Modern Graphic Design | 70 Great Examples

Modern graphic design has underwent a substantial amount of change to reach its present day form. In graphic design, old trends disappear, sometimes as quick as they arrive, and new ideas soon take their place. And so the cycle continues.

That said, modern graphic design takes inspiration from a lot of styles from years gone by. For example, minimalism is still as popular today as it was in its 1960s heyday, but it has taken on new forms.

Focusing on the 21st century, we’ve taken a look at 70 of the best examples of modern graphic design. We examine how their designers were inspired by modern graphic design trends and look at the way they wove these styles into their work.

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The many forms of modern graphic design

Modern graphic design is extremely diverse, and takes many different forms. To reflect this, we’ve segmented our list into five unique categories: posters, business cards, logos, book covers and CD covers.

In each category there are a wide variety of styles, so you’ll get lots of ideas for any type of design that you want to create.

Obama – Hope

Endorsed by Obama himself, the ‘Hope’ poster came to be a symbol of the former U.S. president’s 2008 election campaign.

Artist Shepard Fairey created the design in support of the campaign, and it soon became a viral sensation.

The poster perfectly captured the nation’s appetite for change at the time, with Obama’s skyward gaze encouraging forward thinking and progression.

You can easily re-create the Obama poster effect using this free posterize dPhotoshop action.

This poster features a serious-looking Jesse Eisenberg gazing intently towards the camera in his role as Mark Zuckerberg in 2010’s The Social Network.

The stand out attribute of this poster is the enlarged typography. This is one of the first instances of this design style being used on a movie poster, but many more have followed. It has been imitated in posters for The King’s Speech, Salt, Thor and ironically, The Imitation Game.

The conflicting text, “You don’t get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies”, is both enticing and thought provoking. It makes even a casual viewer want to find out more about the movie.

This beautiful use of negative space in the poster for The Lobster perfectly symbolises the absence of romantic connection in the life of the main character.

In the film, single people are sent away to find love, and if they fail to do so within 45 days, they are turned into animals.

It’s not often that movie posters are allowed this much room to be creative. Typically, critic quotes and credits take up most of the empty space.

All of the posters created for Nicolas Winding Refn’s psychological horror The Neon Demon look amazing, but unfortunately we had to pick just one!

This haunting image of the main character Jesse encapsulates the combination of beauty and terror that the film brings.

The dripping purple design can be interpreted as both blood and Jesse’s outfit. In addition to that, the sparkling accessories contrast with the black and white appearance of the rest of her face.

Nicolas Cage’s films may divide opinion, but it’s hard to deny the quality of this poster’s composition.

Bullets litter the design and are used in mosaic style to create an image of Cage’s Yuri Orlov, who has spent many years operating as an arms dealer. Films that use a similar style for their posters include The Truman Show and Che.

This movie poster hints at the consequences of war in the film and Cage’s glum expression only serves to emphasise this.

The sheer terror conveyed by the villain in No Country for Old Men is brilliantly represented in its movie poster.

The ominous depiction of Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) casting his eyes over a running Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) is a truly haunting image.

Throughout the entire film, Chigurh is constantly pursuing Moss and the movie poster encapsulates this very well.

Duncan Jones’ outstanding Moon has a mesmerising poster to match its space age setting and mind bending themes.

The swirling black and white circles that surround the main character create an almost hypnotic effect.

This style is a superb combination of both modern graphic design and older design styles from movie posters of the past.

2014 film Inherent Vice had a very distinct aesthetic which manifested itself in the film’s promotional material.

While the movie itself may have divided opinion, it’s hard to debate the visual appeal of some of its movie posters.

The luminous pink, yellow and green combination here is a reflection of the popularity of vivid, neon colours in modern graphic design.

Dark comedy Burn After Reading is a wonderfully crafted piece of cinema, so it’s only fitting that it would get a poster to match.

The unique typography is extremely striking, immediately drawing the eye to the A-list cast that’s on display.

