In layout: Micrographics
The markings that sit on labels or the microscopic copy found on food packaging has always been a bit of a background texture – one that’s easy to ignore. Objectively, these designs don’t look very stylish; they are pure function over form, and “were never meant to look good”, according to content creator Brandon Wang. But we’ve seen what Brandon terms as “the aesthetics of technical information” cropping up a lot across the graphic design scene of late. More commonly referred to as micrographics, this utilitarian visual language is becoming somewhat of a centre piece in the designer’s page furniture.
Chemistry diagrams have popped up in billboard campaigns by Uncommon, packaging is being stamped with minimal metrics and some of the biggest sportswear brands are treating technical information like texture. Akin to industrial diagrams, data or blueprints, these miniature layouts are packed with symbols and typography that might be found imprinted on the underside of our tech items. But unlike the stamps that are hidden in the fabric of the everyday, designers are bringing these smaller textures and details to the fore.
Astrae Studio is big on the grids and symbols that make up this kind of page furniture. It’s an approach that has shaped campaigns for the likes of Nike but also its own identity for Astrae Sports, the studio’s new sportswear brand. An attention to everyday micro graphics that we might miss is something that also comes to the fore in Zak Jensen’s work – the art director zooms in on tiny details, like the typography printed on your bread-bag clip, and makes it the main event.
We think this hidden language of hyper functionality might just be at the start of something in 2026, not only as a visual element but an overarching vibe in graphic design. Work grounded in expertise is on the rise, and our corresponding visual systems are becoming suitably complex. Even branding projects are now including contract layouts as evidence of identity work.
Designers are adopting these tight typographic overlays, grids and timestamps as visual devices that imply technical depth and a more specialised knowledge in projects – that’s why we’ve seen this trend crop up in sports so much. There is sometimes more of a simple, practical advantage of working with more technical material in our compositions though. We’ve all been guilty of adding an extra line of type to a poster to balance out a layout, but, like anything, if extra details are being put in for the sake of it, they aren’t really operating at their best. These easter eggs can make us feel like the more we look the more we find, just like the surprise of tiny doodles that were once etched into circuit boards.