Graphic design is one of the elephants effective marketing stands on. Successful graphic design helps you communicate your messages, connect with your audience, and leave a lasting impression. But what is an example of a graphic design that deserves your particular attention?

Trends in graphic design change over time, and knowing what might work for your company requires getting familiar with the best examples on the market. As a design agency, we always keep our nose in the wind. We've picked 25 great graphic design examples for you. From industry leaders to niche products with great visuals, you'll find all you need for your inspiration. Let's dive in!

Brand design

Branding is the type of design that usually comes as the starting point of visual communication. You have to decide on your brand identity before you can use it on various media. Brand designers help communicate a company's personality, tone, and core messaging, so this work involves a lot of strategizing. Brand design work includes logo design and setting clear guidelines for their use, designing letterhead, icons, and various illustrations, selecting brand colors, and so on.

Other aspects, such as slogan and brand story, count as a part of brand identity. But they are not visual, and marketers (not designers) are responsible for them.

Now, let's take a closer look at a couple of examples of graphic design in branding.

Nike

Nike's iconic Swoosh logo is a masterclass in brand design. It effectively communicates the brand's core values of athleticism, movement, and innovation. The simple yet powerful design is instantly recognizable and works across various applications.

The brand emphasizes its work with the top athletes but also promotes the idea that anyone could be an athlete, and their visuals help them communicate it. Everything is sleek and futuristic yet still friendly and approachable. Photos and ads reinforce this message and work in tandem with the logo.

You don't necessarily need to try to fit the company's name or any other info into your logo. Sometimes, even the most simple sign can work great. Just make sure it emphasizes your message instead of being chosen because it looks unusual.

Lucerne Festival

Lucerne Festival is a classical music festival in Switzerland. It's notable for developing innovative programs and consistently trying to look out for the younger audience. Award-winning bold and colorful brand design is a testament to it.

Pay attention to typography, colors, and layouts. The latter is just as much part of a brand's visual language as anything else. Background of different colors creates the visual blocks which interchange with actual photos, creating a compelling rhythm leading the readers eye. In a way, text is also an image, and that same principle can be applied to web design, packaging and more.

Stereoscope

This brand design is an interesting case because, at first glance, neither the name nor the design corresponds with what usually comes to mind when you think of specialty coffee. But nevertheless, it works. Minimalist, innovative, and sleek, the design wouldn't be out of place for some tech brand. Combined with a more natural logo, it conveys the brand's values of natural simplicity.

Note how the logo, packaging, and printed materials work together with the accompanying photos. The subjects, the composition, and even color correction are used to emphasize the brand's message.

A coffee brand does not necessarily have to come in earthly colors with a rustic vibe. Don't be afraid to experiment and borrow from other industries. Just make sure everything works for your core values and messaging.

OUTCiRCS

A Shanghai-based fashion brand built its identity on deconstructing the late 19th-century typeface. Unusual and rebellious, it conveys exactly the vibe the brand goes for. Of course, whimsical collage illustrations help to strengthen the feeling. Still, do not underestimate the power of original or customized fonts.

The main lesson you should take from this example is that good typography often constitutes the best design. If your designer asks you to pay for a commercial license of a custom typeface or is capable and willing to construct one themselves, it's not because they want to waste your money. Custom typeface will convey your brand values and make it more recognizable than a random Times New Roman.

Orderbuddy

Orderbuddy is an Australia-based integrated system creating an ecosystem between contactless QR-code ordering, point-of-sale transactions, and kitchen display systems. Silver winner of Shanghai Design Awards 2023, it's a fine example of original graphic design for technology companies. Yellow and pink? Not the colors you would necessarily combine when considering online products and services. But they work and convey the youthful and energetic vibe the company was aiming at perfectly. And, which is even more important, they are definitely memorable, whether you see it online or offline on merch.

When it comes to brand identity, the audience remembers colors the most. Just think of it: when you see red and yellow, you'll likely immediately think of McDonalds. The same is true with that specific shade of green of Starbucks. So remember, colors do matter, so choose them wisely.

