The Vintage Revival stemmed from a series of themed events that was promoted with vintage design elements. The month of events ranged from retreats to fitness to barbecues. It was important that the events were obviously a part of the same effort, but also catered to the individuality of the events.
Why has vintage design become so popular? What elements should be considered when designing for a vintage theme? How difficult is it to make something vintage, but feel modern as well? What vintage trends should I consider including? These were questions I took into account before putting the designs together.
Based on my research, this is what I found:
Badges and Circles
The badge concept lies at the very heart of most vintage designs. Designers typically shoot for a nice, simple shape that can be stamped anywhere and on anything. Circles are by far the most popular shape for these badges, but you’ll also find plenty of hexagons, shields and diamonds.
Handrawn Vibes
The hipster movement embraces all things handmade, therefore vintage designs have a sketchy or hand drawn look that fits really well into this aesthetic. The artistic talent in this category is really impressive. Though vintage collections tend to be quite masculine in appearance, so it’s nice to see designs that push back just a bit on this trend and add complex floral arrangements and beautiful, muted colors.
Industrialesque
As we look back at early to mid 20th century design, we see simple designs without gradients, feathered shadows, or three-dimensional renders, but they still make bold visual statements. The main icons that are used are hammers, axes, wrenches, and factories. Our tech savvy generation is drawn to visuals that remind us of the industrial revolution.
Featuring Nature
A lot of vintage design treatments feature animals like deer, moose, elk, etc. If it has antlers, it’s in. This lends to the overall outdoorsy trend in vintage designs (featuring mountains, trees, tents, etc.). Also, nautical themes are extremely popular, such as anchors, fish, and ropes.
A PhotoLogo
When we look back at how vintage logos were displayed ten years ago, we would typically see a solid background or maybe a gradient. The bright, colorful and complex Internet logos of the time looked too busy for anything else. In today’s age of design, our monotone, hipster logos are very simple. But look fantastic when simply overlaid on top of a great photograph.
Simple Line Art
Design trends change how we create vintage graphics. Now that flat design is trending, vintage design often feature thin lines and simplified illustrations.
With all of this in mind, I developed a series of promotional fliers that consistently represented the theme, while appealing to the modern eye. Vintage design trends are continuously developing. Take inspiration from different designs, color choices and create something beautiful.
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