Mixomorphism
All Abord!
For quite a while now, a new ‘trend train’ carriage has been appearing on the tracks.
More people are hopping on board. From a graphic/digital design standpoint in 2024/25 we’ve seen the decline in flat design, a new bursting forward of creativity and the new carriage on the trend train I have personally called Mixomorphism. Here’s the five previous carriages on the train.
Train Carriages
Skeuomorphism design, steam punk style
Flat Design, minimal flat colours
Neumorphism style, using light and shadows
Neubrutalism style, outlines and bold colours
Glassmorphism style, made of layers of glass.
From a stylistic standpoint there’s been a resrugence of retro. But that is met with the train carriages stated above.
I have always been a fan of a few things, retro, fantasy and design just a few. I do like other worlds where different things can happen, the past shows us that and design can enforce it.
I watch Marvel’s MCU and loved the Loki TVA design in the TV series Loki. In fact - the Loki series is an absolutely stunning show in so many ways. There’s loads of content online about the ingredients that came together to make one of the best-looking shows or even movies that Marvel have ever done. Now seeing H.E.R.B.I.E. in the retro modern Fantastic Four movie, it’s a definite trend - compare H.E.R.B.I.E to the T3 Radio in the Rams - Official Trailer, heaps of amazing minimal design by Dieter Rams.
Dieter Rams classic 1950s designs for Braun:
Loki and the TVA - Out of time design:
H.E.R.B.I.E. from 2025s Fantastic Four:
Watch Dieter Rams below in more detail:
Now - let’s go from the 1950s & 60s to 2025 - Check out the Nothing Headphone just released June/July 2025.
There we have it, graphic design is becoming product design and product design is becoming graphic design.
By ‘product’ I don’t mean digital, as that I would class as graphic design for digital - it’s more physical products, not digital products. But actually, these real-world touchable devices are being inspired by and inspiring the digital product design space along with graphic and vice versa, round and round we go.
The mixture of all styles, MIXOMORPHISM!
This one image captured from the Nothing video sums a lot up. I have the Josef Muller Brockmann book pictured on the top right, the unmistakable Grid Systems in Graphic Design. This is classic Swiss + German design from 1981 is based on decades of grid based design that was used in print publications, posters and events.
The image is dripping design aesthetics. And it’s all the values that make up Mixomorphism.
