The Big Human Guide to Graphic Design Styles

In this blog:

• What Influences Graphic Design Styles?

• 15 Types of Graphic Design Styles

• The Role of Graphic Design Styles in Branding and Digital Design

• How to Choose the Right Graphic Design Style for Your Brand

A great designer is a good researcher. They comb through different design eras to hone their craft and add to their repertoire. Designers benefit from exploring a wide range of graphic design styles, building a mental library they can tap into for inspiration at any time.

While graphic art styles have all experienced their own renaissance, their usage and influence cut across time. Read on for a few of our favorite graphic design styles and how to apply them in branding and digital product design.

What Influences Graphic Design Styles? 

Graphic design movements mirror their eras, capturing the culture and events that framed their time. Influenced by both tradition and innovation, they draw from the past and adapt to changing technologies, societal values, and emerging trends. As international trade became more commonplace in the 1950s, the Swiss Style was instrumental in simplifying communication between countries. And when skeuomorphism hit its peak in the early 2000s, it helped users adapt to a global technological shift. 

Sometimes, a new graphic style is a response to the era that came before it, either building on its elements or completely rejecting them. 1920s Art Deco gave Art Nouveau’s ornate elements more structure, while 1990s grunge spurned the manufactured glam of the 1980s. 

As tech advances and expands a designer’s toolkit, it opens up new creative possibilities and techniques. For example, the invention of the printing press introduced new mediums for information-sharing, which, in turn, created a need for unique designs that would capture readers’ attention. Like many other fields, technology continues to be one of the biggest driving forces behind modern graphic design. 

15 Types of Graphic Design Styles

Geometric

From cave paintings to ancient Greek architecture, geometric design elements have guided visual culture for centuries. The graphic design movement is as versatile as it comes and can be applied across a variety of mediums. It’s a classic style that serves as a frame of reference for most, if not all, the designs on this list (every shape is geometric, after all). 

Geometric design is where art and math collide. Influenced by geometry, this design style considers the relationship between fixed points, straight lines, and sharp angles. The style is minimalistic and highly symmetrical, focused on finding the balance between different shapes and edges.

Key characteristics:

• Symmetrical, balanced layouts

• Straight lines and sharp angles

• Accentuated graphic shapes

Abstract

Abstract design developed alongside other influential art movements in the 1900s, including cubism and fauvism. Subjective and open to interpretation, the abstract graphic style never tries to depict reality accurately; instead, it takes a surrealist approach. Artists of the era toyed with visual perceptions, portraying real-life subjects and objects as unstructured concepts.

Though they can sometimes look disorganized or even chaotic, abstract designs are created with rules and intention. It employs the rule of thirds and juxtaposes non-representational forms and evocative colors to spotlight exposition rather than expression. Generally free of type, abstract design also has simple, geometric elements and asymmetrical layouts.

Key characteristics:

• Intangible interpretations and shapes

• Asymmetrical layouts

• Evocative color palette

Art Nouveau

French for “new art,” Art Nouveau established a fresh style that contrasted the historical designs that ruled the 19th century. Inspired by the expressive lines found in French illustrations and Japanese prints, the design style aims to showcase the beauty in everyday objects, making art accessible to the masses rather than just the elite.

Art Nouveau is one of the fancier approaches to art and design. It’s anchored by floral, ecological motifs and natural, sinuous lines that take the shape of vines or flower stalks. Designs also feature decorative typefaces and intricate illustrations stylized in watercolor palettes.

Key characteristics:

• Floral motifs

• Ornamental typography

• Watercolor palettes

Art Deco

With origins dating back to the early 1900s, the Art Deco era transcended design fields. At its height, its influence could be seen in interior design, architecture, and, of course, visual arts. As a more organized extension of Art Nouveau, Art Deco developed in the aftermath of World War I and is heavily defined by industrial modernization. 

Rich colors, geometric stylizations, and cubist structures — this style was meant to exude opulence and glamour. It was progressive yet sophisticated, which made it perfect for advertisements promoting luxury brands and lavish travel. Art Deco is also known for its symmetry and capitalized typefaces, which accentuate the perpendicular, vertical lines throughout the design. 

Key characteristics:

• Geometric forms and vertical lines

• Saturated colors

• Short field of depth

Futurism

Another byproduct of the Industrial Revolution, futurism is fueled by the vitality and speed of modern life. The graphic art style celebrates change, idolizes innovation, and embraces technological possibilities. Italian artists are largely credited for inventing the futurism design style; they even developed new techniques to simulate movement in static images and experimented with simultaneity, a method that captures a series of moments in a single image.

The style’s future-forward point of view is central in all designs, using multiple images and overlapping elements to create a sense of movement and dynamism. Imagery often showcases technology, machines, and urban landscapes, while high-contrast color palettes and angular typography serve as foundational visual elements. 

