Design trends we’re not doing in 2026

It’s 2026, baby. And you know what that means? No, not we’re not talking about another major geopolitical fallout (thanks, again, DJT). We mean all the “bold new design trends” doing the rounds, you silly goose.

The same bland ideas, slightly rearranged, repackaged and sold to you in a ChatGPT-written LinkedIn post? Yep, those.

So instead of giving you a neat little list of what’s hot right now (because let’s face it, it’s not), we’re giving you a list of what we’re not doing in 2026. Not because we’re grumpy. But because good design isn’t about blindly following trends until everyone’s logo looks like it came from the same Figma file. It’s about showbiz, kid. And that’s what we’re all about.

Right. Let’s get into it.

AKA: be ‘trendy,’ but make it safe

Brutalism had its moment. In the 1950’s. Jk. In all seriousness, it does have its place in the world of branding. Raw layouts, clashing type. A bit shouty, a bit “design rules are optional.” It’s cool, and it does lend itself to a hip infographic every now and then.

Then somewhere along the line, it got… polite.

That’s right. Big corp got to it, and now it’s brutalism with rounded corners. Brutalism with loads of white space. Brutalism in tasteful sand tones that wouldn’t offend a WeWork lobby. Yuk.

In essence, if it’s meant to feel raw and in-your-face, but actually feels like a lifestyle brand selling artisanal candles, we’re out.

If you want bold, let’s actually be bold. Otherwise, let’s not cosplay rebellion. Ok?

Because “make it more funny” isn’t a strategy

Yes, AI is clever. Yes, it’s fast. And yes, it can knock out 40 logo options before you’ve finished your oat milk latte.

But if your entire brand is built on prompts, stock-style AI imagery, and copy that sounds like it was written by an A-Level Media student, it shows.

We’re not anti-AI. We’re anti-laziness.

In 2026, AI should be a tool in the process – not the personality of the brand. And, if we’re being candid, it should be gatekept by real creatives (#justsaying). If your visuals don’t have a point of view (or a human behind them), you’re basically generic white space – just with extra computing power.

A cartoon brain with eyes and wacky fonts on every screen

At some point, “playful” became code for:

– Goggly cartoon eyes
– Smiley icons
– A friendly sans-serif doing its best
– Copy that says “We’re shaking things up!”

Once everyone does it, it stops being playful and starts being predictable.

If your fintech brand looks like a mental health app, which looks like a cereal brand, which looks like a startup that sells socks… we’ve got a problem.

Fun is great. But it still needs teeth. Why do you want to be ‘playful’ in your visuals, and how does that fit with your brand?

You need consistency, yes, but it must be individual to you. More on that MO here.

Y2K, but again. And again.

The 90s came back. Yay, absolute bangerz. Then the early 2000s. Boooo low-rise jeans. Then suddenly everything was chrome, pixelated, or pretending it lived on a Windows XP desktop.

Nostalgia can be powerful, when it’s used with purpose. But if the entire concept is “remember this?” and nothing else, it wears thin fast. Especially when five other brands launch the same retro rebrand within six months. Do you really need to send out a Polaroid camera to clients as a gimmick, or is there a better, more ‘on-brand’ option staring you right in the face?

Just because a gen z-er on TikTok has romanticised something, is that going to make your target audience engage with you?

Looking backwards is fine; getting stuck there isn’t.

The fastest way to look dated

This one’s the real killer. Chasing trends without thinking about brand personality, audience, or longevity is how you end up redesigning everything again in 18 months.

And again. And again.

Design should flex and evolve, sure. But if it doesn’t have a backbone, it collapses the moment the trend cycle moves on.

We’re not here to make you look like everyone else right now. We’re here to make you recognisable for the long haul.

Thinking, questioning and designing with intent.

At Pistachio, we use trends when they make sense – and we ignore them when they don’t. What we’re really interested in is building brands that feel confident enough not to chase every shiny new thing that pops up on a “Top 10 Design Trends” article.

And if you really need talking out of ‘beige brutalism’… we’re here to help.