Graphic Design Trend: Maximalism
Maximalism is a very chaotic design with a lot of layers, yet it’s very organized and beautiful. This graphic design trend takes awhile to understand but in the end, the creation is worth it. Canva.com has a great ten step process in how to create your own Maximalism design. Some steps I felt helpful were to be brave with color, play with patterns and motifs, create optical illusions, and fill the page. Maximalism is nothing like I’ve tried before, I’ve had to refrain myself from adding too much detail. It seems like this trend is quite the opposite.
“Throw “less is more” out the window and subscribe to a “more is more” approach”. - Canvas
When looking through Maximalism graphic designs, all that come up are very different from one to the next. My interpretation of that is it can be whatever you want it to be. Because of this, we don’t realize that Maximalism is used all around us. Best advice is, if you have a vision, let it take you. Maximalism is full of different colors, textures, patterns, and layers coming together to create a statement. As always, I started by picking a palette with colors that work well together. I chose neon orange, purple, and green. Next to create texture, I pulled a drawing of a skull I drew a couple years ago. I thought it gave enough texture along with an image of myself, rendered black and white, and a grid I created. I also pulled a random barcode from Wikimedia Commons. These elements pulled nicely together to create a textured design. I took time layering each element into place, filling the page. One thing to mention is to be aware of the negative space that each element creates, this is how I chose where each element fit. I chose the words “Happy Place” to repeat six times, Canvas.com mentioned that repetition helps get your point across. Wavy text creates an element of fun and helps the viewer's eyes move down the design. I layered the first line underneath the neon square to add more dimension, a recurring theme in this design as well. For the final touch, I created a three-dimensional triangle shape with two Saturn rings around it. I added this element to tie all of the color together and to fill in an empty space.
This trend pushed me outside of my comfort zone in a good way, I liked being able to create freely and without restraint. Once you have an idea, you can let the creativity take you. I feel this is a valuable design trend to know and practice for graphic designers. Maximalism designs let the creative juices flow, making a safe space to try something new. Not only could this be used for play and exercise, it could also be used for many different practical uses like marketing and branding. Maximalism brings a sense of beautiful chaos that could appeal to a client or consumer. For educational purposes, I encourage my fellow graphic designers to create a Maximalism design for themselves, if not already done so.
Sources
10 ways to create amazing maximalist design - learn. (n.d.). Retrieved February 18, 2022, from https://www.canva.com/learn/maximalism/
Cardello, J. (2021, July 26). Maximalism: How designers are turning up the volume of their work: Webflow blog. Webflow. Retrieved February 21, 2022, from https://webflow.com/blog/maximalism-web-design
Commons:upload. Wikimedia Commons. (n.d.). Retrieved February 21, 2022, from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Upload
Comments