Key characteristics:

• Tech-focused imagery

• Simulated movement

• High-contrast colors

Minimalism

There have always been traces of minimalism’s fundamentals throughout history (particularly in the 1960s and 70s), but the graphic design style found its stride in the 2010s. Simple living, a movement that broke from consumerism and promoted a modest lifestyle, soon found its way into design and formed the minimalism we know today. By stripping away unnecessary elements, minimalism emphasizes function and clarity, allowing content to stand out in its simplest form.

The minimalist graphic style is bare bones but deliberate, using only the essentials to convey meaning or communicate a message. It limits extra elements, uses simple typography, and leverages white space, so the viewer can focus on a product or an idea. With minimalism, every element is evenly spaced and precisely placed on a grid, which establishes a logical visual hierarchy that keeps content easily digestible.

Key characteristics:

• Negative space

• Limited color palette

• Clean typography

Maximalism

Going as far back as the 1700s, this graphic design movement was incredibly popular during the Victorian era. When color lithography surfaced in 1870, it allowed people to be more expressive with their advertising — and stand out in a rapidly expanding consumer market. Commonly described as a reaction to minimalism, maximalism recently regained popularity, driven by a collective desire for self-expression.

While minimalism feels disciplined and subdued, maximalism is spontaneous and vibrant. The graphic art style uses rich colors, dense fonts, and clashing patterns in inconsistent layouts that are purposely unbalanced. It layers text, images, and other elements in repetitive sequences that consume most, if not all, white space.

Key characteristics:

• Vivid colors

• Bold fonts and textures

• Little to no white space

Swiss

Taking inspiration from the modernist art movements of the 1910s and 20s, Swiss designers developed the Swiss Style (also referred to as International Typographic Style) in the 1950s. Observing “form follows function,” this graphic design style arose out of necessity, helping facilitate communication during a time of increased international trade.

The “typographic” descriptor reflects the style’s use of left-aligned sans-serif fonts that were paired with photographic images or geometric graphics. Swiss Style was one of the first design movements to set elements asymmetrically within a grid, emphasizing simplicity, objectivity, and readability, and it was the basis for several graphic design movements that materialized during the 20th century. It remains influential through the 21st century — and it’s a favorite at Big Human.

Key characteristics:

• Sans-serif fonts

• Asymmetrical layouts

• Clean, consistent spacing

Skeuomorphism

Skeuomorphism can be traced back to the 1890s, when it was applied to material objects. It then saw two major digital shifts: first in the 1980s after the advent of computers and again in the mid-2000s when Apple introduced the first iPhone. Similar to Swiss Style, skeuomorphism emerged as a practical solution for specific design needs, easing the learning curve of new technologies.

Skeuomorphic designs imitate their real-life counterparts in order to express their functionalities. A technique normally associated with UI/UX design, it makes objects on an interface feel more familiar and, in turn, easier to understand. For example, the notes app looks like a notepad. The style plays with light, shadows, and dimensions to make objects appear three-dimensional.

Key characteristics:

• 3D shapes and elements

• Analog objects represent digital objects

• Use of gradients, textures, and dynamic colors

Flat

Naturally, as people grew more accustomed to using computers and mobile phones, the need for skeuomorphism drifted away. Enter the flat graphic design style. Though originally created for responsive design, the flat style’s minimal elements allow content to more efficiently adapt to multiple screen sizes, reducing load times without losing visual quality.

Frequently compared to minimalism, the flat style uses uncomplicated designs within a greater negative space. Instead of giving icons and buttons a 3D treatment, flat is 2D and abandons exaggerated gradients and drop shadows. Its color palette tends to be more subdued and its imagery is anchored by illustrations, iconography, and pictograms.

Key characteristics:

• 2D shapes and elements

• Complementary color palettes

• Use of iconography and illustrations

3D

Three-dimensional (3D) design is the art of giving objects depth, length, and breadth through computer software. 3D initially started as a rendering technique for hyperrealistic models of products and designs, but designers quickly recognized its broader applications, particularly in animation and video games. Today’s 3D’s realism and quality continue to improve and evolve with the support of artificial intelligence technologies.

Similar to skeuomorphism, 3D plays with lighting and shadows to give designs weight and dimension. The graphic style uses a texturing technique, adding real-world details on 2D surfaces for an immersive, lifelike feel.

Key characteristics:

• Lifelike models

• Digital-focused designs

• Lighting and shadow effects

Retro

The retro design style is more flexible with its qualifications than some of the others on this list. It’s any time a designer references old-school graphic design styles or elements, nodding to years past to evoke feelings of nostalgia, familiarity, and charm.

Retro design traditionally covers the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, but it can also branch out into the 80s. The colors associated with these time periods are bright and vivid, and typography has swooping, curved shapes. Influenced by the home decor of the time, this design style also incorporates a range of geometric patterns and textures. 

Key characteristics:

• 1950s-70s inspirations

• Vintage typography

• Geometric shapes, patterns, and textures

Psychedelic

While psychedelia can overlap with retro, it stands as its own graphic design movement. A product of the 1960s hippy counterculture, this style draws on the exploration of different states of consciousness. Artists of the era frequently experimented with mind-altering substances to push their creative boundaries, which brought a trippy, hallucinogenic effect to their works.

