The State of Graphic Design: Trends Driving Industry Innovation

Before diving into the top agencies shaping aesthetics and visual culture today, let’s look at a few statistics around the graphic design field:

• $16 billion global industry
• 4% average annual growth
• 75% of companies rely on graphic design for marketing
• Top services in demand include web, UI/UX, video, AR

As technology reshapes possibilities, graphic design specialty areas are exploding. Skills once considered niche like motion graphics, 3D modeling and game design have become core competencies at leading agencies.

What’s driving visual styles forward today? Borrowing from past eras continues leading to reemergence of retro fonts, neon accents and hand-drawn illustration. Maximalism makes a comeback with bold personality. Custom typeface creation helps brands stand out.

Data visualization goes mainstream while interactive graphics engage. As social and environmental consciousness grows, purpose-driven work takes spotlight. Read on for the agencies mastering these trends through groundbreaking campaigns.

1. Wolff Olins – History of Bold Transformation

Founded: 1965 by designer Michael Wolff
Locations: London, New York, San Francisco, Dubai
Employees: 150+
Services: Branding, Print Design, Packaging, Experiential

This avant garde studio knows any brand, no matter how established, can benefit from reinventing their aesthetic. Wolff Olins isn’t afraid to spark controversy by reimagining icons like AOL and London’s 2012 Olympics. Other legacy names like GE and USA Today have tapped them seeking an infusion of energy through smarter branding. Boston-based Grubhub underwent a playful rebrand by Wolff Olins including a giggly gradient logo conveying the joy of takeout.

Their CEO Sairah Ashman encourages risk-taking, describing their culture as “positively provocative.” Designers have a say in organizational policies and social efforts. Wolff Olins is certified as a B Corporation for high ethics and environmental sustainability. While aesthetics shift across eras, their vision challenges clients to stay relevant.

Notable Projects

• Uber – early visual identity and app design
• Apple – branding for groundbreaking accessibility features
• Skype – original logo and brand identity

Recognition

• Cannes Lions Grand Prix (3)
• D&AD Impact White Pencil

2. Collins: Strategy Fueled by Creativity

Founded: 2008 by Brian Collins
Locations: New York City, San Francisco, London
Employees: 65
Services: Branding & Identity, Advertising, Environmental Design

Led by industry icon Brian Collins, this agency takes a creative yet commercial approach to rising brands. That rare balance of strategic vision and stunning visuals has attracted Silicon Valley tech giants and legacy corporations alike. Collins’ early involvement launching beloved startup brands like Airbnb, Spotify, and J.Crew shaped their design DNA as they grew mainstream. The agency continues blending emotion and cultural awareness into work for Instagram, Apple and Etsy.

They describe their process as “finding the soul in data.” Quantitative and qualitative research underpins bold aesthetics. Collins has ventured into industrial design including a suite of COVID-era furniture focused on flexibility. A few signature moves that keep their branding fresh? Bright gradients, overlapping transparent color blocks and sweeping custom typefaces.

Notable Projects

• COACH – brand transformation and retail design
• Adobe – 20th anniversary campaign “Make Things Better”
• Girl Scouts of America – modern repositioning

Recognition

• Cannes Lions Grand Prix
• Fast Company “Most Innovative Companies”
• Emmys for Production Design

3. Happy Cog: Digital Pioneers

Founded: 1999 by web design legend Jeffrey Zeldman
Locations: Philadelphia and New York City
Employees: Varied sizes of project teams
Services: Website Design, UX/UI, Accessibility, Publishing

Launched by author and publisher Jeffrey Zeldman, a pioneer of web standards, Happy Cog keeps pushing digital experiences forward. Zeldman’s teams design sites focused on usability and inclusion from the ground up. Their Philadelphia studio culture celebrates neurodiversity.

Happy Cog partnered with huge entertainment names like HBO, Comedy Central and MTV to create immersive, playful websites timed with hit shows. Interactive tools, clever animations and irresistible calls to action get fans engaged. Art direction stays consistent with each brand’s personality thanks to pattern libraries and shared components.

Notable Projects

• Papa John‘s – Full website rebuild and rebranding
• Random House – Audiobook sample tool for social sharing
• Comedy Central – Video hub, newsletters and merchandise

Recognition

• Webby Awards
• W3 Awards
• Communicator Awards

4. HMG Creative: Local Player, National Impact

Founded: 2003 by Joshua Graham
Locations: Austin, Texas + Georgia, Virginia
Employees: 14 Specialists
Services: Branding, Print Design, Film/Video Production

While this agency may not have the brand recognition of international shops, theircampaigns for major local companies have touched millions. As Austin boomed into a cosmopolitan hub, HMG Creative partnered with large institutions putting the city on the map. Their website design, video and event production works capture “Keep Austin Weird” vibes while conveying prestige.

HMG‘s ongoing relationship with IKEA led to playful Drive-Thru and VR Experience events that earned nationwide press. Showcasing this beloved, quirky brand aligned perfectly with founder Josh Graham’s experimental nature. They take similar creative risks for museums, orchestras and parks. This locally-rooted agency proves small teams can produce big ideas through fearless regional work.

