In the world of humans, everything is always changing. One day, people are wearing hats, and the other day, they are not wearing hats anymore. The same can be said for arts and Animation. As new techniques and technologies come out, what people look for, and what they expect to see changes. If you go back to the 90s and compare the art style of the Animators, and then take a look at current top trends in style, you would notice a massive shift in style.
We cannot ignore the effect of new techniques that have been used in the period between the two dates. But what matters is that this shift has happened. Whenever such shifts in style happen, those who have prepared themselves will benefit from it. Those who had not predicted the change will be sorry they didn’t. In this article, I intend to tell you about some of the trends you ought to watch for. If you want to have a good memory of these shifts stay with me.
Before, we move on to checking some of the ongoing trends of 2023. Also, some of those have started to become a trend recently and show a promising future. Let’s see why we even need to keep an eye out for these trends in the first place.
Why You Should Keep Up with Trends?
In recent years, we have seen a multitude of new trends pop up. It is expected to happen as new technologies come out. Since there won’t be an end to these new techs, it is only natural that trends start showing up. Thus, it makes sense to keep an eye out for new trends and study the ones already out there.
Whether you work as an individual or in a team, it pays to know these trends. I mean it when I say it pays. Once you find out about a trend going up the ladder of popularity, you can start using its approach. As there are very few people who know about new trends, there won’t be many people who can compete with you. Also, due to the lack of animators, almost everything you create has a good chance of being seen. If you are working with big companies and commercial groups, that would mean a huge paycheck at the end of the month.
Trends for Kinetic typography
Kinetic typography isn’t a very new Technique in the industry, but it has been gaining popularity recently. Although it was quite famous when it was first introduced in the magic world of certain movies on TV and cinema, it never became a trend back then because it wasn’t something easy to make. Most animators could create it, and thus, it never became a trend. In 2023, things are different. It has become easier to make it and that’s probably why it has started to become a trend.
Kinetic typography isn’t limited to animations only. It is also used on websites and in media commercials. It has become a very important of motion graphics in 2023, and it will possibly stay among the top for some time before being knocked out. Perhaps it’s because when employing this technique, there is no limit to how much you can let your imagination run wild and how creative you can become.
Animated Logos
In the modern world, everything is fast-paced, and people don’t have the luxury to spend time remembering details about brands and Companies. That is why logos have become a thing, and every company, group, or brand has its brand so people can remember them easily. Much like everything else, these brands are evolving to be something new, and that is animated logos.
An animated logo is, putting it in simple words, your logo animated. Of course, it is not supposed to be a long animation, but a very short and efficient one. It allows you to show and say more using as little space and time as possible. You can, for example, with a few smaller icons, show what your company excels at and what your services or awards, and experiences are. An animated logo can give a sense of innovativeness and be unique to your audience.
Trend Restrictive Color Palettes
As the name suggests, this trend is about being minimalist when it comes to the number and range of colors you employ in your animation. When the first colored animation came out, it was very interesting for the audience to see a work of many colors. That made the people in the industry try to include as many colors as they could in their animation. Having many colors in animation back then was a blessing and attracted attention. Nowadays, things are different. Considering how everything we see is quite colorful, an animation with limitations in the chosen colors can attract attention better than a work without any restriction.
This approach is growing in popularity among companies and commercial groups. It allows them to convey a sense of style and a particular point of view along with a sense of being unique to their audience. Also, due to its simple coloring, it is far easier to convey certain meanings using colors and their psychology. This is why this trend employs minimalism and is successful in delivering what it is meant to.
Thin Lines
Lines are the backbone of animation – or designing anything. With lines, we can give shape to our thoughts and make them visible to others. Nowadays, we don’t see the lining pattern in every animation. You might wonder, why thin lines have become a trend. How do they attract the audience’s attention?
The answer lies within the simplicity of the style along with the feeling of freshness and sincerity it conveys. There is no need to explain why its style is considered simple. Just some lines and simple drawing does look like an amateur’s work, and an amateur’s work gives the feeling of freshness. Because, amateurs themselves tend to be fresh in the industry, right? Lastly, it also gives a feeling of sincerity, because it is simple. People wouldn’t normally think something simple would trick them and would accept what they hear or see.
