Design websites love telling you what graphic design will look like at the start of each year. It’s all performative. How could you predict the decisions of creative people? It’s more about what the article’s writer would like to see emerge over the year. So here I am, throwing my ideas in the ring to duke it out with the others. I would like to think my ideas are bold, transformative, and a little scary. But that’s just me being performative as well. Really, these are some things I have rambled about in the past, some that came to me on the toilet, and a couple that came together from things I’ve seen, heard, and read over the past few years. Here are a few hot-take “trends” I think will come about in 2026.
The death of trends
Right off the bat, get rid of trends in general. The idea of “trends” will obviously never die, but the yearly tradition of saying “here is what most things will look like” needs to stop. The homogenization of creativity is strong, and perpetuating the idea that certain styles should be prominent during a given year is ridiculous. They are always weak ideas anyway—large type, isometric logos, some gradient mixture, maybe parallax websites. Whatever the case, these trends go on to dominate corners of the design world, then get abandoned or overtaken by the next yearly thing. Last year, it was all in on AI, and that produced more bad than good.
Instead of pointing out trends, as a design community, we should reinforce the principles of thoughtful, empathy-driven design practices at the start of each year. Remind designers to think of what is Appropriate, look at the data driving your decisions, ask a ton of questions, establish hierarchies, and keep it simple. Remember, design is not just art; it is communication. Being trendy means you are in the moment. Be long-lasting.
A return to the Wild Wild Web in 2026
I complain about the internet all the time. It’s so damn dull. Where are the cool, funky websites that used to dominate the web? Where are the fun apps like StumbleUpon that made discovering the corners of the internet an adventure? We rely so heavily on templates, premade CMS platforms, and established patterns that every website looks the same, washing away the flavor of what was once a vibrant tapestry and chaos. We need to bring that feeling back. Because everything is designed to drain your money each year, we are beset on all sides by subscription websites, content platforms, and streaming services. None of them is built for joy. Sites designed for internet entertainment are either buried by algorithms or drowned in ads.
In 2026, I would love to see much of this flip back to what the internet used to be—fewer ads, more unique experiences. Platforms like Patreon give websites like This Week In Video Games the freedom to create an ad-free experience (of sorts). These types of user-funded experiences could provide creators with the freedom to explore more interesting web experiences. In the words of that Starship Troopers propaganda ad, I am doing my part. In 2026, I plan to launch a few different apps built solely for fun, free for everyone, and highly unique. At the very least, this small corner of the internet will be a place for creative web exploration and wild west web fun.
More Sports logo designs
Sports logos are the greatest example of appropriate design and artistic expression. This trend of making sports logos minimal is the most “solving a problem that doesn’t exist” ass thing I have ever seen.
Are you telling me the bottom row is somehow better than the top? They are not, and I will not be entertaining any follow-up discussion to the contrary. Sports logos are meant to be the most fun, in-your-face, emotion-inducing brand marks on the planet. These logos ignite their fanbases at the mere sight of them. They communicate precisely what they are meant to, are highly appropriate for the target audience, and work in almost every medium. Everything brand designers look to do with non-sports logos. I say all this to contrast the enshittification of logos these days. So many new and rebrands are a brand name typeset in a sans-serif. Sometimes those types of logos are a vast improvement. Often, they are not.
I have no base for this, but in 2026, I want more brands to lean towards the logo executions of sports teams. Because why the hell not? As long as the logo is appropriate and adaptable, I say rock with it. Hell, I can make it for ya.
Responsible AI
This is an easy target. AI has run amok, and the design community in general needs to grab the reins and calm the bull. The idea of AI doing a majority of a designer’s work is depressing. Forget about the obvious job market implications. If you are a designer, do you really want to let a computer do all the fun stuff you get to do? Why are we so eager to give away creative control? In favor of what? Hermogenized designs and a diminished respect for the thoughtful design process? I don’t know about you, but if I am to use AI, I want it to do all the things I hate doing, so I can concentrate on actually designing.
Off the top of my head, I can’t really pinpoint anything I hate about my work, but I am sure there is something. Ah, anything to do with Excel or maybe managing invoices? Can AI clean up my desktop? Anyway, in 2026, it’s time to put AI to good use. Let’s get way less slop, a ton more mundane tasks, so we can focus on the fun stuff.
What are you hoping for in 2026? Let’s talk about it.