When stripping the creative process, we’re also stripping away the necessary act of failing, learning and trying again that’s required before mastering a discipline. “That time between knowing what you want to create and actually being able to do it is critical,” Spencer says, “it shapes perspective and gives work meaning.” Perhaps, he ponders, the end result is stripped of worth if that time behind the wheel is removed. “As more people create instantly, the bar for excellence drops,” Spencer says. “That’s why supporting artists who bring a unique perspective, taste, and skill to their work is so important, these are people who know every decision matters, that art has power.”
This perspective is clearly shared, as illustrated by the 2026 Trend Report. In terms of photography, it outlines a broader return to maximalist and, equally, a grungier aesthetic, highlighting the proliferation of direct flash, distorted wide angles and surrealism, to name a few. Similarly, the design trends that Stills predict are also louder than the clean, stark, Swiss-like brands of trends past. Stills predicts more of a scrapbook-like, handmade aesthetic coming to the surface, with cataloguing and scribbling to boot. There’s also an anti-minimalist contingent growing, heading in a Cyber Goth direction as well as, to Spencer’s delight, a futuristic, Medieval one too.
“I’m tired of sterile, boring, hyper-polished, pixel-perfect imagery and, honestly,” Spencer admits, “just lazy design being sold as minimal at this point.” Instead, he champions Maximalism and Future Medieval as two trends that really stand out to him. “Every creative we spoke to brought up the same thing,” he adds, “they want more color, and more personality,” as is observable in the adorned and decorative nuances of futuristic, Medieval aesthetics, and how attention-grabbing the trend is as a result. “Every piece from the visuals, borders and illustrations pulls you in,” Spencer says. “When there are 1,001 ways to make something without thinking, shouldn’t we as creatives take our time and focus on the details?”