Make Your Piece Pop with a Little Shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine! (Is this our 2022 mantra? Absolutely.) Gone are the days of matte colors and homogeneity. Now is the time to make your tactile marketing pop with a sparkling design. Give foiling a go for an iridescent, glass, or crystal appearance. Consider adding specialty foils to tactile marketing pieces to form reflective lettering or backgrounds, adding a layer of dimension to your design. These unique printing materials also help attract the eye and separate your work from anything else vying for your audience’s attention.
Fun with Fonts! Step Outside Your Comfort Zone
Luckily, our font choices have advanced far beyond the 1980s—although we dig a solid retro look. Today, font options outpace our wildest dreams – so don’t be afraid to be creative. Select a font that adds some flair to your graphic design. Try going bold in both typeface and selection for a special touch. Also, consider integrating two or three different fonts that complement each other well for an added dynamic appearance.
Plug Your Brand with Paper Cutouts
Nothing screams custom louder than die-cutting in your tactile marketing. Die-cutting uses razor-sharp blades to cut shapes into a custom print piece. Cuts can be custom designed to allow for branding and thematic variation. This technique also adds depth and provides visual interest to keep your recipient engaged with your brand. Create special effects by incorporating die-cutting into your three-dimensional direct mail pieces – similar to those 3D, interactive books you loved as a kid.
Kick Into High Gear with Color
Customers love to see brands stepping outside of their comfort zones! Graphic design pros pay attention to white space, keeping the look clean and fresh—but that doesn’t mean you should avoid color. Don’t be afraid to develop a vibrant or unique color palette in your designs to draw the eye. Try pairing unconventional colors together and integrating colors in a new way for a fresh take on your print pieces.
Embrace Your Inner Anarchist with Anti Design
For all you rule-breakers out there, this one’s for you! Anti Design breaks the rules of traditional graphic design, allowing the creators to be fluid with their creations and embrace a modern look. Try stepping outside of the traditions and play creatively with space. Don’t be afraid to scale up and go bold, breaking out of the norms.
Excite with Inclusion
Inclusiveness is the new sexy. Your audience includes individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds. When designing your tactile marketing piece, considering all perspectives is an easy way to showcase your brand values to a broad audience. Be sure to think about all parts of your tactile marketing when it comes to inclusive design – from photos to graphics to accessibility. Designing for inclusion is always a win-win!
Decorate with Art Deco and Geometric Angles
Art deco caught the minds and hearts of the early 1900s for a reason, and its one graphic design trend that is sticking around. The bold geographic style lets you exude texture and a sense of dimension with your graphic design. For a modern touch, try detailing with gold foil! Experiment with angles and overlapping geometric shapes of different varieties to design a new piece with a vintage feel.
Roll with the Grunge
Nostalgia marketing is raging like a machine these days, and the grungy vibes of the 90s are sneaking into graphic design. Try experimenting with distressing your logo or adding a little texture to your fonts. Let go of perfection, and you’ll create a piece that resonates – especially with your Gen-X audience. Think dark colors and disaffected youth, and you’ve got a winner.
