Every year design reinvents itself, sometimes with a bang, sometimes with a quiet shift in colour palettes or typefaces. In 2026 the brands that cut through the noise will be the ones brave enough to embrace creativity that feels both fresh and strategic. Here are the trends we see shaping the year ahead, explained in plain language.

Typography

Typography is stepping off the page and into motion. We’re seeing text that moves, shifts, or dances across screens, grabbing attention in ways a static headline can’t. This isn’t just about showing off animation skills when done well, kinetic type helps set the tone of a brand, guiding the viewer’s eye and creating an emotional response. Imagine your brand message not just being read, but felt through movement.

Brutalism

Brutalism, that stripped-back, industrial style you might remember from minimalist websites and stark posters, is also evolving. Once associated with cold, bare-bones layouts, it’s now being softened with splashes of neon colour, gradient overlays, and even hand-drawn illustrations. It still has that bold, no-nonsense punch, but now it feels less like a concrete bunker and more like a warehouse party.

Sustainability

Sustainability in design is no longer a trend, it’s an expectation. Customers are looking at packaging and print materials and asking: “Was this made responsibly?” Designers are responding with earthy colour palettes, natural textures, and creative uses of recycled or reusable materials. The exciting part is that these eco-conscious choices don’t have to look rough or plain clever design can make them polished, elegant, and highly desirable.

Immersive

Design is also becoming more immersive. With augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) becoming everyday tools, brands are creating identities that can be interacted with rather than just looked at. Picture a wine label that comes alive with a short story when you scan it, or a logo that exists as a 3D environment you can explore. It’s branding as an experience rather than a static mark, and it opens the door for deeper, more memorable connections with customers.

Nostalgia

And then there’s nostalgia, which keeps looping back around in fresh ways. The Y2K revival (inspired by the shiny, playful look of the late 1990s and early 2000s) has now evolved into a mash-up of decades. We’re seeing designers borrow from 70s psychedelia, 90s typography and retro-futurist colours sometimes all in the same piece. The result is a vibrant, slightly chaotic aesthetic that resonates because it feels both familiar and new. For brands, it’s a chance to tap into people’s fond memories while still looking forward.

The thread running through all of these movements is creativity with intent. Technology might provide new tools and platforms, but it’s the designer’s hand and eye that shape those tools into stories people care about. The brands that lean into bold choices, sustainability, and a sense of play will find themselves standing head and shoulders above the competition in 2026.

At Fresco, we’ll be embracing these shifts with curiosity and craft, and perhaps sneaking a neon brutalist header into our own decks (with taste, of course). If your brand is ready to cut through in 2026 with design that connects and converts, we’d love to chat.