Where has design taken us in 2019?

As you prepare to embrace a new year, take a look at the top trends that emerged over the past 12 months. By exploring the most searched for and loved items of the year from Envato Market, we've uncovered insights that may help inform your work in 2020.

Dive in now or keep scrolling to get a taste of the trends.

Visual Trend | Isometric Design

A beautiful blend of flat and 3D, isometric design takes complex visual information and makes it less confusing. Isometric graphics and WordPress themes were among the most popular items this year. Browse some of our favorites now. 

Rad Isometric Designs:
• Isometric Illustration 3D Generator (pictured)
• Isometric PowerPoint Presentation
• Modern Isometric Design Concepts
• Isometric Startup WordPress Theme

Visual Trend | Comic Style

Kapow! Comic book typefaces, speech bubbles, and cartoon strips have  added a visual sense of fun and lightheartedness to graphics, photos, and video this year. The quirky style translates to sound, too.

Trending Comic Creations:
• YouTuber Pack - Comic Edition for FCP (pictured)
• Comic Cards for After Effects
• Comic Book Photoshop Creator
• Vintage Comic Text Effects

Theme Trend | Podcasts

Listen up: people love podcasts. Not only is the sector booming—podcast mobile app usage has risen 60% since January 2018—it was our highest trending cross-category search term this year. In 2019, we’ve been tuning into podcast-themed web templates and code for audio apps & web players.

Popular Podcast Templates:
• Castilo | Audio Podcast WordPress Theme (pictured)
• Megaphone Podcast WordPress Theme (Staff Pick 2019)
• Podcaster Multimedia WordPress Theme
• WavePlayer | WordPress Audio Player 

Audio Trend | Epic & Orchestral

In 2019, users turned up the search volume on epic and orchestral tracks by authors like Vuorinen. Other genres hitting high notes in audio included pop, stomp percussion, and drum and bass, while we’ve also seen growing demand for ethnic music—from Africa-inspired tracks to traditional Turkish instrumental pieces.

Sounds on the Rise:
• Uplifting Epic Cinematic (pictured)
• This is Summer Pop
• Stomp Intro
• The Africa

Code Trend | Chatbots & Virtual Assistants

With Siri and Alexa now household names, seemingly everyone has a question for these virtual assistants. Chatbots, meanwhile, help a brand communicate with potential buyers with automated replies and quick responses—boosting customer satisfaction levels in the process. Expect chatbots to continue to dominate the conversation in 2020.

Understated Type Templates:
• Power Chatbot | Auto Attendant (pictured)
• XeroChat | Multichannel Marketing Application (Top Seller)
• Whatsapp Chat Support

Web Trend | Illustration

Google’s homepage is a celebration of illustration, Asana and Slack use sketches to introduce their services, while Shopify and Dropbox are all about the doodle. It’s clear: big brands love ‘hand-drawn’ digital designs. This year, ‘illustration’ has been a high-volume search term on ThemeForest, with template and theme authors tapping into this ever-evolving trend.

Impressive Illustrative Themes:
• Marée | Illustration & Design Portfolio Theme
• Bryson Illustration & Design Theme
• Cryptorica | ICO & Cryptocurrency Template

The Trends Don't End Here...

Browse the full trend review for 2019 now.