Visual design styles

Minimalist, grunge or abstract? There are so many design styles out there, where do you even start?

Below we have compiled 15 design styles and their stunning examples.

We encourage you to consider complementing different styles to play off each other. For example, you get a playful design from combining flat and illustrated; or you get a luxurious logo from combining vintage and masculine.

Designers: use this guide to help you define your design style better and be more discoverable by potential clients.

Customers: use this guide to help you find the design that best describes your brand.

3D

The three-dimensional artwork gives the opposite illusion of a flat design. It is characterized by the illusion of volume and mass, therefore looking like it occupies space. 3D design is commonly used to create skeuomorphic designs, the idea of creating something to resemble a real-life object.

Characteristics

Illusion of depth / volume
Employs lighting effect
Employs shades of one color

Combines well with:

Abstract, fun and playful, grunge, illustrated, masculine

Keywords

Perspective, skeuomorphism, shadow, video games, app design

Abstract

Abstract is the style of creating a piece of art that is independent from the way it looks in the real world. An abstract design style is achieved by a combined composition of colors and shapes usually based on the individual interpretation of the designer, the client or both.

Characteristics

Ambiguous representation of an object / concept
Invites individual interpretation

Combines well with:

3D, clean and minimalist, fun and playful, geometric, organic and natural, professional / corporate

Keywords

Colorful, artistic, logo design, illustration

Clean and minimalist

by ludibes
by bo_rad
by amio

by Fe Melo
by Nativ
by Mithum

Minimalism is a style or technique that is characterized by spareness and simplicity. It is the opposite to lavish and highly-decorative styles and leaving its most basic form to communicate the message.

Characteristics

Uses small number of colors
May be achieved by using fluid or straight lines (line art)
The opposite of abstract

Combines well with:

Abstract, feminine, flat, geometric, professional/ corporate, luxurious

Keywords

Simple, line art, negative space, flat design

Conceptual art

Conceptual art is a sub-category of illustration, and is a metaphorical depiction of a visual idea. Consider it as the fictional section of illustration, as it doesn't necessarily feature likeness to the real object it models after.

Characteristics

May contain some elements of reality
Features designer's own interpretation of the object it models after

Combines well with:

All styles

Keywords

Illustration, drawing, abstract

Feminine

The opposite of masculine design, feminine style is usually characterized by details that stereotypically attract female attention such as soft color palettes, florals and cursive writing.

Characteristics

May employ cursive, fluid fonts
May incorporate pastel colors and/or shades of red (eg. pink, purple, orange)
May feature a woman's face, flowers and fashion components (eg. lipstick, shoes)

Combines well with:

Clean and minimalist, flat, illustrated, luxurious, organic and natural, typographic

Keywords

Flower, cosmetic, pastel, fashion, love, beauty

Flat

This style could be considered as a subcategory of the minimalist look: it employs minimal use of colors and shading for a visually-pleasing aesthetic.

Characteristics

Uses small number of colors
No realistic shadow effect

Combines well with:

Clean and minimalist, feminine, geometric, luxurious, typographic, vintage / retro

Keywords

Clean, infographic, minimalist, line art, illustration, app design

Fun and playful

by shon_m
by Googa
by Dudeowl

A design style that inspires fun and usually gives off an informal, rather than rigid, impression. Commonly used to create cartoons, it can be non-realistic or semi-realistic artistic style of drawing.

Characteristics

May feature caricaturized person / animal
Colorful
May contain elements of fantasy

Combines well with:

3D, abstract, illustrated, organic and natural, typographic, vintage / retro

Keywords

Humor, mascot design, character design, kids, caricature, cartoon, animal

Geometric

by --Hero
by arosto
by Milakat

Derived from the idea of geometry, this style is characterized by heavy use of straight lines and shapes. The typical geometric design can comprise of rectangles, squares and triangles.

Characteristics

Incorporates straight lines
Features symmetry

Combines well with:

Abstract, clean and minimalist, flat, professional / corporate

Keywords

Minimal, tech, simple, internet, flat

Grunge

Sometimes considered as a subcategory of the vintage style, grunge evokes the darker, gritty and cool style of the 1990s. It is typically characterized by distressed/rough or torn appearance to its designs. Grunge is also commonly associated with punk and gothic styles.

