It’s always important to look forward.
Our team is always on top of the newest trends in Design, Development, and Marketing. 2025 is going to be another big year, and we want to share the trends we are most excited about.
Minimalist Maximalism
Anyone familiar with Nickelodeon in the 1990s is familiar with Maximalism. It’s bold and vibrant and uses eclectic elements to snare the attention of children. On the flip side, a trip to your local Apple Store will reveal a plethora of minimalist designs as Apple attempts to use clean lines and white space – leaning hard into its decades-long strategy of being a lifestyle brand rather than a tech brand.
Minimalist Maximalism is a visually striking graphic design style combining aspects of both Minimalism and Maximalism, as the name suggests. The simplicity and boldness is able to deliver a clear message while making a powerful visual impact.
“It may sound like an oxymoron, but blending the structure and clarity of minimalism with the bold, eye-catching vibrancy of maximalism can create a truly compelling solution.” – Michael Carlson, TRIAD Vice President, Creative
Dopamine Design
Dopamine, also known as the “feel-good” hormone, is a chemical messenger in the brain that plays a role in movement, motivation, and reward-seeking. It’s released when you experience something pleasurable, making you want to repeat it.
Dopamine Design is a graphic design style that uses bright colors, bold patterns, and playful textures to create spaces that make people feel happy and keep coming back for more.
The Dopamine Design style is defined by its colorful palette, using bright, vibrant colors like deep blues, bright yellows, and vibrant oranges. Also, playful patterns dominate with geometric shapes, abstract designs, and whimsical motifs.
Designing Feelings
Dopamine Design and, to a certain extent, Minimalist Maximalism were born out of TikTok – challenging brands to create experiences that grab attention and produce emotions as fast as someone could scroll through a feed. Brands have a split second to make you feel something, so they go straight to the source, bypassing logic in search of joy.
“Dopamine Design demands attention which isn’t easy when you’re competing with videos of bizarre body stuff, mukbangs and Iron Mike Tyson memes.” – Laura Peters, TRIAD Design Director
Brands like Yellow Bird and Fly by Jing have created designs that not only look great on store shelves but also on social media feeds. Much like Apple’s Minimalist lifestyle branding, Dopamine Design can reflect the personality of a customer and therefore speak to them personally.
Immersive Websites
Technology is doing a lot these days. Websites can now be more interactive and innovative without disrupting functionality, accessibility or search engine optimization.
Web users are now expecting more immersive websites that grab their attention while providing important information. Luckily, features like 3D elements and Micro-interactions can easily fit within your organization’s brand while adding depth and realism to your website design.
3D visuals captivate users, encouraging longer engagement times, and can be used to create unique navigational experiences or interactive storytelling.
Micro-interactions are subtle animations or design elements that respond to user actions, providing feedback and enhancing interactivity. These can include hover effects, button animations, loading indicators, and more.
“Small, subtle animations can help bring a website to life and direct the user's attention, and motion graphics can transform static visuals into dynamic storytelling. Animation adds that extra level to your site!” – Maija Scherer, TRIAD Web Developer
Burton D. Morgan Foundation’s 2023 Annual Report, Charting a Course, is a prime example of using immersive experience to bring a site to life. Subtle movements and interactive elements create excitement and grab the user’s attention. These are details that will stick with the user long after they’ve left the site.
Not only does it employ the immersive website trend, but it also pulls in elements of Dopamine Design with its bright colors and nostalgic board game aesthetics.
AMATS’s website pushes the boundaries of what a regional transportation study can look like. Subtle movement and a bright color palette push the user to continue exploring the site and learning the importance of an efficient transportation system. This proves that dry subjects don’t have to have dry designs, and immersive sites can convey the excitement the organization has for its industry.
Simplified Marketing Strategies
Marketing strategies have gotten overwhelmed by too many tactics, causing organizations to spread their messaging and budgets too thin. A return to the basics refocuses strategies on what is important: target audience, business goals, and message.
This shift from everywhere, all the time back to quality over quantity allows you to focus on just a few key objectives aligned with your business goals. Your target audience will appreciate receiving marketing messages that align with their desires, and your budget will feel happy not to be spread too thin like butter scraped over too much bread. (Shout out to Bilbo Baggins)
With streamlined tactics, your team will benefit from streamlined content production – avoiding dreaded burnout. By allowing for simplified reporting on key metrics, your team will also be able to react quicker and analyze better.
“Reporting is the best part! After you’ve identified key metrics, analyze them to see what is working and what isn’t. I like to gamify the process and see if I can beat past "high scores” and industry benchmarks.” – Mica Heffner, TRIAD Digital + Media Strategist
Looking Ahead to Marketing in 2025
An upcoming trend isn’t always going to apply to your particular marketing strategy, but it does provide a glimpse into the world at large and the direction interests are heading. Customers are expecting excitement that is easy to digest with messaging that speaks to them on a personal level, and technology is allowing for more interactive features without bogging down performance.
Determining if and how designs, features and strategies work with your marketing objectives requires a team of dedicated individuals who will deep dive into your organization and develop just the right mix.
Perhaps the TRIAD team?
Contact TRIAD today and chat with a member of our team to determine how we can help you and your organization look good while hitting your goals.