2024 Wrapped — Trends Shaping This Year & The Next

As the year comes to a close, we’re taking a moment to reflect on design strategies that made an impact for our customers. These insights have shaped how we approach design and user experience, helping brands connect more effectively with their audiences.

Design Trends of 2024

One of the unique strengths of being a design studio with diverse clientele is that we’re able to pull observations from various industries. Year after year, we’ve found that companies have these 3 common goals:

• Increased conversions, whether through completed sales or other high-value user actions.
• Improved user sentiment towards a feature, service, or brand.
• More high-value engagement which helps strengthen the previous two metrics.

How are companies reaching these goals? Let’s take a look at six digital branding solutions from this year and what makes them successful.

Storytelling provides the foundation for meaningful connections

Throughout 2024, we witnessed a growing shift towards more authentic storytelling, with momentum building faster than in previous years. Consumers are flooded with choices, and this strategy is one way successful brands break through the noise. A Business Insider study found that 64% of consumers trust brands more when they use human-first storytelling. This proves that real, human-centered stories can make a big impact, especially in a crowded market.

"The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller. The storyteller sets the vision, values, and agenda of an entire generation that is to come."
— Steve Jobs, Co-Founder of Apple.

Personal human-centered narratives that communicate a brand’s missions and values have become staples in communication strategies. Recently, businesses are sharing personal stories about team members, founders, or customers, helping humanize their brand by building empathy with their audience.

PME Indy’s new website and branding replace industry jargon and sterile imagery with a clear, authentic narrative that connects with their community.

AI streamlines everyday tasks

Over the past few years, companies started using GenAI systems to make their workflow more efficient. The shift toward AI changed how teams approach projects and enables them to focus on strategy and creativity while leaving repetitive tasks to AI. Here are some examples of how we use AI:

• AI Development Tools: AI-powered tools like GitHub Copilot helps automate repetitive tasks and accelerate the programming process. Copilot helps create unit tests and line autocompletion while integrating with VSCode, a popular code editor.

• AI-Enhanced Design Software: AI-powered tools in design software, like Photoshop, make it easier and faster to refine visuals. AI can quickly handle tasks like background removal or color adjustments, saving valuable time during the design process.

People respond better to brands with good ethics

Consumers are increasingly conscious of social and environmental issues, meaning they will back a company that has responsible social purpose. A 2020 study by the Zeno Group found that 83% of people think companies should only profit if they make a “positive impact” on the world.

Patagonia, for example, donates 1% of sales to environmental causes and creates recyclable products. Similarly, IKEA invests in renewable energy, aiming to be climate positive by 2030, and provides affordable, eco-friendly products.

People support brands with a clear purpose that aligns with their own values and helps them feel like they’re contributing to positive change. In a world filled with choices, customers want to know their money is supporting companies that care about the environment, social justice, or their local community. Purpose-driven brands give people a sense of pride and connection, making them more likely to stay loyal over time.

The Maryland Film Festival’s 25th Anniversary website and brand revamp highlight inclusivity, featuring LGBTQ and local Baltimore films to emphasize their message of "film for all."

Sustainability helps the planet and grows your business

Businesses are making small efforts toward lowering carbon footprint by optimizing their apps and websites to be as efficient as possible. Not only does this help the growing concern of energy, but also improves conversion rates by improving website load times.

Eco-friendly hosting is another way you can minimize energy consumption and environmental impact. Most global providers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google have green policies baked in that ensure your non-renewable energy use diminishes with time.

Content delivery networks (CDNs) also play a huge role in sustainability. They use a network of servers located around the world to deliver content closer to the end user, minimizing travel distance. We're seeing more and more companies use CDNs for their websites. Among the top 1 million websites, 40% employ CDNs, with Cloudflare being a leading provider.

Nostalgia brings generations together

Popular items and styles from past generations often find their way back into the mainstream, and nostalgia is a big reason why. According to the American Psychological Association, nostalgia creates connections to the consumer by evoking strong emotions, much like empathy or compassion. It reminds people of positive memories, bringing feelings of happiness, comfort, and belonging.

Many companies create nostalgia-inspired designs by blending elements from past decades with modern trends to appeal to today’s audience. A study by consulting firm Kantar found 52% of 12- to 29-year-old consumers prefer classic brands. This shows that retro styles resonate with younger audiences for reasons beyond nostalgia alone, such as timeless appeal or aesthetic value.

Businesses use retro design through choices like vintage fonts and classic color schemes. For example, Burger King revived a logo inspired by its 1970s design, and Pepsi launched limited-edition packaging featuring its original branding. These designs bring back memories for older customers while also drawing in younger audiences who love the classic look of retro style.

