Swirls Are Dead, Long Live New Retro!
Its a secret no more. Swirls are dead and New Retro is stepping up to take its place on the throne. Swirls, filigree, vines, twirls, swishes - all are on the way out. Don't be sad, its a natural process that all design trends, heck, all industry trends go through. Fashion, film, the economy and more are all affected by trends. It just so happens that design is now on the verge of its own "changing of the guard" as it were.
Although a few artists like Scott Hanson (ISO50) have been working with this style for awhile, it is now starting to overshadow everything else as the new dominate trend. The design blogs are headlining the change as tutorials and illustrations are now reflecting the new retro trend. The Behance Network is overflowing with new work from artists embracing new retro, like James White. PSDTUTS also recently published one of the first new retro tutorials.
What's different about New Retro from past trends is that its is very heavily influenced by the 1980s and early 90s. It makes perfect sense. This new generation of designers is finding their voice, the 20-somethings who grew up in the 80s. Along with Ninja Turtles and He-Man, the 80s were defined by bright neons, clunky typography and random geometric shapes. Design is influenced by our surroundings, so it only makes sense that designers are pulling from their past, bringing back the best things from the 80s. All good things come come back around.
Swirls had a good run. I look back with fond memories but for now, all hail New Retro!
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