Whether you’re making graphics for your social media, blog or website, finding unique elements to use in your graphics can sometimes be a chore. That’s where cool unique shapes come in. A nicely placed vector can transform a graphic into something magical. Vectors are fully scalable, high-quality shapes that can be used in basically any style of design. Adding some cool shapes in a fresh color palette can be the lynchpin to take your design to the next level.
In this post, we’ll be sharing some of our favorite cool shapes we’ve been enjoying lately. Whether you’re running the socials for your work account or just your personal account, you’ll definitely want to incorporate these unique (sometimes weird) shapes into your content. Let’s jump in together!
1. Flower Shapes
First up, we have flower shapes. You may recognize these from your favorite Instagram or Pinterest feeds. We’ve seen flower-like shapes pop up all over the ‘net in recent times. Think clothing brands, fragrance companies or hip banners for Facebook events.
Paired with a fresh green color, these flowers really pop against the backdrop, creating a fresh and summery design that grabs your eye!
Instead of simply displaying text on a rectangle, why not throw it overtop a pink flower? Bonus points go to the squiggly lines which leads us to our next point…
2. Squiggly Lines
Squiggly lines are a great addition to a simple quote post. In this case, they make the graphic feel grounded and balanced, when placed strategically at the bottom of the graphic.
Another great use of them is to highlight specific words in a block of text for emphasis. This specific use is showing a less-is-more approach, but you can definitely have fun and use tons of squiggly’s as you see fit.
You could double them up for effect. Or even triple them up to create some minimalist waves!
3. Hand-drawn Stars
Looking like doodles taken straight from a high-school binder, these hand-drawn stars add some extra flair to this design. Notice how the cluster itself being randomly sized makes it feel suitably placed anywhere on the graphic? A well-placed pattern like this not only draws attention to the image of the girl below, but it makes an other-wise flat graphic feel dynamic.
4. Weird Shapes
Next up is a personal favorite. We’ll call them weird shapes, because really they are indescribable! Stars? Spinners? Squiggle’s? Whatever they are, these unique shapes are captivating against a solid charcoal background. Is this an abstract interpretation of the galaxy? Who knows. All we know is, the shapes look fantastic alongside off-white text!
5. Plant Shapes
In recent years, plants have grown (pun intended) into a huge trend in all forms of design. Open up a home interior magazine and you’ll see plants scattered across nearly every page. Check out Unsplash’s site, and you’ll find literally thousands of free photos of plants.
Plants are a great visual representation for any content that is alluding to growth, organic qualities, or symbols of life. This is precisely why we think you should throw some plant shapes on your graphics!
Display them in beautifully muted color tones, like our example below, and you’ll have a design that steals viewer’s attention like a captivating oil painting.
6. Browser Tabs
Design that mimics browser windows is truly popping up all over the design world. There’s something serene about its look—maybe it’s the fact that this browser window doesn’t have hundreds of tabs open?
This graphic is a very contemporary yet functional design. Decked out in a nicely subtle blue, with some hand-drawn shapes, all you need to do now is swap out the text and, in a matter of seconds, you’ll have the perfect post.
7. Blob Shapes
What would we do without blobs? These imperfect shapes offer a softer alternative to the hard curve of a perfect circle.
Shown here in a lowered opacity as an infographic, this gentle way to convey information may be what you need to create a visual for your eBook or online curriculum!
8. Cartoon Faces
Cartoon faces and hands are all the rage right now. It’s hard not to see a fun cartoon face on a shirt, website or Instagram page. Maybe it’s the fact that it reminds us of our early days watching cartoons? There’s definitely a certain comfort in seeing a smiley face. It adds a childlike playfulness to your designs.
9. Halftone Dots
Halftone styles use dots to create what could almost qualify as an optical illusion. These dots can either create a large picture, a gradient, or just simply a pattern like in our design here. Pair them with unique circular shapes, and you’ll have the perfect featured image for your blog (or ad for your live poetry recitals)!
10. Geometric Ovals
Futuristic designs aren’t slowing down any time soon, and this template makes perfect use of this trend. It features some ultra-thin circular vectors that add some texture and create a sense of symmetry.
Pair it with a background gradient, and you’ll have the perfect tech-friendly design for your software, app, landing page, or agency!
11. Speech Bubbles
Speech bubbles in unusual shapes and sizes offer a perfect spot for a call-to-action. In this minimalist graphic, notice how compelling the text is overtop the white speech bubble. Perfectly placed speech or thought bubbles create a sense of urgency for the viewer.
12. Sticker Shapes
Last but certainly not least are sticker-like shapes. Styles mimicking stickers, packaging, and plastic wrap have exploded on Instagram these days, and we can definitely see why. Whether you’re posting a positive message, or just creating an abstract visual pattern, these shapes are an awesome way to do it! Seen here with bright interesting color combos, these stickers pop!
Want some more inspiration? Check out our video we made:
Final Thoughts
Now that you’ve seen a nice range of unique and cool shapes, it’s time to give some a try! These shapes are just what you’ve been needing to add some depth to your graphic designs.
Finally, do you want help creating gorgeous designs with some of these shapes, even if you have no prior experience? You don’t have to be a professional graphic designer to create images like a pro—and you don’t have to invest time and money into expensive software with a steep learning curve.
If you’re ready to start creating your own eye-catching graphics without a lot of fuss, take a look at Snappa. You can get started for free here.
