The Top Branding Trends of 2020 — & What to Expect in 2021

2020 was, to put it lightly, a wild ride. In some ways, it seemed like the world began to move a little slower — no more rushing to the office in the mornings or cramming our schedules full of social engagements. In other ways, things moved at a breakneck pace. People and businesses alike had to adapt overnight to constantly-changing regulations and market shifts. And the world of branding certainly wasn’t exempt from this rapid change. The natural fluctuation in preferences that happens over time combined with the extraordinary events of the past year led to some seriously innovative and cool branding trends in 2020.

We’ve highlighted a few of the most notable ones below, as well as insight into how they might evolve over the year to come — read on to get some inspiration for your own brand.

2020 Branding Trends

Making Flat Designs Pop

In the past few years, many brands have favored flat designs without any dimension, shadows, or perspective. While it’s still possible to see strong examples, it’s becoming harder to keep the no-depth look fresh. Brands are starting to play with this trend more, though, as they incorporate new elements to add an additional level of complexity to their 2D design.

One example I’ve been seeing a lot of is 2D images with moving elements, like this Instagram post from artist and photographer Brooke DiDonato. It can be tough to get right, though. Brittany Spears’ “Swimming in the Stars” visualizer, for example, falls flat due to how busy it feels.

Another trend in adding depth to 2D design is mixing geometric patterns with textured and perspective design so that it feels more dynamic. Here’s an example from Dropbox.

Mixed Typefaces

In 2013, branding was awash with sans-serif typefaces, many of which were all-caps with a very condensed letterform (Bebas Neue seemed like it was everywhere). In later years, brands moved onto rounder sans-serif typefaces, like the new Google logo. Today, fonts like those are still popular, but brands are now mixing them with serif typefaces as well, especially in brand identities.

One brand that does a great job exemplifying this trend is Hims, a direct-to-consumer men’s health company. Their logo is a serif typeface, but all of their digital typeface is sans-serif — a good choice, since serifs can be hard to read in small print. That being said, I think their all-neutral palette could use some updating. Let’s get some color pops in there!

To take serif fonts a step further, a lot of brands are using very thin stems and embellishments – something that will likely continue in the new year.

Non-Design

In the age of digital media, content can be created and published instantly, and brands are taking advantage of that. With so many companies creating content, however, it’s no longer a differentiator. To stand out from their competitors, brands have to publish more and more content at an ever-increasing rate. Because of this, designers must work within a constantly shrinking timeframe, which can put a lot of constraints on the creative process. Paradoxically, though, these creative constraints can often result in innovation.

Many brands are now taking a low-effort design approach, where they leverage tools like emojis, gifs, Instagram Creator Studio, and templates to create quick and easy designs. Frequently, these designs are composed of simple shapes, limited colors, and just a few typefaces. 

Cove, a biodegradable water bottle company, is one example of a brand doing this look well. It’s super simple, but every element fits in and complements the others.

Retro Futurism

The design world always seems to be in love with the aesthetic from two decades before. Now that we’re in the 2020s, people have really begun to embrace the look of the 2000s — with a bit of a twist. Creatives are obsessed with nostalgia, but still dreaming of the future, which results in a unique retro-futuristic look that’s surreal and euphoric with lots of sparkle effects and glass type. This is especially present in digital media, like the example below from Fisk Projects.

Some brands are kicking it back even further, like Kin Euphorics, which combines a 70s feel with a modern flair.

The Natural Look

One silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic is that it got people outside and helped inspire a renewed sense of appreciation for nature. A lot of brands seem to be acknowledging this with design that incorporates the outdoors and a more natural vibe. I’ve noticed this with a few recent commercials, such as this 90-second spot from Gucci or the More Nature campaign from Jeep.

I’m seeing more and more use of fuzzy and blurred imagery as well, which feels similarly organic.

Source: Mary Herbert

Today’s brands are very aware of the world we’re all living in, and acknowledging it — and even finding some beauty in it — allows them to connect with their audiences on a more personal level. Although a vaccine is on the horizon, it will probably be a while before we return to normal, so I don’t see this trend ending anytime soon. 

Experiential Design

In a year where indoor gatherings are off-limits, a lot of companies found creative ways to reenact experiences in a digital format. And this wasn’t just limited to event-based businesses. Hulu came out with an awesome haunted house simulator called the Screamlands around Halloween (or, as they called it, Huluween).

Another experiential area more brands are leveraging is virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). Even the fashion world is adopting these technologies, with luxury brand Balenciaga recently announcing that their fall 2021 collection will debut in VR using avatars as models. AR is also taking off in popularity thanks to platforms like Spark AR studio for Instagram that make it more accessible. It’s bringing a lot of fun weirdness back to branding — check out this AR crossword puzzle filter The New York Times recently released.