The poster harks back to the style of legendary graphic designer Saul Bass. Bass created iconic posters for classic films such as The Shining, Anatomy of a Murder and Vertigo.

The warped style of the poster for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is very fitting for such an incredibly bizarre film.

Based on Hunter S. Thompson’s eponymous book, Fear and Loathing is a psychedelic account of the adventures of two men in Las Vegas.

The poster is a perfect summation of the surreal, fast-paced nature of the film. It’s an intense, eye-catching example of modern graphic design.

The poster for The Wolverine shows an illustration of the titular character in a determined and confident pose.

Due to the fact that the film was set in Japan, it’s fitting that the movie poster used Japanese-inspired artwork.

It’s modern graphic design that’s simple and straight to the point, while still containing enough detail to intrigue viewers.

Drive embraces a distinctly ‘neon-noir’ aesthetic in all aspects of the movie. If pink is your colour, you’ve come to the right place.

The design takes its inspiration from an 80s style aesthetic, which can be seen in shows such as Miami Vice.

Like The Neon Demon, Drive is a film from the mind of Nicolas Winding Refn, and there are a lot of similarities between the two. Both movies seek to combine the visually appealing with the visually disturbing.

Here we see another brilliant use of negative space in modern graphic design. The dark recesses of Gotham City give way to the iconic ‘bat symbol’ in the sky.

The moody grey-white sky and the collapsing buildings all contribute to creating a dark mood. However, the presence of the bat symbol leaves room for optimism.

We are led to believe that there will be suffering in the movie, but also hopeful that there will be redemption.

Rarely does a film poster directly introduce you to the characters in a new movie. Usually the most you’ll get is an image of them.

The text, “This is the poster where you meet”, directly speaks to the audience and encourages them to discover more about the characters.

Typography directly interacts with real world objects here, which is a popular trend in modern graphic design.

Tense thriller 10 Cloverfield Lane has a poster that brilliantly uses metaphor to hint at the events of the film.

The typography interacts effortlessly with the real world objects in the design. The ‘L’ in lane is used to represent the descent of the protagonist into the bunker that serves as the main setting of the film.

It’s to the point, and for those who aren’t familiar with the plot of the film, it arouses curiosity as to what it could mean.

This depiction of the legendary ape shows him towering above a group of approaching soldiers in a tropical setting.

The epic size of Kong is captured brilliantly in this image, where he clearly dwarfs both the soldiers and the surrounding terrain.

The use of colour really stands out here and the descent of the evening sun looks gorgeous against a blood red sky.

The designer of this poster for Proud Mary brilliantly uses Mary’s hairstyle to give us a sneak peak into what the film is about.

The professional hit woman shows off a barnet full of badness, which displays images of various characters armed with guns.

It’s an extremely clever example of modern graphic design. The poster layout allows the designer to condense a large amount of imagery into a small space.

Text covering a character’s eyes used to be an uncommon feature of movie poster design. That was before this creation for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

The designer made the poster to look like parts of it were physically ripped apart to reveal hidden content beneath it.

Jim Carrey’s smiling expression mimics the feeling behind the words that cover his eyes.

This eclectic poster for 2015 film Rock the Kasbah features a close-up of Bill Murray’s smiling face in vivid colour.

While the film itself may not have been well received, the bright orange and pink instantly catches the eye.

The poster certainly makes an impression, while keeping pace with the popular neon colourations of modern graphic design.

Film critics may have universally panned the The Spirit, but its movie poster is something to behold.

It’s somewhat of a modern day reincarnation of one of the posters for Metropolis, which was a pioneering film for movie poster design.

Building blocks join together to form the typography of the design and the main character can be found standing atop it.

Chomp

The literal chomp out of this design agency’s business card is not only a clever play on their name, but a well thought out piece of modern graphic design.

The sky blue and white combination conveys a sense of honesty and reliability, which assures Chomp’s clients that they are choosing the right agency.

It’s a memorable design that will leave an impression on anyone who picks it up. Also, it ensures that Chomp will be sinking their teeth into new design projects for years to come.

