Flat designs or realistic ones, cool colors, classic designs, and more… all these terms reflect the trends designers follow in their work. Who leads these trends? Who initiates their use? Who refines and spreads them among designers, startups, or content leaders? Who is considered the leader in all these fields and design philosophies?
A Simple Definition of Modern Trends:
Modern trends “in design specifically” are the new methods that serve as rules or guidelines that designers innovate and work according to. For example, when Apple introduced the iOS system and its icon style, the trend of creating “realistic” icons inspired by Apple’s icons became a trend in itself. It even became a standalone profession for some designers, surpassing the specific phase confined to Apple’s applications, to become a standalone working style. The same applies to Microsoft’s Metro interface, for instance. This idea is what we call a trend.
Companies in Category A, Startups, and Designers:
To understand who leads modern trends, let’s name the big companies like “Google, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook… and others” as Category A companies, and let’s name startups or famous websites like “Envato, Mailchimps, Smashing” as Category B. Finally, let’s categorize designers, developers, or creative content leaders under Category C.
So, is Category A behind modern trends?
Category A companies do not directly lead modern trends, but they play a role in every modern design direction. They might be the ones who initiate the idea: some ideas are started by these large Category A companies, which create a small gateway for those lines, then stop at a certain point, allowing the idea to become a standalone trend for designers and startups. Afterward, Category B companies work on completing the idea and trend, and then designers in Category C work on developing it and innovating symbols and details related to that trend, before Category A companies return to complete what those new lines have reached.
What About Startups – Category B?
In reality, startups do not play a major role in modern trends. They always occupy a middle ground between the big companies that either create or develop the idea or trend, and the designers and amateurs who either complete or innovate and create the trend. Therefore, they work on strengthening, solidifying, or ending the trend.
So, Are Designers and Developers – Category C the Leaders?
Yes, indeed. Designers and developers, or those in Category C, are the ones who strengthen new trends or even innovate entirely new trends in design. For instance, the flat design trend, which has recently gained significant attention due to Apple, but its actual “indirect” beginnings were through Google and its simple presentation style. Then, creative designers in Category C rushed to create models, ideas, and designs derived from this style, resulting in brilliant ideas that led Google to directly or indirectly reformulate the style or complete and develop it through its social network, or via its peripheral applications and updates. Then Microsoft came with its impressive Metro interface and refined this trend in a new and different way. After that, some startups in Category B started implementing similar ideas and applying that trend in their work. Recently, Apple attempted to reformulate this concept.
The Power of Design Communities in Leading Trends:
For example, Dribbble is a platform for professional designers, where some designers compete to showcase their work in a striking way, while others aim to lead and develop trends and create conceptual ideas. Some of these ideas might just be an exercise in showing off, while others aim to draw attention to modern trends or strengthen them. Some designers have secured fantastic job opportunities at big or startup companies simply because one of their ideas caught the attention of a company.
This is the true power of sites like Dribbble or Behance, and others. They are not just communities for designers; they are a beacon for some companies. We’re not saying their purpose is to steal and implement ideas, but they are a community representing one of the most important segments in design. They are, in a way, a kind of opinion poll. Companies that respect themselves use these communities as a means to strengthen their working style, develop their creativity, learn from mistakes, or take advantage of trends that are developed or innovated by the pioneers of Category C communities.
This is the core of modern design fields and the real power of Category C, the category that truly leads modern trends.