As audiences become more comfortable with interactive experiences on websites and social media, my prediction is that brands will begin carrying it over to their native apps soon as well. 

Playfulness

If there’s one thing we could use more of right now, it’s levity. Thankfully, companies all across the board have been stepping up to the plate. Brands seem to have loosened up a little bit on their guidelines, giving them the flexibility they need to succeed on more casual channels like social media. As a designer, this is exciting, because it allows you to play with a brand in all its different forms and craft a slightly tailored visual language for each.

In addition to brand design, this is also happening in brand messaging. Companies are embracing a more down-to-earth tone of voice, sometimes successfully (Dollar Shave Club does a great job of being casual, clear, and often entertaining) and sometimes not (Cosmopolitan tries a little too hard with all the slang and abbreviations).

This playfulness has even extended to data visualizations. Companies are going beyond bar graphs in brand colors to display data in interesting and unique ways, like this piece from creative studio Datalands.

Of course, these branding trends may not all be right for you — it’s much more important to embrace authenticity than whatever’s in the zeitgeist. But if you can figure out how to incorporate one or more in a way that feels true to your brand, you’ll be ahead of the curve in 2021.

Anastasia Salazar Ltd. is an independent design studio for tailored branding and digital designs. Reach out to learn how we can help you fuel growth and maximize your brand’s impact.

Breaking Down the Silos: the Art of Marrying Copy and Design

In the modern workplace, it's easy for projects to become siloed. Poor communication, strict departmental boundaries, and a focus on short-term results can lead to a loss of vision and lackluster results.

Let's take the creation of visual assets.

Often, the process goes something like this: The marketing manager builds a campaign plan and sends a brief to a copywriter, who drafts copy, then submits a request to design, who sends the finished products back to the marketing manager for approval.

The copywriter and designer don't communicate with each other at all, with the marketing or project manager as the go-between.

Copy and design may be two separate elements, but they work best in tandem. An ad with stunning visuals might grab your attention, but without strong complementary copy, it won't deliver the right message. 

Conversely, an ad with excellent copy but dull or mismatched design can completely fail to catch your eye in the first place. To create truly powerful design, visuals and words must be informed by each other.

Let's look at how to align your writing, art and design.

Creating design based on copy

It's not always possible for writers and designers to sync before a project, particularly if you're dealing with tight deadlines, busy schedules or coordinating between an in-house team and an external one.

In our experience, it's not unusual for designers working at an agency to receive a brief from the client with the copy already finalized.

If that's your the case, you need to really absorb the text. Take off your designer hat the first time you read the copy, and process it. Get a feel for not only the content, but also the voice, tone and style.

Next, think more about how the design will factor into it. Edgy, in-your-face copy, for example, might go best with a grittier design. You can also try scanning the copy for words, metaphors or concepts that will lend themselves well to design.

Let's say the  phrase "bringing the team together" appears. The visual representation doesn't have to (and probably shouldn't) be as literal as a group of smiling employees in a circle. A more abstract depiction, like a graphic pattern where shapes approach each other, will feel fresher and more original.

Always make sure the header copy and design are in alignment. For many people, this is the only text they actually read — so even if "bringing the team together" shows up three times in the last paragraph, the analogy will be lost on them.

If you're still unsure whether the design you've come up with pairs well with the copy, ask for examples of past work or a copy of the brand book.

Does the style you've envisioned line up with what you're seeing? If not, it might be time to go back to the drawing board. A good designer doesn't just go with their own style — they try to match and level up the brand's.

Creating copy based on design

Other times, a copywriter might receive an asset with an approved visual style but unpolished or placeholder text. 

In this situation, writers will need to dig deep into the "why" of the design in order to come up with the perfect copy. 

Before approaching the designer, do some research on your own. You can look at a brand book or examples of previous work, as well as the company website and social media accounts. Review anything that will help you understand how they talk about themselves, who their target audience is and what their brand stands for.

Think about the context of the asset as well. Certain mediums, like social media or banner ads, might require more casual language than others, like white papers or brochures. 

The goal of the asset will affect the copy too. The copy for a banner ad aiming to drive sign-ups for a free trial should read more persuasively than one aiming to raise brand awareness.

Once you've got a solid grasp of the brand, you'll have the knowledge to have a valuable conversation with the designer.

Instead of relying on them to catch you up on the brand basics, you can go into deeper topics, like why they chose the design they did. Odds are, it's not just because it looks pretty — there's almost always a concept behind the imagery. 

Asking the designer what words they would use to describe the visual brand can also help determine the voice, tone and style you should use in the copy.

The easiest way to ensure writing and design are on the same page?

