Top 10 Visual Designers You Should Be Following In 2021
Instagram is one of THE places to grab inspiration and soak up what’s going on in the design community. You probably follow loads of your favourite designers, artists, illustrators and animators already.
But if your feed’s starting to look a little same-y, take a scroll through these killer visual designers. Between them, they cover slick graphics, thoughtful branding, kooky illustration and some searingly sharp typography. Plus, they’ve got the knowledge and client projects to back it all up.
So give ‘em a follow. Who knows? You might learn something.
And remember, if you lust after the same masterful skills, you might be interested in our User Interface Design course.
1. Erik Marinovich
Erik is one of the busiest designers we’ve ever come across. He spends his time juggling work with Google, Nike and Target with his pet projects Friends of Type and Title Case (both of which he co-founded). In spite of everything he’s got on his plate, he’s still smashing his IG game, with a grid full of eyeball-grabbing type and design. Check out his Hip Hop Hullabaloo project to take a peek into his world.
2. Lauren Hom
Lauren is our favourite quirky queen of type, who’s worked with the likes of Starbucks, YouTube and TIME Magazine. If you love a colourful letterform, a motivational quote and a good pun (or a bad one) give her a follow. It’s well worth checking out her blog and weekly lettering challenge too.
3. Nick McCarthy
Our students will have seen lots of Nick’s handiwork on their journey. And no wonder! He’s an award-winning product designer specialised with over 10 years of experience in the creative industries. As well as lead designer, Nick’s worked as a chief product officer, creative director and professional mentor. One of his favourite projects was with Nickelodeon, creating an experimental AR app. Check out his Instagram to see him jetting all over the world, solving design challenges as he goes.
4. Pavlov Visuals
So, you caught us, Pavlov Visuals isn’t exactly a designer, but they are a collective of designers with an Instagram account bursting with sleek graphics and wild colour. Like vectors? You’ll want to give their Instagram page a follow for their sophisticated, contemporary style and hyper-detailed work.
5. Sergi Delgado
If high-saturation and bold linework is your thing, check out Sergi Delgado: Barcelona-based graphic designer, artist and typographer. He gets a lot of his inspiration from mathematical algorithms found in nature, as well as psychedelic, surreal, and pop art movements. Using striking shapes to form illustrations and fonts, his aesthetic choices pack some serious punch on his Instagram page. We love the brooding splashiness of Wash Your Hands: a series of posters Sergi created for a covid-conscious client.
6. Ben Mottershead
If you’re a student on one of our courses, chances are you’ve met Ben. He’s worked with Coca-Cola, Jack Daniels, and the BBC, but these days he’s a freelancer. Splitting his time between design and creative strategy, with a focus on branding, he wears a lot of hats professionally (and in real life). His Instagram is stuffed with edgy, modern graphics with a retro twist, plus He also works with popular creative hangout Glug, overseeing their strategy and content.
7. Margheurita Urbani
Well-known and super-productive designer, Margherita Urbani’s Instagram page is a real feast of different skills and techniques from a broad range of designers and artists. Full of bright, clever and strong design works, her massive collection of creative work she finds each day is just the thing to break that creative slump.
8. James White
James is the man behind Signal Noise, a design studio with a client list to drool over. These days, you can find him focusing on his neon-infused art projects and creating amazing work using his trademark his 1980s aesthetic. He also spends a lot of time on the road speaking at design conventions and events around the world. His exciting use of light and shadow in his design and illustrations is just one reason to keep an eye out for him on the ‘gram.
9. Gianluca Alla
Instagram’s Gianluca is another familiar face to students on our courses. Our resident typography expert, he’s designed identities, animations, posters, typefaces and websites for Apple, It’s Nice That!, Pinterest, Rolling Stone Magazine and Vans Wired. You can see plenty of evidence of his smooth style and favourite monochrome palette on his Instagram. He’s also got some of the best hair we’ve ever seen.
10. Nuria Quero
Nuria Quero is a freelancer, multidisciplinary-designer with skills spanning UI, UX, virtual reality and graphic design, and mentor on our UI Design courses. She’s worked for clients such as GiffGaff, Mercedes-Benz, Gucci and Nickelodeon. Not bad, right? On her Instagram, she shares minimalist, topical 2D and 3D designs across print and digital. Some motion, some still image. Whatever your taste, you’ll find something to inspire you on Nuria’s channel.
So there you have it. Our top 10 visual designers you need to follow in 2021. These designers are top of their game in UI design, branding and typography.
Want to up your game in these areas? Explore your potential on our UI Design Professional course and gain some of the most in-demand skills in design. Work on real briefs for international design studios, get mentored by a professional visual designer and connect with a community of like-minded creatives.
Not convinced yet? Meet some graduates who have already blazed the trail and upskilled in design with Created.
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