Discover six top trends for branding and design that are set to dominate next year from colour and shape to typography and photography style.

Colour | Almost neons.

In an effort to stand out amidst a sea of competing brand colour palettes, there’s a noticeable shift online towards bolder and brighter hues, while traditional corporate tones take a back seat. Think shades similar to lime green, magenta, aqua, acid yellow, violet and cyan. These colours aren’t pushed to their full neon intensity; instead, a touch of softness is retained, striking a balance that keeps them appealing to consumers. Use alongside softer, deep off-blacks and neutrals for balance.

Pantone Colour of the year

Mocha Mousse has been announced by Pantone as their colour of the year for 2025. This luxurious, warm shade of brown evokes romanticism and richness. It will be popular served alongside a palette of similar warm, neutral shades or for the brave. For brands with sustainable aims it’s a great colour in the company of subdued earthy tones or for a retro vibe; complimentary colour pops such as turquoise, mauve and mustard. It’s likely we will see these colours come through predominantly in textiles, product and packaging.

Shape | Abstract.

Precise illustration is being left behind in favour of a more playful, organic approach. Non- figurative but highly symbolic, abstract illustration holds its roots in early historic art. This style is perhaps a reaction to the highly synthesised AI-generated illustrations that has become more prevalent. You’ll see this applied to both digital and print, from web icons to packaging.

Fonts | Bespoke sans serif.

Sans serif fonts are every designers friend in a digital world that demands easy to read typefaces. To ensure a uniqueness to their brand, we will see more businesses choosing to develop their own sans serif typefaces with quirky, unique touches that keep them fresh. The same applies in the bland logo trend that has been abundant the past few years. Braver brands will experiment with touches to their type that breaks them out of the mould.

Side note: letter spacing is out, Canva killed it. 0pt tracking for 2025.

Illustration | Curated crafting.

Another head-turn from the computer-generated AI images that are dominating the design world. A preference to using tools and techniques that are traditional and require an element of craftsmanship such as painting, etching, woodworking and needlecraft. The unexpected small details that come from graphics born in this way, naturally give them a unique quality that designers and consumers alike will value. The end result is a slightly more polished visual than the raw product, often accompanied by clean elements such as straight edged frames or rich photography.

Photography | 90’s Nostalgia

With Oasis’ long awaited tour hitting the road in 2025, we will see a resurgence of 90’s Britpop poster inspired design. Gritty, grainy images in washed out tones, Microsoft legacy fonts and chunky black boxes with a nod to the working class. Made modern with some cleaner elements like white space, colour pops and playing with scale.

Pattern | Georgian Decor

2025 celebrates the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen, with many events taking place across Britain to mark the occasion. The rococo style of the late 1700’s will make a comeback with its ornate flourishes, rich tones and the return of the ditsy floral. Applied to packaging alongside foiled accent, this trend is both traditional and modern.

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