Back in 2020, I wrote an article about how to find creative inspiration, breaking down my go-to sources at the time (packaging, Pinterest, and print magazines). But since then? The marketing world has evolved at a rapid pace, especially on social media.
Honestly, it can feel almost impossible to keep up.
Now, I’m not saying you need to jump on every single trend that pops up on your feed. But if you spot a design style or a format that catches your eye, and actually aligns with your brand, you have to act fast.
To keep my own work fresh, I keep a close eye on the graphic design and social media spaces by following creators who are constantly pushing boundaries. Here are three major inspirations and trends I’m loving right now, and how you can use them too.
1. Elevate Your Emails into Visual Stories
If you want your audience to engage, make your emails to tell a visual story. Someone who has absolutely mastered this is Brodie (@drippityemail).
He uses relevant design elements to create an immersive atmosphere that perfectly supports the product. Following him has really challenged me to focus on how I can use the product itself, or unique supporting visuals, to make the email stand out more. (Not shown in the example from his TikTok is the GIF portion of his email, the gumball door opens and closes.)
2. Try the "Pixel Stretch" Technique
A specific design technique I’ve been seeing and loving is pixel stretch. It adds an incredible amount of motion and visual interest to a static image and is way easier to create than it looks.
I used a quick tutorial to experiment with this style, it’s so much fun.
3. Outsource Your Trend Research
If you’re trying to improve your social media presence but always feel like you're a step behind, stop trying to do all the digging yourself. Instead, follow accounts that are specifically dedicated to tracking what's relevant right now.
Katelyn Rhoades (@thekatelynrhoades) is excellent at keeping her finger on the pulse. She breaks down exactly what is trending each week and shares examples.
This holds true for graphic design too. Diana S. (@liliansby_studio) shares a lot of great trends, techniques, and resources to enhance your “brand’s rizz” as her profile states.
I’d love to know what trends or creators have been catching your eye lately.