Trends always have a beginning, whether by way of designers creating something new or clients demanding something new. Graphic design, fashion design, music are all influenced by the modern world. No matter which country the design originates, all design seems to be somewhat influenced by the current trends of visual communication and of course, technology.

Some designers may disagree that they are influenced by surrounding trends and insist on the originality of their work based on pure concept-but as Wim Crouwel, dutch graphic designer, type designer, and typographer says “you are always a child of your time, you can not step out of that!”.

Places like Trend List, explores and tries to identify the rise of different graphic design trends from all over the world.

That doesn’t mean that the newest trends should always be followed to a “T". Your design should always be solving a problem. What solves a problem today or for one particular client may not work 10 years from now, or even tomorrow. Take Coca-Cola or Pepsi for example. Pepsi, while constantly updating, keeps enough branding elements around to maintain familiarity. Coca-Cola on the other hand has kept its word mark relatively the same for over a 100 years. Both companies are successful to say the least.

If you are going to manage a trendy brand then yes stick to the latest trends, which means you will constantly be updating. Always be aware of why you are doing what you are doing and who your audience is. Figure out why the most current design trends work for certain companies and if that applies to your branding. The key is to take certain popular elements and create your own spin to make it work for your client or project.