Top Scroll-stopping Social Media Design Trends in 2023

Looking back, we can see the evolution of design. People respond to the ever-changing design styles, constantly on the lookout for something new and exciting. Whether you’re a company, an influencer, or a content creator, you constantly want to stand out.

A big part of the design evolution involves visual elements and how you use them. It ensures that your posts and updates stand out in increasingly crowded news feeds. It can also help to improve your overall branding efforts by increasing brand recognition and association, allowing you to connect with your target audiences more easily and quickly in-stream. 

If you want to give your social media feed a new look this year, keep reading!

1. Retro

(Retro Design Style image source Dribble)

This design style feels like a throwback to the 1960s and 1970s. The period of flower power as they say. This timeless classic may be given new life by incorporating the current trend of bright pop colours and fresh plastic blossoms.

Groovy and bubble fonts, checkerboard and wavy patterns, a blend of neutral, pastel and neon colour palettes, and, of course, plastic florals are all part of the retro design. Colours are used in a playful way, and the typeface yells at you. Use this design style if you want to market something that will stand out.

2. Y2K Nostalgia

(EXO Baekhyun Y2K Sticker Bomb image source Pinterest)

In theme with taking a blast from the past – the wave of Y2K nostalgia has been brought back! The Y2K style is referred to as the sticker bomb design. The sticker bomb design approach proposes piling up quirky shapes and bright colors on an artboard, which are usually contrasted with black or white. It’s generally accompanied with a thick sans serif font. 

It’s pretty hard to miss due to the intricate layers and bright colours. Businesses and content creators who really want to stand out loooooooove this design style.

3. Editorial Zine

(Editorial Zine Design image source Canva)

A zine refers to a self-published magazine design. It’s basically your own version of editorial design. Due to the obvious rise in popularity of the Y2K design style, it has been heavily influenced as well. 

It is the most popular design among today’s young designers. It is unmistakably geared toward the Gen Z demographic. It’s lighthearted, youthful, and a little disdainful towards the traditional editorial design.

It’s definitely not your typical magazine layout. It makes extensive use of organic shapes, such as stars, for framing or as standalone. Elements of the editorial zine design includes – colour palettes with pastel or neon gradients, images with heavy photo effects. This style of design also works great with playful serif fonts. You can even warp your text to give it that extra dimension. 

You can be as creative as you want with this design style because there are no limitations.

4. Modern Gradient

(Modern Gradient image source Pokka SG)

Modern gradient is for you if you want a simple but distinctive style. You can guide your transitions and make each pastel or neon gradient look different from any other gradient with a touch of grit and grain. The use of soothing blended hues calms the audience’s eyes. 

It’s frequently paired with thin, geometric shapes that take centre stage and with sleek, modern serif typefaces. For the current generation of social media users, modern gradients are definitely a way to redefine minimalism.

5. 3D Shapes

(Metallic 3D Lettering image source Ben Fearnly)

The concept of this style is to create a futuristic look by combining strange, 3D shapes with common pictures. Combine it with a chromatic holographic finish to produce a metal finish, which will enhance the futuristic appearance even further. 

If you don’t like the sci-fi futuristic style, don’t worry; 3D shapes are all the rage in today’s design. While flat motifs and images are expected to continue to be popular in social media content in 2022, more designers are experimenting with 3D illustrations. This new style is more detailed, with more depth and dimension. 

(3D Lettering image source Javi Beuno from Siroko Studio)

Designers all around the world are buzzing about Adobe Illustrator’s new 3D update, which allows you to make any design 3D. The new features allows you to apply shadows and highlights to your preference or add texture or bevel. The possibilities are endless, making your 3D design as realistic as possible.

This new trend will undoubtedly pop at you, so use it to take your design to the next level!

6. Digitalism

(Digitalism Design image source redONE Mobile Singapore)

Digitalism turns digital interfaces into works of art. UI features like text messages, search bars, and social network posts have heavily influenced this graphic design style. It makes use of flat shapes, clear lines. It also utilises UI typography that embraces simple sans serif, monospaced, and modern serif fonts. 

Because UI digitalism covers the entire digital landscape, it may be used by any company or content creator. In terms of social media trends, UI digitalism is unbeatable, regardless of who your target audience is.

Wrapping Things Up

Keeping up with the current social media trends is an excellent way to keep your content relevant and fresh, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of your brand’s aesthetic. On social media, the stronger your visual style is, the more likely someone will hit follow and become an active part of your community. 

Keep it light-hearted and entertaining. Graphic designers can experiment with a variety of trends when designing social media content for brands, ranging from flat style to colourful illustrations to 3D elements.