If your business offers products you can actually buy and touch, or you just want to create merchandise for your online-based services, it's likely at some point you'll also need to deal with packaging design. So, let's move on to it.

Packaging design

Packaging is vital. It allows your product to stand out on a shelf, gets your brand remembered, and often ensures it is easy and pleasant to touch and hold your product. Here, perhaps more than in any other types of graphic design, the technology and aesthetics must go hand in hand.

7up

After seven years, PepciCo decided to refresh the look and feel of its products, 7up included. 7up visuals moved to still trendy flat minimalism. The geometry behind the pseudo-3D form is flexible enough to be used in various combinations across different platforms (including online) while still being recognizable. Distinctive, high-contrast, and bold "up" in red contrasting the three shades of green used otherwise ensures the design doesn't get lost in monochrome and immediately catches the eye.

If your brand identity allows it, do not be afraid to use high-contrast, bold colors. While we usually talk about moving to flat minimalism more in the context of web- and UI design, the same principles also apply to product packaging. So, let your eyes wander, and don't shy away from ideas different niches offer.

Aziz Restaurant

Memorable package branding and design are vital for coffee shops, restaurants, and takeaways. Good packaging markets itself: it might catch someone's eye on accident and introduce a brand you weren't aware of.

The logo here is easily readable and large. The colorful packaging immediately catches the eye, but the colors are muted and carefully chosen to work together, so there's no sense there are too many of them. When many brands lean into monochrome minimalism (nothing wrong with it by itself!), this is an excellent example of standing out without causing a headache.

Essentia Regia

An award-winning packaging designed to stand out for Essentia Regia, an Italy-based alcoholic brand. It is far from minimalist. The label has a lot of things going on, from the modernized and deconstructed marble statue hinting at the ancient beverage recipe the brand tries to revive to flowery and geometric elements to foil lettering. A three-dimensional effect to the designs and more support for gripping the bottle makes the design innovative and the package as practical as it is visually appealing.

You can learn from this that design doesn't necessarily have to be simple and minimalistic to be good. Sometimes, you can go overboard with elements and embellishments. Just make sure it works together.

United Sodas of America

The bold and colorful packaging of United Sodas of America is a graphic design sample of minimalism done right. A white box for a variety pack opens to reveal the bright cans, the colors of which are carefully picked to avoid visual dissonance. And, of course, the elegant white typography is what makes the cans pop.

There's no right or wrong way to go about your packaging. You can include as many details as you want – or none at all. But in the latter case, the color choice should be precise to a shade and typography – to a dot.

BIOHYALUX

When it comes to packaging, technology and materials matter just as much, if not more, as aesthetics. This award-winning minimalist design is definitely pleasant to look at, but it wouldn't stand out just as much if not for the fact the packaging is made out of bagasse. So, it's eco-friendly and recyclable. In the current climate (both literal and figurative), you do not want to add more plastic waste with your packaging. There are lots of ways to reduce waste, from tweaking the forms of the package so there's less plastic to going for recyclable and natural materials.

In any case, materials and usability are something you always need to consider when it comes to packaging design.

And, speaking of usability… there are different types of graphic design where it matters. So let's go there.

Web design

For digital products, the website design is often the customer's first point of contact with your brand. So, it's impossible to overestimate the importance of good design here. Creating icons and buttons, designing web page layouts, creating various interactive design elements on a website, and ensuring that everything is easy and intuitive to use is included in web design.

Dropbox

Dropbox keeps following the latest trends in web design, and this time, it jumped on the bandwagon of animation with the illusion of depth. Animation always catches the eye, but it also has a practical function: it's an easy way to demonstrate the product's functionality from the get-go without wasting time and effort to write instructions or FAQs that hardly anyone will read.

So, if it suits your product and the budget allows, don't be afraid to use animation for your landing page. Keep in mind, however, that building the website around it demands careful attention to cross-device compatibility, as well as increases the risks of longer loading times.