This approach is more famous with companies and their promotional events. Its simple yet elegant design allows them to convey information and uniquely capture their audience’s attention.
Morphing Animation Trends
Among the trends mentioned so far, and the ones I’m going to mention after this one, morphing animation is one of the newest trends out there. It has been gaining popularity without slowing down, and there is no indication it will slow down soon.
As the name implies, it is about endless transition. Of course, when using this approach in animation, it does not have to be endless. The shape-changing gives the animation an air of futuristic endeavors. Morphing animation is useful for sites as well as commercial media. When it comes to sites, the constant morphing allows the animation to attract the attention of the visitors for a longer period. For commercial works, all you need is to attract the attention of your audience, and this shape-shifting animation is supposed to exactly do that for you.
The benefits of using morphing animations do not end here, though. They are good for SEO as well. In the new Google algorithms, interaction and engagement have a far more valuable place than before, and keeping the visitors on the page is a part of that, a part which these animations can perfectly achieve. That is one of the reasons this approach has become a trend, and it is one of the best trends for sites.
Mixing 2D and 3D
This one has been around for some time now, but has not shown any sign of slowing down, nor, as many believe, is showing any signs of slowing down any time soon. Mixing 2D and 3D is an approach allowing you to mix the unreal with the real, fiction with nonfiction. And believe me, the effects are otherworldly.
One great feature of this approach is that it allows you to employ a great number of different methods you otherwise wouldn’t be able to use. You can blend different videos, photos, or any other graphic works. Due to the limitless possibilities available with this approach, there does not seem to be any decline in this trend any time soon.
VR Trends
Virtual reality is the ultimate approach to the future. Although this approach is yet to be as widely used as other trends, particularly because it requires certain gadgets and gears, it shows a promising future.
VR animation brings you reality. It is as if you were living the world you are watching. Everything looks realistic, and unlike normal animations or movies, in most virtual reality animations, you have 360 degrees view. According to the statistics, the VR industry is set to have a market value of 44.7 billion USD in 2024. It will also have an annual growth rate of 33.47 percent, making it one of the best trends to start investing in.
Retro
You might wonder why would anyone want to go back to the past with all these new trends and approaches around. It turns out people have a thing for nostalgia, and they still want to see animations based on it.
When it comes to this approach, we don’t mean any time in the past. We are particularly talking about the time spanning between 1950 and 1970. In particular, this approach is used for nature and cities of this time. Although it’s quite simple, it brings a sense of nostalgia and tradition to the audience.
While this approach is mainly focused on how things were in the past, some creative animators have taken things to a whole new level by mixing the past with the future. This gives a feeling of futuristic nostalgia. Imagine you are driving a car from 20 years into future in the New York in the 1970s. This approach is called retro-futuristic, and many people predict it will be a famous trend for decades to come.
3D
I did say you could merge 2D and 3D together for a more immersive effect. Be aware I never said you cannot use 3D alone! Yes, one of the ongoing trends right now is 3D’s. Although creating 3D requires a lot more time, computing power, and other resources, it can give a more realistic sense to your animation.
Using 3D also gives a futuristic look to your animation, making it a very suitable approach for animations used in commercials and ads. It also gives a feeling of truthfulness, due to it being realistic.
Conclusion
Back in the 18th and 19th centuries, when the first animation slowly appeared, everything was simple. There was only one way to create animation at first. Over the years, as the number and the quality of the technologies, humanity had at its disposal grew, other ways were introduced. In recent decades, as more and more methods have become available, different trends in animation have come and gone. It’s very important to know these trends, particularly the ones that are on the board now.
To be successful, it is best to notice trends that might become the dominant forms one day. If you want to be successful, without a doubt, you are going to need the help of a professional team. Luckily for you, there is one such team nearby: Pixalent.com. They are exactly whom you need. A team of young, talented, and experienced professionals. A team who have worked with and aided many different groups including big companies, TV channels, and commercial groups. Good luck.