Notable Projects

• Austin Parks Dept – “Find Your Park” campaign
• Thinkery Children’s Museum – Exhibit design
• SXSW Conference – Interactive installation

Recognition

• American Advertising Awards
• Communicator Awards
• Telly Awards

Industry Spread

Client Analysis

Wolff Olins – Legacy brands seeking revitalized identity
COLLINS – Startups and commercial giants demanding bold aesthetics + strategy
Happy Cog – Media and entertainment companies needing digital engagement
HMG – Local nonprofits, cultural institutions and businesses

Budget Comparison

7. Sagmeister & Walsh: Edgy Cool for Cultural Brands

Founded: 2012 by legendary designer Stefan Sagmeister + Jessica Walsh
Locations: New York City (Union Square)
Employees: 35+ Designers
Services: Branding & Identity, Packaging, Retail Design, Events

Following icon Stefan Sagmeister’s 2008 sabbatical after feeling creatively “burned out,” this new firm with creative director Jessica Walsh marks an invigorated era. Infusing culture and causes into branding, Sagmeister & Walsh lures adventurous art institutions, musicians and retailers.

Punk rock edge meets elegant minimalism with random splashes of neon colors. Client Goop’s retail spaces and branded products exude an intoxicating expressive energy fitting their wellness/lifestyle ethos. For the Jewish Museum’s David exhibition identity, Sagmeister & Walsh built a custom “Star of David” typographic logo echoing themes of unity and diversity.

Notable Projects

• The Rolling Stones – Graphic direction for global touring
• Hermès – Artful product packaging
• Jay Z – Album design and merch

Recognition

• Grammy Nomination for Best Recording Package
• Type Directors Club Awards

The Creative Ethos

“I take the same amount of care, love, detail and craft in treating a coffee branding project with two locations as I would art directing a huge campaign for Nike.” – Jessica Walsh, Creative Director

12. House Industries: Vintage Typography Revived

Founded: 1993 by Andy Cruz and Rich Roat
Locations: Yorklyn, Delaware
Employees: 25 Artists & Designers
Services: Graphic Design, Letterpress, Product Design

Obsessed with vintage design across decades, this studio’s extensive digital typeface repertoire includes tributes to styles from the 30s to the 70s. Their instantly recognizable letterforms grace products for modern brands from Hermes to the New Yorker seeking that retro allure.

Equally adept at ornate calligraphy and clean Swiss inspiration, House Industries sets the tone for throwback trends. Beyond fonts, the company produces colorful calendars, ceramics, books and more from their small Delaware HQ. Their first fonts were famously inspired by lettering spotted on a secondhand album cover at a thrift store.

Notable Projects

• Mr. Porter – Online mag and e-commerce art direction
• Chrysler -Vehicle brochures and ads
• Herman Miller – Custom graphic installation

Recognition

• Cooper Hewitt National Design Award

“We celebrate the humanity and life behind type and lettering. Perfection isn‘t the goal.” – House Industries Founder Andy Cruz

14. Basic Agency – Barcelona Boutique Powerhouse

Founded: 2004 by Clara Navarro (CEO) + Martí Mora (Creative Director)
Locations: Barcelona, Spain
Employees: 9 Specialists
Services: Branding & Identity, Packaging, Typography, Art Direction

This boutique studio punches above its weight in influence through world-class typography and composition. Basic Agency counts Spanish fashion brand Desigual and global bank BBVA among past clients. Budget hospitality chain room007 got a playful logo redo.

Founders Clara Navarro and Martí Mora incorporate inspiration from Bauhaus, vintage signage, and Swiss design but execute through a contemporary lens. Bold color, arresting geometry and witty visual metaphors dominate their branding projects.

The duo credit the brand transformation for national department store El Corte Inglés as their career highlight to-date, building an entirely new identity system across websites, shopping bags, print ads and more. Media accolades praise their concepts as deeply strategic yet fresh.

Notable Projects

• Desigual – Brand identity, campaigns and collaboration lines
• Room007 Hotels – Branding, interiors, app and website
• BBVA bank – Integrated rebranding and collateral

Industry Impact

“We create essential yet surprising visual communication that helps brands stand out and connect on a human level.” – Creative Director Martí Mora

We’ve explored a sample of pioneering agencies at the top of their game today. As technology and creative mediums continue advancing, which graphic design skillsets and roles will be most in-demand looking forward?

UI/UX Design
As companies pour resources into digital experiences, UI and UX designers will be imperative to crafting online interactions that convert and delight.

AR/VR Design
Designer roles focused on augmented and virtual reality will skyrocket. Spatial design principles will apply to 3D environments.

Advanced Motion Graphics
Top-notch animation and motion graphics skills will be expected for digital campaigns, especially video.

Information Design
Making data beautiful and easy to understand through charts, diagrams, maps and illustrations.

Environmental and Spatial Graphics
Designing signage systems, museum interactives, branded physical spaces.

Of course the core tenets of graphic design – typography, composition, color theory – will always remain relevant. Though the mediums are shifting, the visionary agencies leading the way prove with big dreams, boldness and smart adaptation, exciting transformations lie ahead!