Quentin Tarantino's Vista Theater brand and website honor the theater’s 1923 history with retro branding and vintage film reels, preserving the legacy of real film.

Interactivity enhances audience engagement

Interactive design is changing the way consumer-facing sites connect with audiences. Many brands use motion graphics that react to users actions, like revealing animations as users scroll down a page or highlighting elements when they hover over them with their cursor. Not only are these subtle animations more engaging, but they also create a smoother and more intuitive browsing experience.

As attention spans get shorter, interactive content is becoming a great tool to engage users. According to the American Psychological Association, the average attention span has dropped from 2.5 minutes in 2004 to just 47 seconds today. To address this, businesses are turning to interactive features like quizzes, polls, and videos to capture and maintain people’s attention.

Adding interactive features to websites isn’t just a trend, it’s a good business move. EventFlare reports that users spend 47% more time on sites with interactive content, which helps improve SEO and boosts overall engagement. These features make it easier for businesses to connect with their audience and turn that connection into real results.

Lumen's interactive website uses engaging loaders, interactive scrolling, and neighborhood hover effects to create an immersive experience that encourages user interaction.

2025 Outlook & Vision for Design

As we look ahead to 2025, the future of design will continue to evolve around technology and most importantly, the reality of how users engage with products. Let’s touch on a few trends we’re almost certain to see in the coming year!

“We approach design with empathy for the user. That doesn’t necessarily mean taking the prescribed solution they give you, but truly attempting to understand what they’re going through, understanding their goals and motivations.”
— Ash Brown, Bloomberg’s Global Head of UX

AI as a creative catalyst

Whether you love it or hate it, AI will continue to play a significant role in the design process, from generating ideas to automating repetitive tasks throughout 2025. Some specific things we expect to see are:

• Personalized Branding: By customizing brand experiences to individual preferences, businesses build faster and more meaningful connections with their customers. For example, in e-commerce, hyper-personalization allows brands to recommend products based on past browsing or purchase behavior.
• Assisted Ideation: Generative AI tools can create initial drafts or concept pieces that professional designers can refine or use as inspiration. This process helps transform abstract ideas into concrete designs, making it easier to complete the final product.
• Streamlined Navigation: AI tools that enhance navigation on complex websites make it simpler and faster for users to find what they need. By simplifying browsing, searching, and filtering, these tools reduce frustration and help users complete tasks efficiently, often without needing customer support.

Reach customers where they are

In a world that’s driven by digital, businesses must prioritize how they connect with customers online. With mobile devices accounting for over 60% of global website traffic, businesses must focus on reaching people where they spend most of their time: on their phones.

To connect better with customers, businesses should focus on:

• Adopting a Social-First Strategy: Focus on social media platforms where your audience spends the most time. By using targeted ads, storytelling, and offering direct shopping options, you can engage users in a more personal and meaningful way.
• Prioritizing Video and Motion: Create short, engaging videos and animations that quickly grab attention and keep people interested. These formats make it easier to connect with your audience and maintain their engagement.
• Maintaining Cross-Platform Consistency: It’s essential for your brand to stay consistent across all platforms, from your website to social media. This means your brand should look and feel the same whether someone is browsing on a phone, tablet, or computer. A key part of this is making sure your site is mobile-friendly, so it’s easy to navigate and responsive on any device.

3D design improves storytelling and visualization

As virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies continue to grow in popularity, 3D design is becoming an essential skill for all digital products. Immersive technologies, such as 3D modeling and augmented reality, are opening up new design possibilities for the new year. This includes:

• Product Visualization: 3D modeling helps companies create realistic product visuals, giving customers a more interactive and detailed look at what they’re buying.
• Immersive Storytelling: 3D design, such as 3D motion graphics or virtual tours, enhances storytelling by creating interactive, lifelike visuals that draw users deeper into the narrative.

The growing importance of accessibility in design

Accessibility in design can be a legal requirement, but more importantly, a moral responsibility. All kinds of conditions can limit or outright prevent some people from effectively interacting with a digital product, meaning the following items should be on all brands' radars from 2025 forward.

• WCAG Compliance: Web designers and developers should always stay up to date with the latest Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to ensure their products are functional for everyone.
• Assistive Technology Compatibility: Making digital products compatible with assistive technologies, like screen readers and voice recognition tools, improves accessibility for users with specific needs.

And that’s a wrap on 2024!

Design has always been a huge part of our lives, shaping everything from culture to commerce long before digital products existed. Looking ahead to 2025, it’s clear that technology will continue to shape how we connect with users. By embracing these trends, brands can stay ahead of the curve and build stronger connections with their customers.

As we look to next year, we’re excited to apply these trends to help brands stay relevant and connected with their audience. Here’s to another year of growth and innovation!