woman in yellow sweater, bullhorn, face mask

1 Jun 2021

How world events affect design

Significant events not only shape our world and lives but also influence design. Here are some examples of design trends impacted by world events.

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At DoubleShot Creative we like to keep an eye on emerging design trends. Over the last year, we have seen many significant events that have not only impacted the world, but design as well.

Nature Inspired and Sustainable

Although it has been on the table for years, the issue of climate change was once again brought to the forefront, with protests such as the Extinction Rebellion in London and Greta Thunberg leading the way for climate activism. People are expressing the urgency of the matter and it is notably affecting design. Sustainability is becoming just as desirable as it is important; and the inclusion of natural materials and textures, as well as botanical elements is a pertinent accompaniment.

These perfume bottles by Igor Mitin were deigned to enhance the nature of the fragrance and mimic existing organic forms playing into the eastern idea of “Zen”

colored corn, wood, table
Totomoxtle is a new wood-like material made with husks of heirloom Mexican corn. Leveraging the deep colors of the corn, this new material is not only beautiful but also helps to generate income for impoverished farmers and encourages biodiversity. 
table, arrangement, table setting

Socially Conscious Design

The global COVID-19 pandemic has been impossible to ignore and has forced a change unlike anything we had seen in our lifetimes. Fear and frustration were accompanied by compassion and kindness, and socially conscious design became a new direction. Offering hope and empathy to those in solitude, suffering loss, or working tirelessly to help those in need became the norm.

los ángeles, poster, woman, illustration, face mask
los ángeles, poster, man, illustration, face mask
poster,woman, illustration, vaccine
poster,man, illustration, vaccine
Artist Shepard Fairey’s creative collective, Studio Number One, teamed up with the City of L.A. to create a pandemic art series called “Protect and Respect”, offering downloadable posters encouraging people to wear masks and to get vaccinated.

side of building
bus stop
billboard, London
A drawing challenge created by UK fashion house Alexander McQueen encouraged followers to create their own artwork based on their iconic “Rose Dress”. Contributor’s designs were later used to thank health workers on a global scale.

Activism and Street Art

The tragic death of George Floyd exposed the problem of racially motivated police brutality and took utmost importance as millions protested in the United States and across the globe. We saw activism, visual strength, and disruption in art as well as on the streets.

Seventeen project managers steered a group of 70 artists to design and paint the Black Lives Matter (BLM) mural in Downtown Cincinnati. Each letter tells a very personal story.

The mural “No Weapon Formed Against Thee Shall Prosper” is a collaborative piece by artists Marka27, Cey Adams, and Sophia Dawson. Sophia draws attention to the pain of a mother losing a child in her murals. This painting depicts George Floyd’s mother cradling him as a toddler.

Diversity and Honesty

This BLM movement urged a renewed sense of inclusion and allyship and inspired big brands to think about diversity as well as address outdated and offensive stereotypes.

Humility and honesty as well as ownership over wrongdoings really stood out as progress, even if it was just the tip of the iceberg. Brands are promoting much more diversity, honesty, and authenticity in design as a result. Black artists are receiving acknowledgment and praise for their art. In fact, galleries such as the Ross-Sutton gallery in NYC show their solidarity by celebrating black art and artists.

A mural of a black Madonna painted by Vise1 (Cedric Douglas), artist and social interventionist, takes aim at the negative stereotypes often portrayed of black women by depicting the significant religious character, as a strong, powerful, strikingly beautiful black woman.

Lina Iris Viktor is a Liberian-British conceptual artist. Her work often plays on the contrasts of darkness and light and other parallel contradictions as well as the socio-political and historical preconceptions surrounding ‘blackness’ and its universal implications.

Summer of Love

With the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccinations, feelings of optimism and triumph are beginning, albeit tentatively. A summer filled with vacations and festivals, drinks at the pub, BBQs, and all dearly missed social occasions are awakening the new summer of love! With bright colors, optimism, and a sense of freedom that we have all been missing, the style is reminiscent of the psychedelic 60’s with a modern twist.

summer poster, summer of love, cicada
blue, red, game poster
The cicada invasion bound for parts of the eastern US in the summer of 2020 inspired a series of works by the Anderson Design Group that use vintage charm to commemorate such an unusual event.

pink, orange, green, blue, color, shapes
yellow, pink, red, blue, color, shapes
color, shapes
Posters Blumoo is a graphic designer from Lima, Peru with a modern-retro psychedelic style, who designs based on music, life, and other experiments.

That said, we can see how these significant events have affected our world and design trends beyond expectation.

As a global community, we have taken to fixing issues ourselves. Creatively, we have become more inclusive and are thinking more out of the box than ever before.

Noëlla Bible
Noëlla Bible

Art Director, DoubleShot Creative

Categories: Design
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