Those sensory adventures translate to a dreamlike graphic art style, featuring kaleidoscopic patterns, optical illusions, sensory imagery, and spiritual motifs in saturated colors. Psychedelic typography and elements have distorted but fluid forms that give visuals a warped or melted look. Designs are also usually full-bleed, making use of the entire canvas for an immersive artistic experience.

Key characteristics:

• Dreamlike, sensory imagery

• Fluid, warped typography

• Free-flowing forms

Pop Art

Pop art is sometimes criticized for being lowbrow and unsophisticated, but that’s what makes it distinct and memorable. The graphic design style toes the line between classic Americana and artistic nonconformism, depicting American pop culture in satirical ways. Artist Andy Warhol was pop art’s most monumental figure, with his work frequently regarded as foundational to the graphic design movement.

Using bold primary colors and halftone printing techniques, pop art is defined by its reuse of familiar imagery from pop culture, mass media, and consumer products (think Andy Warhol’s Campbell Soup Cans). It leverages text as a main graphic element and collages different forms of media, which commonly give designs a comic book appearance.

Key characteristics:

• Primary colors

• Mixed media collages

• Pop culture imagery

Grunge

We have the 1990s to thank for grunge; it’s a gritty subculture significantly influenced by grunge music and fashion, with bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam molding the aesthetic. As social commentary on urban decay, grunge was a countermovement that rejected convention and conformity, and the design style does the same. 

Distressed textures, layered elements, dark colors, and irregular text layouts — grunge design is moody and unruly, and sometimes it even elicits feelings of angst. Grunge customarily has uneven lines and hand-drawn elements, which gives designs a rough finish. 

Key characteristics:

• Dark color palette

• Unpolished, layered textures

• Rough finishes

These are some of the most well-known design movements today. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but it’s enough to familiarize you with the world of design.

The Role of Graphic Design Styles in Branding and Digital Design 

Graphic design styles are the backbone of branding and digital design — and they’re more than just aesthetic choices. A brand’s visual language helps convey its values and messaging, directly impacting how it’s perceived and how it communicates with its audience. 

In branding, a graphic art style defines a company’s identity and, when executed well, creates an easily recognizable visual presence. Different types of graphic design styles evoke distinct emotional responses, so the one you choose will carry those associations, too. For example, grunge tells your audience you’re edgy, nonconformist, and emotionally authentic; on the other hand, Art Nouveau exudes elegance, romanticism, and a little mystery.

Applying your chosen graphic style to your digital product ensures consistency across all touchpoints, but it comes with special considerations. Because they dictate usability and mold the overall user experience, some graphic design styles are better suited for digital platforms than others. Designers customarily opt for flat or minimalist styles on apps and websites because their sleek simplicity is more functional and adaptable. If your digital product is content-driven, a maximalist aesthetic can add visual richness and depth to your storytelling, but it can also distract from the content as a whole. To optimize the user experience, think about how each element of your chosen graphic style can enhance or detract from your users’ ability to navigate and effectively engage with your content.

How to Choose the Right Graphic Design Style for Your Brand

When it comes to choosing a graphic art style for your brand, you first need to consider your brand personality. This is where brand strategy, positioning, and messaging come into play. Here are some key steps to help you find the aesthetic that best suits your business.

Get to know your audience — and your competition.

Understanding your audience is the starting point for all branding and digital design. Their needs, preferences, and expectations will inform your visual identity and guide all experiences. A professional audience might favor something clean and simple, but younger, tech-savvy users respond well to playful, expressive designs. This is also the time to get to know your competitors. While you examine what you like or don’t like about their designs, you’ll also gain insight into industry norms and best practices.

Define your brand’s personality and values.

Certain graphic design styles may align better with your brand values, which will naturally reinforce the identity you want to project. Retro or psychedelic styles suit a heritage-focused brand, but futurism and 3D work well for a tech company. Try listing out a few characteristics, and see which ones coincide with different graphic design movements. 

Consider the medium and industry.

As mentioned above, some graphic art styles are more compatible with digital platforms. The Swiss Style and skeuomorphism are popular in digital-first industries because of their adaptability and accessibility; in contrast, media and entertainment companies might prefer pop art’s attention-grabbing designs for promotional materials and marketing campaigns.

Assess your design’s scalability and adaptability.

All designs should be flexible enough to work across different platforms and mediums to ensure a cohesive narrative throughout all of your messaging and communications, including social media and advertising. If you’re set on a particular graphic art style, see how you can alter the visual elements to fit various screen sizes, resolutions, and formats.

Though there are dozens — maybe even hundreds — of other aesthetics out there, our guide to graphic design styles is a great starting point for both new and experienced designers. Knowing as many styles as possible will help you choose the right one for your project, acclimate to industry trends, and ensure your designs resonate with the target audience.

If you’re trying to find the right graphic design style for your brand, get in touch.