook trend look like?

Final Thoughts

Trends come and go. And when trends change as fast as the blink of eyes, the way your brand makes the audience feel sticks.
Whether it’s through bold colors, messy sketches, or designs that include everyone in the room, graphic design trends in 2025 are about connection. They’re not just visual; they’re emotional, intentional, and human.
So take what speaks to you, leave what doesn’t, and make it your own. And if you ever need a hand bringing your vision to life? You know where to find us.
Contact us to create something that actually feels like you.