Imperfect and handmade-looking design can be found in a lot of places. I noticed it for example as handwritten menus on the windows of cafes; as scribbled illustrations on websites or as logos; as handwritten annotations on flyers or posters; quirky stamps; and there is even a tattoo trend that seems to lean towards imperfect sketches instead of clean lines or realistic depictions.
This leads to some questions: what is so fascinating about visuals that have a handmade and analog quality to them when there are easier and more accurate ways to create visuals by using computerprogramms?
Could this be seen as kind of a counter-movement to artificially generated and machine made visuals that represent our quickly changing world?
And is this an actual trend that can be statistically proven, like the vinyl revival, or is it a style of design that has always been around with a steady popularity?
How important is the exclusivity-factor, and the „one-of-a-kind“ quality of this design-style? Does it matter if it is actually handmade or is the effect the same if they just seem that way? This could even be applied to analog photography, because for example there are many popular editing-presets that transform a digital picture into one that has analog-looking flaws like light leaks and therefore make it seem more personal and individualistic.
The consumer can then more easily imagine the process of how the flaw and therefore how the image was created in comparison to a flawless digital-looking picture. It’s the same for using handwriting instead of a font. How important is this factor for the appeal of handmade design?
Basically: what effects can handmade visuals create that differently produced ones cannot?
From a more design-focused and less of a social-lens it could be interesting to look at different ways of creating these handmade visuals. What are possible techniques that can be used? And with which other design styles are they combinable? Should handmade design elements be used sparingly only for accents, or can they dominate a design while it still remains balanced and functional?
How important is the level of perfectionism. How messy and imperfect can the designs get before they are not taken seriously anymore? And can the designs be too perfect and therefore not be recognized as actually handmade?
And lastly how could this trend evolve further?
