5 trends in design right now

What the 5th annual iF Design Trend Report found that may surprise you. Every year, a new crop of trend forecasts attempts to spell out where different industries are heading; for me, the most interesting is the state of design. While the predictions vary, a clear theme is emerging: The most important design story of 2026, according to our iF Design’s 2026 Trend Report, is not AI but how design and designers are responding to it.