Characteristics

Generally uses dark colors and monochromatic color scheme
Generally invokes the feeling of darkness and danger

Combines well with:

3D, illustrated, masculine, typographic, vintage / retro

Keywords

Cool, street, gothic, black, graffiti, T-shirt design

Illustrated

by BATHI
by - Z -
by Lucadia

The illustration style is derived from the interpretation or visual explanation of a text, concept or process.

There are plenty of subcategories under illustration, among them conceptual art and photorealism, which are also explained on this page.

Characteristics

Generally has 'raw', hand-drawn look
Look dependant on designers' drawing style

Combines well with:

3D, feminine, fun and playful, grunge, masculine, organic and natural, typographic, vintage / retro

Keywords

T-shirt design, sketch, drawing, tattoo, art

Luxurious

The luxurious design style evokes the idea of indulging in extra comforts or pleasures additional to the necessary standard of well-being. The use of rich colors such as gold helps achieve this idea of luxury.

Characteristics

Often uses the colors black, gold and bronze
Achieves the idea the brand is impactful on its own by employing simple, minimalist designs
Uses either old-style fonts or simple and modern fonts

Combines well with:

Clean and minimalist, feminine, flat, masculine, vintage / retro

Keywords

Elegant, sophisticated, fashion, understated

Masculine

Masculine design style is stereotypically appealing to men. Details in masculine design may include simple lines, monochromatic theme (black and white) and "rugged" texture.

Characteristics

May employ hard-edged, thick-stroke fonts
May incorporate rugged and gritty images
May feature blue or darker colors

Combines well with:

3D, grunge, illustrated, luxurious, professional / corporate, vintage / retro

Keywords

Rugged, outdoor, classic, modern

Organic and natural

Organic design is a style which takes the flowing natural forms of a reality and characterized by continuous lines and dynamic curves. Organic style can also feel rustic by adding weathered and texturized effects.

Characteristics

Generally incorporates natural elements like leaves, flowers and fresh produce
May be combined with illustrated look for the raw, organic look

Combines well with:

Abstract, feminine, fun and playful, illustrated, typographic, vintage / retro

Keywords

Nature, rustic, handmade, illustration

Photorealism

Photorealism is a form of illustration where the designer closely matches it to the original image or photo as much as possible.

Characteristics

Features refined details to emulate the original image as much as possible
Usually achieved by, but not limited to, pencil sketches

Combines well with:

3D, feminine, grunge, masculine, organic, vintage

Keywords

Drawing, illustration, sketch, tattoo, art

Professional / corporate

The professional design style is usually characterized by muted colors, and minimal details to represent conservative ideas. This style is typically employed by organizations who want to make formal impressions on their target audience.

Characteristics

Employs straight, classic font types
Generally incorporates simple shapes or objects
May invoke formal impressions with use of negative space and line art

Combines well with:

Abstract, clean and minimalist, geometric, masculine

Keywords

Business, formal, minimal, classic, simple

Typographic

by Pulp ART
by stevenmink

The typographic style utilizes the modification of fonts. It is the design of the written words to evoke response in its target audience. For logo, fonts need to be uniquely modified.

Characteristics

Font style is generally the focus of the design
Typographic design may incorporate objects, but the text usually conveys the main message

Combines well with:

Feminine, flat, fun and playful, grunge, illustrated, organic and natural, vintage / retro

Keywords

Font, illustration, artistic

Vintage / retro

Vintage or retro (short for "retrospective") is a style that is derivative of trends from the recent past. Some popular vintage styles include Victoriana (inspired by decorative styles of the Victorian era), steam punk (an ode to the industrial revolution of the late 19th century) and Bauhaus (the minimalist style movement between the 1920s and the 1930s).

Characteristics

May incorporate rustic, nostalgic elements to invoke the past
May use illustrated ornate ribbons and wreaths reminiscent of the 19th century
May incorporate visual clues such as old letterpress, hand-drawn typefaces and elaborate decorative arts

Combines well with:

Flat, fun and playful, grunge, illustrated, luxurious, masculine, organic and natural, typographic

Keywords

Rustic, T-shirt design, drawing, illustration, logo design

Your visual guide to design styles

3D

Abstract

Clean and minimalist

Conceptual art

Feminine

Flat

Fun and playful

Geometric

Grunge

Illustrated

Luxurious

Masculine

Organic and natural

Photorealism

Professional / corporate

Typographic

Vintage / retro

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