The deep purple tone of design agency Nymbl’s business cards are fitting of such a design savvy company.

Modern graphic design often has satisfying the customer in its list of priorities. Nymbl’s business card helps convince potential clients that they will be able to do this.

Royal purple is often associated with luxury and creativity, so it’s an appropriate choice for a design agency like Nymbl.

Creating a built-in cheese grater turned out to be a stroke of genius from the designers of cheese company Bon Vivant’s business card.

It’s instantly memorable, and that has to be one of the main goals for any business card designer. If a customer remembers the card even a few days after they’ve picked it up, you know you’re doing your job right.

There was even a short video that went along with the business card and the campaign ended up significantly expanding the Brazilian company’s reach.

While not a business card per se, these ‘Friend of St. Bride’ cards are a glorious take on the style.

Created to help raise funding for the historic St. Bride Foundation, the cards are certainly striking. The loud pink colour scheme demands attention.

It contrasts brilliantly against the cool grey background. There is also room for card holders to write down their name and library number.

Just like Bon Vivant, San Fran Bakery’s business card takes inspiration from the products that the business sells.

The bread shaped card is a charming touch and its thoughtful design makes it easy to hold on to. To add to the novelty, placing all of these cards together looks like a full loaf of bread.

San Fran Bakery knew that it could attract attention from a wider audience by putting their own unique spin on the traditional business card format.

This metaphorical example of modern graphic design is ideal for this divorce lawyer’s business card.

The card is a clever play on the lawyer’s area of expertise and separates perfectly into two pieces. Just like the end result his client’s would be hoping for.

While designs such as these may appear gimmicky, they achieve the number one goal of any business card. To help make people aware of the business.

The business card design for The Learning Community is firmly business at the front and party at the back.

The business-oriented side clearly displays all of the necessary information. But the other side showcases some blue circles of various shades and sizes.

These circles appear as if they are bubbles and the way they are laid out is both playful and engaging.

Estúdio Triciclo takes a personal approach to their business cards. In a unique style, the cards display images of the designers themselves.

An element of mystery is created by hiding the top half of each designer’s face, offering a thoughtful alternative to a regular portrait.

Not only is this style of modern graphic design very intriguing, but all of the information a potential client may need is visible on the card.

The bright, multi-coloured design of Youth Theatre Ireland’s business card highlights the vibrant energy of youthful expression.

The upward movement in the design signifies progression and the beneficial effect of youth theatre.

The horizontal bar that appears between the text is designed to look like a stage. This highlights how theatre gives young people a platform to speak out.

These business cards for French creative studio L’Atelier Irradié display a stunning gradient of multiple colours.

The studio uses the back of the card to share information about themselves, but the dazzling front is the real draw of the design.

There are different versions of each business card, making them even more striking when juxtaposed.

Designed by Spellbrand, many shades of colour make up this vibrant business card.

This little slice of rainbow in your pocket is a memorable piece of modern graphic design. It also uses white space well to display important information.

The array of colours invigorates the branding and gives IQubed a better chance of achieving a positive image for their company.

SYFY

SYFY’s 2017 overhaul was a fantastic example of how to do a successful rebrand. The new letterform and colour scheme manages to expertly capture the essence of SYFY’s brand identity.

Their previous logo wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t something you could instantly associate with a sci-fi channel.

The new bright yellow typography has a robotic, futuristic appearance that looks right at home in SYFY’s logo.

The Instagram rebrand in 2016 may have caused discontent among the app’s users at the time, but since then perception has changed dramatically.

The colour palette of the logo is one that features prominently in modern graphic design. It’s youthful, vibrant and works well when used on the platform itself.

Lots of other companies have used gradients in their own logos and Instagram’s effort now seems more of a trend setter than a disaster.

The stylishly designed ‘a’ in Elevatr symbolises the upward momentum associated with the company’s name.

The font is easily legible and the logo can be used on multiple online platforms, making this a design that will serve Elevatr well for many years to come.

Elevatr provides easy access to mental health professionals. The positive layout of the logo alludes to how people can improve their well-being by using the service.

