Top 2024 Design Trends to Incorporate into Your Capabilities Statement Redesign
Having limited interactions with government decision-makers, many companies rely on their capabilities statements to share concise and targeted information about their qualifications, expertise, and professional offerings. However, if your capabilities statement looks like it hasn’t been updated since 2015, sharing it with the government could do you more harm than good.
With proposal season behind us and the new year soon ahead, now is the perfect time to give your capabilities statement a much-needed refresh. Showcase your understanding and mastery over industry trends by leveraging these 2024 design fads - guaranteed to enhance your outreach materials and help you stand out from the competition.
Composition
One of the most common mistakes businesses make with their capabilities statements is overcrowding the document with too much information. This often leads to a cluttered layout, too-small fonts, and inconsistent formatting. For example, using dense paragraphs without sufficient white space or an unorganized layout that lacks visual hierarchy can make your materials visually overwhelming and aesthetically displeasing. Disorderly formats also discourage people from reading your information, thereby making your capabilities statement virtually obsolete.
Two dueling composition trends emerge for 2024 that each work to create structured, more current compositions. The first builds on the timeless and enduring graphic design trend of minimalism, which is often characterized by clean lines, ample white space, and an orderly style. Modernized for the new year, the neutral color palette that is typically associated with traditional minimalistic design is being replaced by bright colors and fun details. This contemporary twist maintains the design’s ability to provide precise communication while also offering the necessary versatility to stand out from the crowd.
The second emerging formatting trend takes a dramatic left turn and focuses on composition-heavy designs. These color-rich, detailed layouts enable companies to tell more stories within a limited amount of space. Also, because readers spend more time-consuming visually complex documents, composition-heavy designs increase the likelihood of people remembering your brand. To incorporate this style into your capabilities statement without running the risk of overcrowding the document, make sure to maintain a clear focus on core ideas and aim to achieve balance between different sections. One way to do this is to incorporate the 2024 trend of visual borders. Propelled by Apple’s use of the Bento grid layout, this modern and playful style is expected to be one of the hottest graphic design trends for the new year.
Colors
Color trends change over time, and using outdated or clashing color schemes can adversely impact the design of your capabilities statement. Oftentimes, federal contractors ignore color trends, opting instead for traditionally patriotic palettes or relying solely on the colors used within their logos. This not only prevents your capabilities statement from coming off as a modern and professional document, but also keeps it from standing out from the slew of other red, white, and blue resources government buyers receive on a daily basis.
Anticipated to dominate the design world in 2024, vibrant hues with strong contrasts and extreme saturation will be frequently utilized to fight for attention in our increasingly competition environment. These bold colors are designed to be eye-catching and to help documents stand out on any platform. And because they are often associated with multiculturalism and diversity, saturated colors also can nod to companies’ DE&I objectives.
In addition to leveraging bright, energetic colors, brands are increasingly relying on abstract gradients to create visually appealing designs that garner attention and foster ongoing engagement. Although color gradients are not a new trend for 2024, designers are now experimenting with untraditional color tones that enable them to create more abstract, interesting, and artistic blends to kick off the new year. By breaking the traditional “rules of colors,” companies show that they are capable of bringing different qualities and perspectives to government work.
Typography
More often than not, companies rely on cliché, outdated, or – worst of all – default system fonts to create their capabilities statements. Many use too many fonts, creating visual chaos that makes it hard to read text, and ignore font hierarchy, which can lead to confusion in the visual presentation of content. It is also common for businesses to choose typefaces that don’t match their brand’s identities or forgo legibility in exchange for an artistic font. This can not only lower people’s inclination to read your content but can also completely prohibit their ability to do so.
Reflecting evolving trends, technological advancements, and an ongoing focus on the user experience, several typography trends are expected to flourish in the upcoming year. Some that you can immediately incorporate into your capabilities statement are as follows:
- Variable fonts: Multiple styles and weights used within a single font file are designed to facilitate dynamic and responsive typography across all platforms while also achieving overarching brand consistency.
- Oversized and bold fonts: Large lettering that demands notice and provides a focal point for key messages is growing in popularity, largely due to its ability to create a visual hierarchy, foster meaningful emphasis, and enhance overall design impact.
- Color-driven typography: Building on the vibrant color trend, typography is expected to explore modern ways to integrate bold gradients, blends, and overlays that reinforce brand identities, capture attention, and evoke emotion.
- Accessibility-focused Typography: Continual emphasis will be placed on providing accessible options for readability, including adjustable font sizes and contrast settings as well as the ongoing prioritization of legible and readable typefaces.
Visuals
Eager to fit as much information onto a one or two-page document as possible, many companies forgo visuals to include additional text. In today’s visually-oriented communication landscape, an overreliance on text can make capabilities statements appear both dull and antiquated. Moreover, documents that lack graphics and images miss out on the important opportunity to visually enhance key messages. Other companies rely on uninspired and overused stock images are essentially insignificant. By using the same genetic photos as everyone else, these businesses waste valuable space that could otherwise be used to strengthen their narratives.
The emergence of AI tools has taken the use of visuals to the next level. In the year ahead, we can expect to see more prominent original photography, one-of-a-kind brand illustrations, and 3D graphics that will enable companies to boldly display their unique differentiators. Bespoke visuals form a more authentic and relatable connection with readers while telling a compelling story that emphasizes the power of personalization. Among chief trends, be on the lookout for future fusion designs, 3D hyper-surrealism, a revival of freehand illustrations, and, of course, AI-powered visuals.
Evolving design trends beckon us to embrace a future where visual storytelling and strategic design become not just tools but key elements to securing government contracts. In this fusion of aesthetics and functionality, capabilities statements stand as more than just documents; they become narratives of cultural understanding, adaptability, and the unwavering pursuit of excellence. Now is not the time to get stuck in the past. Use these industry expectations to not only meet the trends of 2024 but to transcend them, leaving an indelible mark on your capabilities statement’s success.