Lacoste

Lacoste's website looks great. It minimalistic and bold, and easy to navigate. However, what makes it stand out (and absolutely charms your humble author) is the pseudo-sewn crocodile logo moving and changing colors as you scroll down.

The lesson to take from this is that everything matters. Don't be afraid to add fun and whimsy touches if they do not interfere with your brand identity and, of course, with usability. If your brand wants to convey a playful and fun tone. Think, for example, of adding a customized icon to indicate the page loading or something similar. Just don't overdo it.

SEOCrawl

Depending on the type of your product, sometimes it's better to focus on functionality and informativity instead of the fancy aesthetics. If you're working in a B2B niche, complicated animations and interactions might not work for your customers. SEOCrawl website, designed by TodayMade, targets SEO specialists, so its primary goal was to convey concisely the product's functionality. Minimalism, clear visual hierarchy, and contrast colors for CTAs and essential bits of text ensure the website is easy to use and bring this business-like feel.

Always adjust your aesthetic according to your business goals and brand identity. If you're not an established brand, focusing visually on the core values you offer, CTA, check-out, and other vital buttons might be a good idea for you.

Figma

Figma brings together minimalism, originality, and purpose. The animation here has all the elements you would see when working in Figma, reinforcing the brand identity and demonstrating from the get-go what you can do with the software. Except for the accent colors, typography stands out the most. The slogan being assembled is easy to read, but the font is still distinctive and recognizable. It's a great example of how to fit a lot of information into simple packaging.

Squarespace

Squarespace is a portfolio website targeting creatives. In terms of animation, Squarespace's homepage is more minimalistic than many other sites aimed at this target audience. However, it's fresh and bold with the card design. And low-opacity masks of different colors highlighting the interactions are an excellent and original touch.

Depending on your niche, going for card design might be a good idea to highlight your goods or services in a bold and visually driven way. So, when choosing the web design style, always ensure it compliments and emphasizes your brand's messaging and you're not choosing something trendy that might not actually work for you.

Now that we've covered the basics, let's take a look at the finer elements of design you should consider.

Illustration

Illustration can work both as a central design element (for example, in books and brochures) and as a supporting one – for example, to mark your progress as you make new achievements in an app (think of Duolingo).

Google Doodles

Doodles appearing on Google's homepage for various holidays and occasions are always eye-catching. There are several lessons to learn from them. First of all, if there are usually no illustrations on your website or on any of your marketing materials, they will definitely stand out when you need to attract attention to your digital design. Second, if you use them sporadically in this way or have an established enough brand identity, don't be afraid to experiment with styles and techniques. Let's be honest, at least in the design community, more people than not are a bit tired of Facebook-inspired flat minimalism. It serves its purpose when you need to focus the customer's attention on other design elements, but if you want to stand out with your illustrations, don't hesitate to ask the designer to do something differently.

And, talking about Facebook…

Facebook

First developed in 2017 as guidelines for Facebook, the style named Alegria, for better or worse, took over the late 10s internet. You've seen this kind of long-limbed, colorful people everywhere. In 2023, ripping off this style is rarely a good idea. But there's a lesson to be learned here. First, well-executed illustration can become an immediately recognizable staple of your brand. Second, if you feel you'll need a lot of illustrations for your marketing materials, it's a good idea to establish strict guidelines from the beginning for different illustrators and designers would to follow them. If mass production is what you need, tying yourself to a distinctive individual style of one artist might not be a viable idea.

The New Yorker

The New Yorker magazine is renowned for its cover illustrations. They are visually striking and convey deep cultural and social commentary, engaging readers on multiple levels. Like Google Doodles, they vary in style, from almost photorealistic detailed masterpieces to satiric comics to minimalism. But above all that, they are always tailored to convey and strengthen the main idea (something you can only achieve if illustrations are custom-made for your brand). And they work with instantly recognizable (partly because of the typography) magazine name and other labels.

