2021 Visual Trends

As visual trends come and go, Ultra captures the cultural aesthetics that influence current design choices and resonate with consumers. Each one comes as a downloadable 1-page PDF.

Papercut
Leaning on a bright collage-vibe, the papercut style uses bold colors and a naïve sense of shape to create a clean, confident look on solid backgrounds. Download the latest visual trend from Ultra here.

Geometric Patterns

Reminiscent of Colorforms, tangrams tiles, and 1960’s preschool designs, geometric patterns are boldly claiming packaging and print design today. With contrasting but simple, optimistic color schemes, and distinct “building block” shapes, the designs bring Bauhaus or Constructivist layouts of the past to mind, with a dash of mid-mod pop for color theory. These designs are joyful but orderly and offer structure but have a playful sensibility. Check it out here.

Optimistic Colors

Post-pandemic it's no surprise that "Illuminating" is Pantone's color of the year but what is surprising is how yellow in particular has migrated to new categories in brand design. Check out the latest visual trend here.

Grandmillennial

A counterpoint trend to the minimalist aesthetic that has dominated D2C companies and influencer aesthetics has emerged.  'Grandmillennial' embraces chintz, needlepoint, pleated lampshades and Victorian furniture - traditional and nostalgic themes one would expect to find at their grandmother's house. Read more about this visual trend here.

Digital Nostalgia

Before HD and Retina Displays, the 8-bit, Microsoft Paint world reigned. Evoking newstalgia and nostalgia for dial-ups and modem sounds, this now prevalent digital style borrows from the early 2000’s AIM, AOL, MySpace era. Download the latest visual trend from Ultra.

Boho Baby

The Boho baby style embraces gentle, earthbound, natural palettes and eco-aware materials, which follows  Gen-Z’s boho mod trend, but the translation from adult to kid has a few nuances. Read more here.

Stickers

Stickers are accessible, tiny works of art that broadcast individual personality and values to the world, especially when it adorns common objects. We're seeing it pop up and used to further brand identity. For more on this trend, download our 1-pager.

Adorkable

A new brand aesthetic has emerged that is dorkily awkward and adorably real. In other words, it's 'adorkable.' What brands and design cues is this trend leveraging to connect to the digital-first Generation Z? Download our latest visual trend.

Cottagecore

Meadows, teacups, secret gardens, baked sweets and eyelet blouses are all telltale signs you’ve stumbled across cottagecore, a hyper-specific escapist fairytale aesthetic we're seeing in brand design. Download our 1-pager on this trend.