Partner up from the very beginning. 

If you're able, set up a joint brainstorming session between the writer and the designer so you can chat about the context behind the asset (brand identity, target audience, goals, etc.) as well as share ideas and discuss how those concepts could manifest in both copy and design.

This will lead to a happier, more confident team, and the best possible results.

In conclusion

You probably don't excel at writing and design in equal measures, but that's okay — it doesn't mean you can't create great work. 

While the best design usually has both strong, cohesive copy and visuals, they rarely come from just one person. As long as you take the time to understand, appreciate and complement your counterpart's expertise, you'll be well on your way to success.

Anastasia Salazar Ltd. is an independent design studio for tailored branding and digital designs. Reach out to learn how we can help you fuel growth and maximize your brand’s impact.

Building an Agency from the Ground Up

Many people looking into how to start an agency see large, established firms and think to themselves, “I could never do that.” 

But the reality is that almost all the prestigious studios we know and love started with just one or two people. They got to where they are today by taking baby steps, again and again, until they saw the right results.

Launching and sustaining a business takes a lot of patience and effort, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. I work longer hours than I did before I started my agency — even if I don’t like to admit it — but the creative freedom and sense of ownership I have in exchange is well worth it. 

Want to know how to start a branding or graphic design business? I’ve put together some tips to help you find your feet in the agency world!

Want to find out more about how Anastasia Salazar got started? Check out this five-year timeline!

How to start an agency: 9 top tips

1. Before you begin…

Business plans can encompass a lot of different things, from financial projections to organizational structure and more. Exactly which elements are necessary will vary a little bit from company to company, but I think all business plans should clearly state your services offered, target audience and mission/vision statement, with an emphasis on how you want to position the company. This plays a huge role in defining who you are as a brand and how you stand apart from the competition. It’s also helpful to address the unique skill sets your agency can offer and who you’ll do it for.

While a good business plan should be thorough and polished, you don’t need to get too hung up on perfection, especially if there are other aspects of your business that you’re anxious to work on. It’s not worth waiting years to move forward with your business just because your intro deck isn’t picture-perfect.

2. Develop your business plan

A business plan helps you understand your goals and how to achieve them. It’s also essential if you need funding from your bank or want to attract potential investors.

Business plans can encompass many different things, from financial projections to organizational structure. Exactly which elements are necessary will vary from company to company, but I think all business plans should clearly state:

• The services you offer

• Your target audience

• Your mission and vision statement — how you want to position the company and what your unique selling point is 

While a good business plan should be thorough and polished, you don’t need to get too hung up on perfection, especially if there are other aspects of your business that you’re anxious to work on. 

It’s not worth waiting years to move forward with your business just because your intro deck isn’t picture-perfect.

3. Assemble your A-team

No person is an island — we all rely on others at some point or another to get by, and that’s especially true when it comes to starting your own business. 

Whether friends, family members, former coworkers or LinkedIn contacts, you likely have people in your network who are happy to lend their expertise to your new venture.

While there are tons of different fields that can be beneficial for you to learn about, I suggest you prioritize finding professionals in the legal, finance and business consulting industries. 

Reaching out to other agency founders or creative directors can be helpful too. Before I launched my business, I cold-contacted a few different creative directors I admired to get their thoughts on how to start an agency. I was pleasantly surprised with how eager they were to share their experience and advice.

4. Create a budget

82% of businesses that fail do so because of cash-flow problems. While it’s only natural that you want to spend as much money on your business to make it the best it can be, this can be a recipe for disaster.

The easiest way to keep control of your finances is to create a budget and stick to it. I’ve put together a free budget worksheet to help you determine your recurring expenses, both personal and professional.

Once you know how much your outgoings are, you can determine how much your monthly salary will be.

5. Make it official

What I found most helpful when I was preparing to open my agency was the practical, actionable advice. Getting down to basics isn’t exactly glamorous, but it will help you a lot, particularly if you’ve never started a business before. 

Requirements vary by state, but I’ve listed a few of the nitty-gritty tasks I had to complete to launch in California, as well as some links to guide you through them:

• Set up your business structure

• Register your company name (if it isn’t already taken)

• Get your EIN (Employer Identification Number)

• Get a PO box if you don’t already have a business address 

• Set up a business bank account

Once you tackle all of these steps, make sure to securely save all of the documentation and information associated with them. You may get asked for these documents at some point.

6. Find your clients

It’s often said that your friends and family are your first clients, and that is, for the most part, true. But you don’t have to rely on them exclusively in the early days of your business. Get your portfolio and website in top shape, then try… 

• Uploading your contacts in a CMS: There are plenty of client management softwares, or CMSs, that are affordable for small businesses. We use Hubspot. Upload all of the relevant contacts you have, create some email templates and use them for outreach.

