2017 Design Trend: Cinemagraphs

Every year I'm curious to see what design trends are entering and/or exiting the market. Behance created a 2017 Design Trends Guide with 20+ trends to exercise and/or watch out for. Number 2 on this list is Cinemagraphs.

Cinemagraphs are upscaled gifs of still images which include subtle elements of movement. Somewhat like Apple's new live photo feature. Personally, I've always loved a good, effective gif. I think the movement creates visual interest and generally leaves a positive user experience.

I agree with Behance that cinemagraphs will be become increasingly popular in 2017 and most likely for a few years to come. In my current role, there has been a push from the top to increase animations in our marketing materials with traditional gifs, short videos, and cinemagraphs to be used on our websites, in email, and on social media.

Check out these fresh cinemagraphs! (Warning: while some are super subtle - others are much more surprising and fun to watch/guess what will be animated.)