INDUSTRIAL DESIGNERS: what do you think ID looks like in 2026?

Written By Blair Hasty

Creative Bloq just published their illustration trends for 2026. The headline is "pushing back against AI polish with human warmth, wonky charm and storytelling swagger." More childlike, hand-drawn, imperfect work. Less corporate perfection, more authentic mess.

It got me thinking about what this means for industrial design. We're facing the same pressure. AI can generate forms, optimize structures, spit out variations faster than we can sketch. So what's our version of pushing back? What's the industrial design equivalent of wonky charm?

Is it more emphasis on materials and craft? More storytelling through form? Designing objects that feel intentionally made rather than algorithmically optimized? Or are we headed somewhere completely different?

I don't have the answer, but I'm curious what you're seeing. What does 2026 look like for Industrial Design? Drop your take below..

st-illustration-trends-for-2026

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Blair Hasty
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