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James Ashe, Managing Partner
Duotone Design Takes the Digital Centre Stage
Duotone styles are already grabbing the spotlight when it comes to this year’s design trends – but is it the right look for your business?
What is it?
Duotone has become a bit of a catch-all phrase for design that uses colour filters, gradients or greyscale, and is usually paired with photography when used on a website. Although it’s nothing new, the style became increasingly popular throughout 2016, and it looks like the demand for duotone designs isn’t slowing down any time soon. Even Facebook is jumping in on the act by letting users choose gradient backgrounds for their text posts.
Who’s using it?
Duotone is one of the hottest design trends at the moment, so as you can imagine, practically everyone. Mailchimp were one of the first last year to employ the technique with their yearly review, but Spotify also used it in their ‘Year in Music’ campaign, and Adidas chose to style their football website with duotone photography.
Should I use duotone?
Duotone allows you to add a generous splash of colour to predominately photo-led webpages, and can stop your website from feeling too cold and flat. While there are some subtle examples, most duotone designs are bold and brash – often ideal for modern brands who want to make a statement. As with any design choice, it depends on your brand and the message that you want to put out there, so an entire website might not be for you. However, for one-off social campaigns or adverts, duotone offers an eye-catching alternative, and one that is sure to stand out from the crowd.
Desperate for more design knowledge? Check out these blogs:
- A few more of our top web design trends for 2017
- Bringing the Home Nations to life
- Celebrating Christmas in style with The Old Stocks Inn
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