It was a time of rapid technological advancement and cultural shifts, which heavily influenced the visual language of the period. Let’s explore the key of 1980s graphic design trends that emerged in these years, each contributing to the unique and dynamic design landscape of the decade. The movie poster for the 1988 film License to drive is an excellent example of the neon noir style, with its fonts with partial script in neon colors. It is a perfect example of the Neon noir aesthetic, with its dark background creating a bold contrast against the neon colors.
Center for the Study of Political Graphics
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PageMaker was introduced in the mid-80s, making it Adobe’s very first desktop publishing software. This was a whole new way for designers to experiment with layouts, move images, and set type. In typography, the 80s is known for its use of bold and expressive letterforms. Contemporary designers often experiment with similar typographic styles, utilizing chunky fonts and exaggerated shapes to create impact and visual interest.
Unique Layouts and Compositions
Additionally, artistic movements such as postmodernism and the Memphis Group, known for their bold and unconventional designs, influenced the aesthetics of the 80s. One of the key aspects of 80s graphic design was the use of distinct typography and 80’s fonts. Designers embraced bold and dynamic typefaces, often incorporating neon colors, exaggerated letterforms, and unconventional layouts. These fonts were an integral part of the overall visual language of the 80s, capturing the energetic and rebellious spirit of the decade. The popularity of arcade games, music videos, and pop culture influenced the creation of unique typefaces that are now synonymous with the 80s aesthetic. One prominent aesthetic is the “neon” aesthetic, characterized by its use of vibrant and electric colors, often in combination with black backgrounds.
Movie Posters and Cinematic Aesthetics
Slogans such as “be bold and fashionable” and “Dare to be more” replaced sexist and misogynist taglines such as “Don’t burn dinner.” Moreover, this decade was the height of Michael Jackson’s career. Poster designs for his albums and concerts were colorful and used simple texts. As innocuous as it might seem, the classic neon grid incorporates so much about the political climate of the 80s.
Retro Synth Tunnel Background
Scripted fonts are often shown in movie posters, written in a bright, electrifying color, often against a darker background, and this ultimately became a staple in 80s graphic design. Again, similar to the example of the retro deco style, neon noir is yet another retro style of a film genre from the 1940s and 1950s – Film Noir, which were dark and gloomy. The 80s aesthetics, with its neon and poshy attributes managed to brighten it up notably. The pixelated graphics of early video games inspired designers to incorporate pixel art and geometric shapes into their work.
Fashion magazines, such as Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, featured innovative editorial layouts that pushed the boundaries of design. Art direction played a crucial role in creating visually striking spreads that combined fashion photography, typography, and graphic elements. These publications became a source of inspiration for graphic designers and helped shape the editorial design trends of the decade.
Digital Style
The first home console was created in 1972 by Ralph Baer and manufactured by Magnavox. In 1981, the Quantel Paintbox color graphics workstation was also launched; it was the first model equipped with a pressure-sensitive tablet. The model was aimed at TV and commercial use, but also professional artists. One of the most well-known uses of Paintbox is the promotional music video from 1986, “money for nothing” by Dire Straits. In the early to mid-80s, the first mass-produced Personal Computers were introduced.
Graphic Design in Music and Album Art
It was the time when graphic designing was itself not known in the market. People related from press or media only knew about this field; hence it was not seen as a field that could prosper in the near future. The neon colors and geometric patterns are still frequently used in mockups and graphic templates. Tron Legacy and Blade Runner 2049 featured the dystopian 80s cyberpunk tech-noir aesthetic of fluorescent neon lights in a modern city contrasted against a dark background.
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These aesthetics showcase the diverse range of visual styles that defined the 80s. Among the notable 80s graphic design trends was the influence of the past. Designers drew inspiration from previous decades, resulting in a fusion of modern and retro elements.
The combination of these colors offer a very unique look to the images, encouraging people to show interest in them at a first glance. From banners to business cards, you can see variety of branding materials still created with these types of retro designs. Their visual design certainly looks very catchy, provided all the best practices are accurately followed in the design process. With the advancement of new tools and technologies, the design industry has taken a huge leap in the last few years. It has offered new ways to create a graphic design, allowing companies to amplify their branding using latest practices. However, after getting all the modern advancements, it has also been seen that the classical vibe of 80s graphic design is still very much popular in the market.
Like so many artistic reactions, it began as an outlet for its creators, a way to rail against and confound elite sensibilities. The result was a style that was revolutionary in its time and whose spirit is a continual source of inspiration to this day. Within his 60-year long career, Erik Nitsche has accomplished a lot of things.
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