Key Takeaways
Entering 2026, SAWDUST looks at three developing design trends we expect to see this year. While Artificial Intelligence is here to stay, there is a growing pushback to the technology. What originally felt exciting and boundless has quickly become inauthentic in the hearts and minds of people.
The Shift — Made with Human Intelligence™
In 2026, design will shift from clean, polished work evoking machine-like precision and artificial adoption, to work that feels intentionally imperfect and unmistakably human.
This year, we’ll see a return to analog influence and handcrafted aesthetics. Expect to see photography that hasn’t been retouched, experimental hand-drawn type, layered mixed-media styling, and lo-fi production techniques, making their way into brand systems. Imperfection will be embraced as authenticity.
Flexible Brand Systems
AI is brutally fast at doing what it is told to do but it lacks the ability to think critically or creatively without us. Simple static brand applications will give way to flexible design systems that require human engineering. Built with modular elements, Pick and Mix type, and adaptable color palettes, brands that feel alive will excel. Uniformity will no longer be the goal rather cohesive evolution.
The Ghost in the Machine
Lastly, in 2026, the best brands will remind people to feel something again. As audiences grow tired of endless content, especially AI slop, brands that prioritize emotional connection over soulless content, will cut through the noise and actually hold attention. Nostalgia will be used to recall a not so distant past before we began to lose touch with our humanity.
Let us be the humans behind your brand. SAWDUST is ready to Search & Destroy.
Lead the way in branding in 2026. Contact us and follow along on Instagram for more.
*All image rights and credits are reserved to the respective owner(s).
