You see this style every day… in magazines, on the web, and on TV. This stuff is made by some extremely talented and gifted artists, but I think there is one thing they lack: creativity.

“But Chris,” you might say, “look at all the swirls and colors and flashes!” That’s exactly my point. They all look the same. Granted, it is some amazing work, something I could only dream of creating, but it’s becoming overdone. For example, the two images here were designed by two different artists. They’re beautiful designs, especially the way the graphic elements flow with the photographic. But there doesn’t seem to be any individual style; you’d probably think the same guy designed both of these if I didn’t tell you different.

The style makes for some amazing visuals, especially when animated. The motion graphics using this stuff is beautiful. But I think it needs to be used in moderation, like any good thing. Otherwise, we’ll stop seeing the talent behind the design.

Twenty years from now, they’ll have a name for this era in design and some art student in college will learn about it. I hope this doesn’t become the “Age of the Swirls”. I think some of these extremely talented artist should take a hint from the graphic design masters like Paul Rand: sometimes, subtlety is key.

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