We may only be two months into 2020, but the mark of a new decade, of course, means new graphic design trends. With a plethora of ads constantly flooding the market, designers are forced to find ways to stand out from the rest. This isn't necessarily a bad thing - it keeps us on our toes and we discover innovative touches to incorporate into our designs. One technique is hand lettering.

A belief that most designers adopt is that "less is more," hence why minimalism has become such a huge staple in the design world. We often find beauty in negative space and discover that conveying our big messages in a small space is more effective and direct. However, the struggle with minimalism is finding a way to stand out in this—pun intended—space. One way to steal the show is with some kickass hand lettering.

Hand lettering adds an element of personalization, and has the potential to break design out of the minimalist mold. Plus, typography will forever be a critical element when it comes to design. It is the most direct way to relay a message to a consumer so it is clear and concise. While displaying type in big, bold Helvetica has its time and place, it doesn't work for all situations and isn't necessarily unique enough. Luckily, in this digital age that we've embraced, designers have so many more ways to explore their typographical endeavors with custom hand lettering. With the advent of technologies such as the iPad Pro + Apple Pencil, the ability to add details and textures to type is unparalleled. Designers can now zoom in and out of their artwork and add a level of precise imperfection to anything they do—something that's not easily accomplished with pen and paper.

In the same way that people adore artisan breads or hand-crafted leather goods, they crave that same element of "hand-craftedness" and personalization in branding, which is why hand-lettering is becoming such a staple in design. It embodies a brand's unique quirks and adds an extra element of visual emotion to the brands we love. Hand lettering is the perfect junction of technology and human touch designers ultimately strive for, to achieve successful branding for their clients.