It has been a uniquely trying few years. We’ve witnessed immense sociopolitical change and are in the midst of something mildly comparable to the plague of the 1300s. But you know what always seems to come after long stretches of almost unbearable upheaval?

A renaissance!

A rebirth of cultural, artistic, political, and economic development could be brewing as we speak. We’ve seen hints of something of a cultural reset taking shape through design trends as they speak to the emotional needs of our society. Themes of sharing common human experiences and camaraderie as we search for new ways to connect regularly appear in our content feeds.

These visual cues give us a sense of what we can expect to see in design in the upcoming years. As we ask ourselves the age-old question of how we can use design to distinguish the unique voice of our businesses, it’s helpful to take a look together at how our visual landscape has changed with this notable leap in social consciousness.

1. Data Visualization

We’ve renewed our interest and dedication to fact-checking. Many of us even have first-hand experience of what happens to communities when there is so much misinformation. We’ve grown an urgent desire to protect and value the experts in our communities and the conveyance of their data and research to the public has become very important.

2. Diverse Representation in Design

The western world has become keenly aware of the need for diverse representation in mainstream spaces. We want freedom and safety for all races, genders and LGBTQI+ communities as we hear troubling stories of experience with marginalization.

Since team GMD is made of a diverse group of people, we have an inherent culture of bringing multiple perspectives to the discussions that shape the ideals of our world. By proudly choosing to showcase our likenesses and the diversity in our business communities, we are empowering larger cross-cultural ranges of stories to be told with more dignity.

3. Inclusive Design

Topics of accessibility and neurodiversity have been pushed to the forefront of our awareness. Instead of hiding our differences, we are beginning to acknowledge and celebrate the strengths in our differences. We can see a renewed interest in examining what a thriving community could look like. This heightened focus on empathetic imagining will continue to push design to new heights of brilliance.

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4. Environmentally Conscious Design

As B.C. bans the use of plastic bags from our stores altogether and we worry about our flooded neighbours and even co-workers, we are seeing more organizations taking responsibility in fighting climate change. More and more local businesses are joining the cause – a clear sign that this wider shift into more sustainable practices is now the status quo. Gen Z in particular wants to see brands commit to real change and this audience will only grow to be reflected in new expressions of design and marketing.

5. Retro Futurism

We have looked on with exasperation and intrigue as yet again a race to space played out between the world’s most powerful countries in the middle of one of the worst moments in history. These events have caused us to muse almost existentially about our place in the universe while previously thought to be unfilmable stories like Issac Asimov’s “Foundation” have become fully realized TV series. We’ve become visually inspired by the almost prophetic nature of such science-fiction authors and creators. We suspect aspects of this dream for the stars will be reflected in design in the future.

Overall there is a higher priority in society today that values what it is to “be human” over accolades or toxic ideas of often unattainable perfection. These priorities have been trickling down into marketing as brands seek not only to relate to a newly conscientious audience but also to meet their demands and stay relevant. The doors will only continue to open for truly unique stories to be told and we’re excited to see how this will positively impact our creative work and exploration in ways that we can be really proud of. So let’s lift a glass and cheers to the hopeful renaissance of 2022!