The trends are based on the performance of content in Canva’s library over the past  year and the search trends among its global user base of 170-million users worldwide, combined with  insights from Canva’s in-house design team. 

Here are the top five design trends for 2024 according to Canva

  
Pixelation
With roots in tech aesthetics, pixelation is all about precise yet playful expression.  This graphic design trend draws on classic 8-bit video games and computer animations to evoke comfort and nostalgia. Grids, blocky fonts and pixel art fit perfectly with this trend. Pixel art takes its cues from non-digital art forms like cross-stitching, beadwork and mosaics.

179% increase in popularity as a trend on Canva this year

Flow and Form
Flow and form is an ideal combination of geometric and organic shapes. Simple,  expressive and abstract, this trend is all about a professional, yet lively vibe. You will see it in  playful blob art or flowing shapes in murals and youthful brands looking to capture hearts and  change minds. Perfect shapes like circles, squares and triangles don’t exist in nature. Is that why organic shapes are so pleasing to the eye?

27% increase in popularity for this trend on Canva

Motion Collage
Nothing captivates an audience like movement, and this trend is the epitome of  attention-grabbing. The motion collage trend takes its cues from zine culture, handmade  scrapbooks and photo collages to create intricate, shifting vistas. This delicate dance of design  will show up in video displays everywhere in 2024. Moving graphics have their roots in the 1800s. Experimental animations and manual technology like the zoetrope and flip books preceded modern animation.

249% increase on searches for cut out and scrapbook

Surrealism
Inspired by the 20th century art movement, surrealism is back to challenge how you  see the world. Fantasy art, ethereal designs and weird, subconscious connections are at the core  of this trend. Get ready to escape the real world and imagine a new one with surreal scenes. Surrealism developed in the 20th century as artists tried to make sense of an increasingly complex world.

140% increase in searches for dreamy
80% increase in searches for fantasy
60% increase in searches for ethereal

The Bold Rebrand
Bold branding is back in 2024. Think vivid, fluorescent color schemes and  rounded sans serif fonts. Organizations looking for generational change will draw on this trend  to channel positivity, fun and optimism. Bold choices might be seen as risky, but a big payoff is  always worth a shot. Bold is back but it’s nothing new. This trend owes a lot to flashy 20th century art movements, including  pop art, art deco and 80s advertising.

32000% explosion in search terms lively and vivid