Trending Trends

Best of...

As one year turns into the next, trend watchers often share their finds of what to expect in the new year. This is the case in art and craft as much as in every other industry. Here is a summary of predictions from online trend spotters from a number of different industries, many of which are likely to be reflected in art and craft as well.

1. Mixed Media is Hot. In our online art and craft community, mixed media has been a hot trend for a number of years now. There has been a huge shift in the craft industry in the last several years away from traditional scrapbooking toward mixed media. This has been evident at the last few Association of Creative Industries (AFCI) annual trade shows and I expect it to be true in the upcoming January show as well. But...mixed media has crossed into other industries as well. 

---Fifteen Design includes mixed media as one of its visual design trends for 2018.

---RVD Media Group says mixed media will have "its most splendid moment" in 2018.

---WHO WHAT WEAR highlights the mixed media trend in fashion.

---Benicia Magazine echos this trend of mixed media in fashion, characterizing it as aligned with the "Art"-ivist woman, a boundary pusher who is both artist and activist.

---Yellow Creative is even calling for mixed media content in website design trends in 2018.

2. Type is King. Lettering and typography, already a big trend, gets bigger.   

---Kelly Elko references the Doneger Group who predicts the use of lettering and type in china and glassware.

---Complex, hand drawn and bespoke type are trends to be according to Fifteen Design.

---The popularity of lettering on home goods, such as pillows, was also referred to by Natalie Way.

---Design Hill lists among the trends in typography and logo design for 2018 bright colors, bold fonts, increasingly creative type, hand drawn and broken typography.

3. Metallics are Mighty. Iridescent and metallic surfaces and colors are hot and getting hotter.

---Elle Decor references Leatrice Eiseman who speaks to the trend of metallic and iridescent colors and says they have become neutrals in home design. 

---Both Refinery 29 and Elite Daily talk about the unexpected trend of metallics in hair color.

---Rachel Hosie lists metallics as one of the 6 big trends expected in interior design in 2018.

4. Bold Colors are In. Across the board, bold, bright and intense colors are predicted to be popular. 

---Realtor.com shares Pantone's prediction that intense colors, reflective of our lifestyle today, will be big in home design.

---Fifteen Design feels that web design will move away from pastel colors toward bright colors that are "stronger and rebellious."

---Creativeworld predicts that intensive shades such as magenta, yellow, cyan, orange-red, azure, violet and emerald will play the leading role in color.

---Top Drawer shares that Farrow and Ball predicts the popularity of strong and powerful colors.

---WebCreate.me highlights the trend of bright, contrasting and vivid colors.