Learn 11 Graphic Design Styles for Your Next Project and When to Use Them

6. Psychedelic

Psychedelic design is another instantly recognizable style, distinguished by its vibrant colors and abundance of wavy lines.

 

The principles of this design are inspired by the 1960s psychedelic movement, which was fueled in part by LSD—a newly popular, powerful drug that drastically altered people’s perception of reality, particularly how objects were viewed, whose edges and lines would wiggle and warp as if shaken from both ends.

Colors were also much more vibrant.

Both of these visual impacts have been captured in the psychedelic design style, which has come to represent the LSD experience as a metaphor.

7. Art Nouveau

The first fully modern design style was Art Nouveau.

 

It was created in the 1890s as a result of Western painters attempting to develop a style they could call their own, which could be promoted more easily with the rapid expansion in global trade.

The style is distinguished by its long organic lines, frequently applied to animals, plants, and fragile things to create an elegant and delightfully decorative appearance.

This style’s typography adheres to similar principles, emphasizing natural-looking serifs and looping shapes complimenting the graphical elements.

Because printing was expensive in the early 1900s, Art Nouveau designs preferred to employ a single color (usually black) with minor shading, as demonstrated in the abovementioned example.

8. Art Deco

There’s a fair probability that anything was made in the Art Deco style if it includes strong geometric shapes, bright colors, and plenty of symmetry.

This design is greatly influenced by Cubism—another style that used hard shapes to create a cube-like effect—and Futurism, known for its monochromatic aesthetic that used materials such as metal, plastic, and glass, as seen in the Metropolis image on the left.

Art Deco is a design style that may take your breath away.

It’s almost obnoxious, demanding that you look at it—a useful approach in today’s distracting environment when you want your website or advertisement to stand out.

It’s bold writing, vivid forms, and highly contrasting color schemes have made it one of the most recognizable design styles in history. Its bold writing, vivid forms, and extremely contrasting color schemes have made it one of the most recognizable design styles in history.