Mailchimp sought to emphasise its quirkiness when they launched their new logo in 2017. Yellow has become their primary colour and the logo features their adorable mascot Freddie.

Many companies are simplifying their logos these days, and while Mailchimp ditched the intricate script font, they refused to go with a bland alternative.

The new logo is fun and the wordmark has a playful appearance. Mailchimp also displayed a winking Freddie in certain situations to animate the logo.

Airbnb’s rebrand in 2014 had a seriously high impact. Their new logo got people talking about the design and raised awareness about Airbnb.

The initial controversy over the logo’s appearance soon died down and it helped to grow Airbnb’s business.

The new coral colour scheme also proved to be a huge hit, and the old blue logo has since become a thing of the past.

The orange bird logo of Reesio stands out from the crowd and gives this relatively new company a strong brand image.

The clear, easily legible font compliments the image nicely and two can be used interchangeably.

Orange is often used in branding to show warmth, confidence and enthusiasm. Reesio’s goal is to replace traditional transaction management and orange is great colour to sell their new and exciting format.

Many brands avoid cursive fonts, as they can be hard to read and difficult to display consistently on different platforms.

Modern graphic design trends favour flat logos with sans-serif fonts, but Populr’s logo bucks that trend in favour of something a bit more original.

The attractive script flows nicely across web pages or physical branding and is complemented by the swift orange underline.

London Symphony Orchestra’s clever logo design features both the orchestra’s acronym and a composer in action.

The logo’s design maximizes the impact of negative space. Despite the minimal detail, it makes for a superb piece of modern graphic design.

It was introduced in 2004, and the fact that it remains in style today is a testament to the designer and their vision of the future.

This simple, gradient-style flame design from Tinder accurately represents the company’s brand image.

The flame encourages the app’s users that Tinder has the potential to generate a spark between two people.

It’s sleek, modern graphic design that is instantly recognisable and takes a step forward from the company’s previous logo.

This outstanding use of negative space helps to give Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium a memorable, distinguishable brand image.

A gorilla, a lioness and some leaping fish are all expertfully woven into the design where the tree is the centrepiece.

The logo makes sure that anyone who sees it knows exactly what Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium is all about.

Hideo Yokoyama – Seventeen

The cover image of Hideo Yokoyama’s Seventeen is designed to appear as both a mountain and the tail of a plane.

The colour scheme is exquisite, with the red and blue merging together effortlessly through a soft gradient.

The cover conveys a sense of urgency, which is fitting of this gripping air disaster thriller.

The setting of Tatjana Soli’s The Removes is well depicted in the book’s cover, as we instantly get a glimpse of the harsh nature of the American frontier.

A delightful multi-coloured pattern appears as if painted across the landscape, and offers a welcome contrast to the violent scene before us.

Old Native American patterns serve as the inspiration for this cover, but still looks right at home in modern graphic design.

This immersive piece of modern graphic design adorns the cover of Cherry, a novel which author Nico Walker wrote while imprisoned for bank robbery.

White stars feature on a vivid cherry red background, and if you look closely, you’ll see a skull amongst the stars.

According to designer Janet Hansen, the hidden skull is like the darkness in the novel, which appears to have come about as “some naive mistake.”

A well-thought out mosaic makes up the cover for A Selfie as Big as the Ritz. This fictional collection of stories gives us an insight into the lives of 21 women and the struggles they are going through.

The cover symbolises that while each of the women (all in their mid-to-late 20s) are different, there are also many similarities between them.

When an individual piece of a mosaic is viewed alone it looks unique, but when combined, they blend effortlessly into each other.

Seen by many as one of the world’s best design agencies, Pentagram designers have a much-vaunted name to live up to.

This colourful approach gives life to the street covers of London that Overlooked features, brightening up what might otherwise be a dark and dull subject.

We see in detail how these industrial objects can be far more visually appealing than we typically perceive them to be.

The cover for Jon Ronson’s explorative The Psychopath Test bears a truly memorable scene.

