Visual trends: Collage
If you’ve been following our 2024 visual trends report and keeping up with our social media updates, you’ll know that collage is making a comeback as one of the leading design trends.
Let’s delve into one of the most creative and eclectic visual trends set to dominate these months, leaving you eager to hit Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V on your keyboard.
A 100 years old trend
Collage isn’t new to the game: it originated back in the decade of the 1910s, inspired by Surrealism or Dadaism. It is believed to have been created by no other than the famous malagueño artist Pablo Picasso, although some people claim its actual creator to be the French artist Georges Braque. The term collage comes from the French word coller (to stick), referencing the technique of assembling different elements to create a new image.
After its initial golden age, Collage lost its status as a novelty and came to be perceived as a childish and unserious technique—we’re sure you’ve also messed with your own collages as a kid in school— but, as you can see, this trend is once again back in fashion.
One technique, different styles
Due to its eclectic nature, collage has originated in numerous styles. You can create digital collages with your computer or manually cut and assemble different elements to create a new composition with a unique meaning. Punk collages chaotically mix different pieces that are mostly unrelated, and halftone collages create impactful visuals with their characteristic gradient effect.
How to create the perfect collage
The recipe for a great collage includes many ingredients, but it is crucial to know how to combine them effectively.
Because, as improvisation-friendly as it might seem, collage also require some sense of balance and visual criteria to achieve exciting and eye-pleasing compositions. You can add elements, fonts, and colors that follow a similar mood or aesthetic as the main components of your collage. Then, create tension by adding some elements that have nothing to do with that theme. In the image above, the tea cups, the flowers, and the pastry set a specific mood, while the UFOs and the laser beams draw our attention.
You can also simply go for a common aesthetic in all the elements you add to your collage, creating designs based on themes like nature, foods, or national monuments, to list a few. Building your collages around specific businesses or products can generate more downloads for your designs.
Mix your collages with other visual trends
As you can see, there’s plenty of space for all kinds of assets in collages. Try mixing some of 2024 visual trends and add them to your collages.
We’ll see you in the following article.