Todoist

Todoist is an excellent example of how illustrations in a distinctive style can make the product look great while still obviously playing a secondary role. Here, the illustrations are used to fill in an app's blank space. Still, they are fun and have a distinct visual style that immediately distinguishes them, for example, from the Facebook minimalism we've already talked about. Using brand colors and playing around with textures can help you create a recognizable brand feel for your illustrations.

Kyiv Zoo

Contrary to what most previous best graphic design examples might have made you think, illustration is not always about small-format pictures on the internet or paper. Very distinct watercolor-style illustrations with whimsy typography are used to promote Kyiv Zoo on posters, billboards, and other outdoor marketing materials. These illustrations are united by the same style and technique, which is recognizable, unique, and very distinctive from usually minimalist flat illustrations used by most companies for this type of visual communication.

Two lessons to learn here: sometimes you have to see what the market is doing and do the opposite thing. And, if your niche allows it, look into the trend for returning to handcrafted, traditional illustration in contrast to the ubiquitous vector images.

Finally, let's take a look at design elements that sometimes go unnoticed.

Icons and infographics 

What often feels like less noticeable and more technical elements of design is nevertheless a vital element of visual communication. 

Schweizer Berghilfe

This award-winning set of icons was developed to promote and celebrate the entrepreneurship of the Swiss Alps region. What immediately catches the eye in comparison to a generic icons set you can download in Figma is the imitation of long separate pieces of paper the icons consist of. These icons walk the fine line between imitating the handcrafted feel while still being distinct, readable, and recognizable.

Keep in mind: even the technical elements can still be creative, and handmade or materials imitation is one of the most intuitive and easy ways to achieve this.

Adobe Express

Simple minimalist icons communicate complex commands and operations without making the menu look too cluttered. If you think your product might profit from using icons, make sure they are designed for you or customized. The icons randomly downloaded from the internet will not strengthen your brand identity and, more often than not, will not survive professional scrutiny (for example, their size or line weight might differ from icon to icon, a mistake a professional designer will easily avoid.)

Keep in mind that while icons can and often are used as shorthands, if there are a lot of them or they convey complex meanings, it's better to label them. Maybe not everywhere, but in a place the user can easily check out if they get confused, like in Adobe's menu.

Siemens MyGrowth

MyGrowth is an online, internal learning program from Siemens that helps their workers embrace career-long learning. Its doodle-y icons library is definitely the most distinctive feature of the campaign's visual communication. They are used as icons, illustrations, and as separate elements to tie together various visuals (for example, added to the photo, together with the logo, these doodles are specifically what makes the image recognizable.) 

If you don't want to limit yourself to only one style when it comes to photography and illustration, consider developing a smaller distinctive element that you can use to bring together your brand's visual identity.

Sellzone Infographics

Depending on your niche, infographics might not be used often. Still, they might be a nice touch on your website's blog or in an email. This is an example of a blog infographic that, on the one hand, reiterates the main points of the article. It's easy to memorize them this way. And on the other hand, it uses a fun visual hint at the platform's specialization to make it more distinctive and memorable. If you do use infographics, don't forget to ensure they follow your brand visuals' guidelines.

World Resources Institute's. The Global Carbon Budget Infographic

Old but gold, this infographic often comes up when you search for good examples. This serves as a great reference for when you need to pack a lot of information in an infographic. Distinctive icons and illustrations, clear typography, and visual hierarchy leading the reader's eye from point A to B to C and further are factors that made this infographic stand out. In this case, keeping in line with the brand identity is not as vital as with commercial materials, but the logo, branding, and colors are still consistent with the WRI website.

To sum up

Design is never just about looking good. It's a vital marketing tool and a language your brand will speak to the world. Just as with verbal language you use to talk to your customers on your website, social media, or emails, you need to ensure your design is flawless. If you're looking for efficient ways to boost your visual presence, contact us at TodayMade and get your graphic design done efficiently and for a reasonable price.