On the left side of the cover, we see an innocent hare, whereas on the right side, a ferocious leopard closes in on it.

To add to the contrast, the left side has formal serif typography and a black and white colour scheme. But the right side uses a more frenetic font style and a vibrant mix of yellow and pink.

The rippling effect on the cover of Voices in the Night gives this book a mysterious and intriguing appearance before a reader ever opens it.

The calm, straight lines work well alongside the ominous ripples. They represent the forces in the book that threaten to overwhelm logic and rationale at every turn.

It also appears as if the page of the book is being partially folded or turned, inviting the reader to find out what lies behind it.

The vivid cover of Alain Mabanckou’s Black Moses is distinctly African in nature and evokes imagery of the continent’s vibrant and diverse culture.

The book tells the tale of Congolese orphan Moses and the story is just as immersive as the attractive cover.

The intricate swirls on the face could be viewed as a symbol for the constant movement of Moses’ ever-changing and complex life.

This colourful illustration depicts fantastically illustrated tigers in humanoid form as if they are about to participate in violent acts.

Indeed, the sinister themes that the cover introduces are reflective of the book, in which no character can be trusted and no one is as they seem.

The leaves and flowers in the design provide another layer for these scheming tigers to hide behind and further cloaks their motivations in mystery.

Despite its cheery looking cover, Brit Bennett’s novel The Mothers deals with heavy themes like abortion, suicide and abandonment.

It’s colourful front is nevertheless a welcome contrast to the gruelling story within and offers up an engaging piece of modern graphic design.

Since this was the author’s debut effort, such a bright and eye-catching cover was an apt way of getting the book noticed.

Art is at the core of everything in An Object of Beauty, and the book cover reflects this, where a hidden painting is revealed through the text of the design.

Custom typography is a popular trend in modern graphic design and this style works particularly well here.

The text is enhanced by its all-white surroundings, which ensures that the eye is not distracted.

The designer of the cover for this book uses a brilliant visual metaphor for online stalking by showing a vast swath of cursors pointing towards a surrounded object.

Give Me Everything You Have: On Being Stalked is the true story of writer James Lasdun’s experience of being stalked by a former protege.

The cover sets the tone for the book and gives the reader a glimpse of its tense and often unnerving atmosphere.

Typography merges effortlessly with its surroundings on the cover of John Darnielle’s Wolf in White Van.

The title of the book is cleverly placed amid a blue maze and reflects the intricate worlds that its game designing main character creates.

It makes for a rather distinct design style and is a very well chosen cover for a book which is incredibly cryptic in nature.

Despite the book’s title, a collage of butterfly wings, not birds, adorn the cover of Samanta Schweblin’s collection of short stories.

This beautifully created piece of modern graphic design catches the eye with its neon colourations and striking typography.

The white lettering is broad and impactful, standing out clearly against the luminous background.

Tame Impala – Currents

The album art for Currents takes its inspiration from past design trends and updates them for a modern audience.

The concept of this intriguing cover is based around turbulent flow, which is the way a liquid or gas moves around an object.

Designer Robert Beatty said about the design, “I think both Tame Impala and I use elements of things we like from the past and personalise them without making art that is a pastiche or retro.”

The cover for Muse’s The 2nd Law is more than just an aesthetically pleasing piece of modern graphic design. In fact, the design shows brain pathways mapped out in neon colours.

The brightly coloured design, taken from the Human Connectome Project, easily stands out against a contrasting pitch black background.

The design of the cover is reflective of some of the scientific themes that pervade the album. Indeed, its title is a reference to the second law of thermodynamics.

The dark, stormy scene shown on the album art for Thom Yorke’s The Eraser is but a portion of the entire picture.

Longtime Radiohead album art designer Stanley Donwood created the illustration, which folds out to reveal a portrayal of London being destroyed by fire and flood.

The 2004 Boscastle flood and the legend of King Canute and the tide served as the inspiration for the design.

Just like Planningtorock herself, this luminous pink cover design dabbles in the experimental.

