We can all agree that marble is nothing new. Ancient Greeks were pretty much fascinated by it, and built majestic structures that stand to this day. I mean, let’s just drool over this for a second, shall we?
The fact that modern graphic designers are bringing marble back is, however, quite fascinating. It’s been around us for centuries, but now we’re starting to see it being used as an inspiring texture in almost every single design field. Print design, web design, fashion design, interior design, product design…you name it.
Our goal with this guide is to give you the resources to start playing with this trend in your personal and client work. We will go over three different aspects:
- What the trend looks like
- How it’s being used in various design fields
- How you can start using it today
The trend is a symptom of a bigger shift in digital design: an emphasis on color and depth.
Today, Spotify, The Outline, and MTV, among others, apply bold color schemes to their looks.
Marble patterns, or marble looking patterns, compliment this trend. “It is a mixture of the coolest colors and the human imagination,” says Themefire.
And the timing of its arrival couldn’t be better.
Years of minimalism have left the internet up to its neck in flat, black and white design. Now, as its color palette has broadened, so too has its appetite for complex, at times eccentric, design.
The endless possibility of variation is the style’s most exciting trait.
While people may use a marble pattern again and again, each one released will be unique. The different methods Digital_Infusion and Themefire employ ensure this.
Yet, as romantic as this thought is, the fact is that marble design is a trend. And trends don’t live forever.
“…it’s considered overrated by some,” says Digital_Infusion. “But, given that you can achieve infinite designs that will be different every time you mix the paint, I think that’s just awesome.”
And, the tell tale sign of a design style graduating into a trend is, of course, people misusing it.
From couches to activewear, examples of marble design gone wrong are accumulating.
“Sometimes doing something amazing is not so easy,” says Themefire. “[But] There is no limit for creative people.”
In an era of streamlined design, seeing confines broken is refreshing. Yet, as the trend’s journey into the mainstream progresses, misguided attempts will continue to populate the web. Some will be amusing. Some, I’m sure, will be disgusting. But, if nothing else, we can all take it as a sign: the shackles of restraint in digital design are coming off. And, the internet’s color palette is bright again.
