10 trends shaping popular Dribbble shots right now
A quick look into the top 100 most popular shots.
We all know that Dribbble is one of the most influential trendsetters in the industry. It’s a one-stop place of inspiration for designers from around the world. Dribbble community does appreciate unique designs (you can see more about this in the graph at the end of the article), but it’s obvious that the quickest way to the top is to follow trends.
When you put so much effort into your work, it’s a natural wish to be appreciated. With lots of shots uploaded to Dribbble every day, it’s getting harder and harder to get noticed. I reviewed the top 100 most popular Dribbble shots to find out the trends that affected their success.
You can follow these tips and practices to step up your game and finally get the recognition you deserve.
Neumorphism
A new, yet old design trend is emerging (at least on Dribbble). It is considered one of the hottest trends of 2020 as it combines Material Design with Skeuomorphism that ruled the design world for a long time. Though it is very aesthetically pleasing, the shadows are at high risk to become overwhelming. But it creates an instant wow-effect for sure.
Deconstructed Interface
It has developed on Dribbble as a micro-trend recently. Instead of creating useless concepts just to please an eye, designers started reconstructing real-life interfaces. The addition of shadows and layers to different elements will make the shot much more realistic and eye-catching. Of course, this works better when it’s designed in perspective view. Does it let you understand the UX of an interface? Not really. Does it look captivating? Hell yeah.
Partnership With A Studio
You cannot be a one-man-army anymore. Many popular Dribbble shots have been created in partnership with design studios which means extra exposure to studio’s followers. Nowadays Dribbble needs to be treated like any other social media — to get likes you not only need to be popular yourself, but you need to also get promoted by someone popular too.
Multiple Pages on the Preview
This is definitely one of the best ways to showcase most of your interface in a single shot. It works best with a mobile view (for a desktop you cannot show more than two layers/pages). In contrast to the deconstructed interface, this approach lets you actually review the interface in detail. It definitely lets you display the highlights of your interface in a great way.
Mobile View
This is the moment when the mobile-first approach pays off. The trend for a mobile view is flourishing on Dribbble. It lets you display design in a minimalistic way that is widely beloved. And, the most important thing, it lets the dribbblers view your design without opening the page. Unlike desktop interfaces that look too small on the previews, the mobile design allows viewing all the details at first glance. Nowadays when all information is perceived the fastest way possible this can be a game-changer.
Animations
It all started with simple characters gifs and animations, but now designers are investing more and more time into short video clips that show interactions. Lean transitions look aesthetic and satisfying, so these shots tend to get a lot of recognition. Creating this kind of shot can be challenging for many designers, as it would require motion designer skills or partnering with one. This raises the bar for a Dribbble shot as it takes a lot of effort. But this effort is rewarded greatly.
Integrated Illustrations
I really love that designs like this are being recognized. It’s not your usual Shutterstock illustrations, but something with a unique style and atmosphere. And it’s not something you can create just for a Dribbble shot — it has to be in an interface itself. As you can see, shots like this are minimalistic in the presentation.
When viewing popular shots, you may notice that there is no particular illustration style that is being liked the most. Designers with different styles win the hearts of Dribbblers. This is a true essence of graphic design and it’s great that it’s being appreciated.
Dashboards
Dribbblers just loooooove dashboards. Reimagining complex informational structure requires a lot of competence. And, frankly, smart infographics look satisfying. Designing it light, colorful and relaxing is rewarded with likes. There is often some kind of illustration present on the dashboard. It brightens the mood of a dashboard as they are at high risk of becoming boring. This attention to detail and visual aesthetics is admired by the community.
Useful Resources
Creating free mockups, UI kits and all other kinds of useful resources is being greatly appreciated by the Dribbblers. People tend to like those images to show their gratitude. Designing free stuff or promoting paid resources is not only a great way to get likes and views but actually to contribute to the community.
Interface Continuity
This is a truly beautiful approach that makes an impression of the endless interface. It works best with big illustrations and tends to be one of the most traditional yet effective approaches.
Trends Statistics
As you can see from the chart, if you create an animated preview with multiple mobile pages in partnership with a studio, you have high chances to reach a big audience.
I’ve included plain illustrations to the chart for comparison. Obviously, they are still present in the top 100 Dribbble shots. Moreover, illustrations hold their positions quite well — 30 out of the top 100 Dribbble images last year were plain illustrations. I did not mention it in trends, as it’s what Dribbble shot was meant to be in the first place.
Knowing trends and best practices to showcase your work will let you widen your reach and build a bigger audience of followers. Good luck!