All Love’s Legal uses a neon colour scheme to instantly capture attention. On first glance, the eye is drawn to the unusual appearance of the woman’s face.

This could be a reference to Planningtorock’s fondness of covering her face with various masks and prostheses.

Rich in detailed typography, the album art for Laughing at the System might seem incomprehensible at first, but a closer look will reveal that it spells out the album’s title.

However, even if you can’t read it at first, the excellence of the piece won’t be lost on you. The delicate strokes that accumulate to form each letter still make for a striking design.

The organised chaos on show is worthy of a band that calls on a variety of different emotions to shape their often eclectic music.

Designed by artist Eric White, with input from Tyler himself, the cover of Flower Boy is a striking piece of modern graphic design.

Tyler, The Creator has done some of his own drawings in the past, but reached out to White to bring this particular idea to life.

Despite the seemingly carefree and joyful setting, there is tension in the image, with the presence of an ominous red sky and a swarm of giant bees whose motives are unclear.

The artwork for MGMT’s Congratulations was an attempt by designer Anthony Ausgang to “use bright colours to get across ideas that are slightly dark.”

The covers shows a large cat with a wave-like mouth that another unusual creature surfs on.

Initially the design may seem fun and goofy, but we can see that the smaller creature could soon be swallowed up by the approaching wave.

Not many artists use only a symbol as their album title, but Justice forgoed a traditional title and went with † (or cross).

This minimalist example of modern graphic design proved to be just as popular as the album itself, and an adaptation of it appeared on their next LP Audio, Video, Disco.

Justice took the symbol of the cross and completely set aside its traditional meaning for their album art.

The fact that the Gorillaz are a virtual band means that so much of their appearance revolves around high-quality graphic design.

Band member and artist Jamie Hewlett creates an alluring world for the band’s unique characters to live in, and Plastic Beach showcases part of that world.

The quirky island in the design is complemented by a wavy font, which is perfectly suited for the sea background that it is displayed on.

This surreal image from the cover of Exo’s Sing for You shows an encounter between an astronaut and a whale in space.

To add to the unlikely situation, it appears as if snow or ash is falling amongst the stars in the design.

Not only does the unusual content of this album art attract attention, but its characters are also fantastically illustrated.

The text on the cover of Soulwax’s Nite Versions is subtly hidden behind a mesmerising pink and white line pattern.

The Trevor Jackson designed piece was one of the standout album covers of 2005, and it still retains its appeal today.

The simplicity of the design works very well. It’s free from distracting imagery that would surely take away from its impact.

This unique piece of art from designer A Hidden Place has lots of intriguing elements on display.

The mystical animal that appears as the centrepiece of the design also features in the music video for SBTRKT’s NEW DORP. NEW YORK.

The combination of this mysterious creature, the open metallic palm and the bright red background gives us an unusual, but engaging, piece of modern graphic design.

The bright pink text on this album is a good example of how strong typography can command attention.

It complements the idyllic poolside setting, which shows Gaz Coombes lying back and gazing skyward.

One of the themes Coombes discusses on the album is the adverse effect gender roles have on men. Which is why a feminine pink may have been chosen to subvert expectations for a title such as World’s Strongest Man.

Created in mosaic style, the album art of Day & Age paints a gorgeous picture of a desert night’s sky.

The designer of this cover, Paul Normansell, uses his trademark style to achieve the look of a real-life mosaic. The pastel colours of the composition are also chosen very well.

The Killers’ logo is already created using dots, so the mosaic style was a natural fit for this album art.

This unique cover for Animal Collective’s Merriweather Post Pavilion makes use of visual illusion techniques.

The album art is based on the work of Japanese psychologist Akiyoshi Kitaoka, who is an expert on the subject.

It makes for a stimulating, engaging piece of modern graphic design that is fitting of the band’s experimental style.

Now that you’ve read through some of the best examples of modern graphic design, you can start creating your own designs and using your favorites from this list as inspiration.

Of course, any selection of the best examples of modern graphic design is completely subjective and there are lots of other impressive examples of modern graphic design out there.