• Developing a marketing strategy: One of the investments I chose to make early on was hiring a marketing strategist for a consulting project. It was money well spent — she helped me find out who my target audience was and how I could most effectively reach them.

• Attending events & networking: My company set up shop in a women’s coworking space. It’s been a great place to connect with people, which has directly led to a few different projects for us. Find out where your audience is and go talk to them — face-to-face interactions are powerful!

• Asking for referrals and reviews: Reach out to your former and current clients to see if they’d be comfortable leaving you a review, or even putting you in touch with organizations they know are looking for an agency. To incentivize them, you can offer referral discounts and promos.

Once you do find a potential client, try to set up an in-person or phone meeting with them to find out what they’re looking for, what their budget is and how you might be able to address their needs. 

7. Establish a Workflow 

Beyond deciding what you’ll do for your clients, you need to figure out how you’ll do it. I wish I’d prioritized my workflows more when starting out as it would have made my agency faster, more efficient, and much more reactive.

Here are a few things to consider when planning your workflows:

• What will the general process look like — how many meetings, and how many rounds of feedback? What will meetings/feedback rounds entail, and how will they be held — conference call, video chat, or in person?

• How will you communicate with clients in the interim — email, Slack, or phone?

• How will clients pay (card, check, direct deposit, etc.) and how will you invoice them — will they pay a portion up front and the rest upon completion, or pay a weekly retainer?

• Top tip: Holding off on giving the final files to a client until they’ve paid you in full can really speed up the payment process!

• What exact services and deliverables will clients receive? They should never be surprised by how much you’re billing them or what they’re getting in return.

• Will you have subcontractors, and if so, how will you manage them?

• How will you empower clients and get them excited about your work?

As you outline this process, think about ways you can make it more efficient. For example, through email templates, platforms, a list of potential freelancers for you to call if needed, and so on.

As your agency grows, it’s important to revisit these workflows and optimize them. I did this a few years into business, and it was a total game-changer!

8. Get a feel for taxes and expenses

Finances are difficult enough, but when you become a small business owner, things get even more complex. 

Generally, it’s a good idea to work with a professional who can help you get everything in order, but it’s still valuable to understand some basic principles.

Here are a few things I’ve learned along the way:

• Taxes change: Rather than paying once a year, those who are self-employed usually pay estimated quarterly taxes. The exact percentage you’re charged will fluctuate, but around 30% is a pretty safe bet, so make sure to account for that when budgeting and forecasting

• Document your employees: Always have employees and subcontractors fill out a W-2 or W-4 form, depending on whether they’re part-time or full-time, and give them a 1099 form or W-9 at the end of the year

• Log your expenses: Keep track of everything you spend, whether in a spreadsheet or accounting platform. Make sure you use tax categories so that creating profit and loss statements and filing your taxes at the end of the quarter is a cinch

Watch your spending: A lot of financial advisors will tell you that increasing your bottom line isn’t just about earning more — it’s also about spending less. Work on getting your business up and running before you think about investing in things that can wait, like full-time employees or social media management

9. Maintain Your Competitive Edge

Establishing KPIs (key performance indicators) and OKRs (objectives and key results) early on will give you a baseline to measure success and hold you accountable for continual improvement. 

If you don’t log these things in the beginning, you won’t understand what’s working and what needs to change later on. 

Here are a few things I found important to measure:

• Revenue

• Profit

• Number of clients

• Hours worked

• Hours billed

• Engagement on social media

You may also want to add KPIs specific to marketing, like the number of ads you created for your business and the number of leads generated through your email newsletters.

As you craft your OKRs, don’t be afraid to get ambitious — you don’t have to (and in fact probably shouldn’t) achieve all of them. The team I was on at Google aimed to achieve 70% of their OKRs — if you achieved 100%, the consensus was that you weren’t setting them high enough!

One final piece of advice about how to grow your design agency

Starting your own agency is complex and takes a lot of work. It’s understandable to feel overwhelmed or bogged down by the details, but if this happens, try to remind yourself of what you love about design in the first place. 

Go to galleries and museums, buy magazines if the cover catches your eye, look up the latest work of the designers you admire, watch and attend conferences. 

Often that can give you the motivation you need to push through. 

As someone who’s been in your shoes before, I understand what a big task you have ahead of you. However, I also know that the creative freedom, flexibility and sense of ownership you get from starting your own business makes the effort completely worth it.

Want to know more about starting an agency? Check out a recording of our webinar about how to start a graphic design business, and read the Q&A from our session! 

Anastasia Salazar Ltd. is an independent design studio for tailored branding and digital designs. Reach out to learn how we can help you fuel growth and maximize your brand’s impact.