Graphics trends

Redefining our notion of printed paper, a new material takes our experience of it from one sense to two. The interactive sound feature makes musical greeting cards look antiquated, while another app turns a piece of paper into a synthesizer. Another promising alternative to paper is thin, flexible film allowing for moving images. Who knew J.K Rowling would prove prophetic in her creation of "The Daily Prophet"? Yet technology isn't the only way to rethink paper. Creative artists can still find do extraordinary things with ordinary paper, like the 3D paper-craft horse posters that promoted a new band throughout London.

SketchSynth from Billy Keyes on Vimeo.

Think outside the paper box (sorry, we couldn't resist) for in-store graphics.

If you thought interactive paper was innovative, try systems that enable anything to be a surface. This video shows interaction with a smart phone image projected onto any computer display screen. Others allow for interactivity with images projected onto everyday objects or even onto the user's hand. And then there are the projected images that aren't meant to be interactive but draw attention and reinforce branding, such as the projected Hormeta logo.

When speccing materials, consider how you might want to use surface areas for projected brand messaging.

In a society rapidly moving toward whole-brain, story-oriented thinking, infographics are popping up everywhere. A.R.E. uses them to show proprietary research results. News organizations use them to convey quick facts at a glance. Technosexuals use them to present visual profiles. Charities use them to appeal to donors. Deceptively simple-looking at times, they require strategic visual thinking. Today, infographics can be made interactive online, or turned into promotional videos like WD Partners' 2030 Challenge video or this one on, well, infographics.

Translate one into digital signage content that tells the story of your brand or promotes its values.

		Mind the Map: Inspiring Art, Design and Cartography Through October 28, 2012 London Transport Museum An exhibition of geographical, diagrammatic and decorative London transport maps explores their influence on cartography, art and imagination as well as how we navigate and engage with our surroundings.
		LomoWall Through January 2013 Museum of London A mosaic formed from thousands of analog photos from amateur photographers depicts views of London in its Olympic year.

Selected to capture attention, provide texture, and create moods, typefaces go in and out of style. Witness the rise — and modern ridicule — of Comic Sans. As with fashion, though, they have their classics, like the 55-year-old Helvetica, whose staying power inspired a feature film. Nostalgia proved a major trend in this year's Communication Arts typography competition winners like Parachute's Regal Pro. In contrast is the jarring font created for the 2012 Olympics. This year's web typography trends include larger fonts and slab serif fonts.

Consider your brand's type as designers discuss typography in this 2011 PBS video. What do you want your font to convey?

Technology enables consumers to personalize more than just products. They can create their own brand messages by incorporating existing signage in ways you might not have imagined, and take it with them as unwitting brand ambassadors. Sealy's clever InBed mobile tagger app lets consumers build graphics on their phones. While allowing for individual expression, the app is a constant, often humorous reminder of the brand.

Appeal to shoppers' desire to create with your own tongue-in-cheek app. Be prepared to laugh at your brand to enhance its recognition.