Pinterest Predicts 2026: The Design Trends Graphic Designers Should Actually Care About!
Every year, design trend reports flood the internet, and every year we hear the same question from designers in our community: “But how do I actually use this in my work?”
So this year, we’re doing something a little different.
The Pinterest Predicts Report is one of our favourite trend forecasters, and 2026 is no exception. It’s packed with bold visual inspiration, playful aesthetics, and cultural shifts. However, not every trend is equally useful for graphic designers working across branding, packaging, editorial, digital products, or social content.
We’re now at a stage where AI, animation, and immersive design aren’t “future trends” anymore, they’re part of everyday design life. Creative tools are evolving fast, expectations are higher, and it can feel overwhelming trying to keep up while still designing with confidence and passion.
Let’s dive in
1.Glitchy Glam
Mismatched colour, imperfect layouts, experimental typography
One of my favorite trends as it allows designers to have fun with mismatched colours, experiment with split typography and generally give brands a personality. This trend is basically giving designers the permission to break design rules and step away from polished designs.
How to apply to your designs
- Use mismatched colour palettes
- Clashing typography (serif + grotesque, condensed + script)
- Apply asymmetry in layouts, editorial spreads, posters
- Experimental type for fashion, beauty, music, cultural brands
2.Cool Blue
Calm, Modern, and Confident
Cool Blue is not only going to be a popular color in 2026, it’s also going to be very prominent in graphic designer projects. After years of warm neutrals, beige branding, and earthy palettes, Cool Blue feels fresh, modern, and confident, making it a strong and practical choice for real client work in 2026.
How to apply to your designs
- Pair cool blue tones with clean, modern typography
- Use subtle gradients instead of flat colour for depth
- Embrace white space to keep layouts calm and breathable
- Keep the palette subtle for a more premium, confident feel
Source image 1,2,3,4
3.Gimme Gummy
ASMR overload & tactile visuals
Gimme Gummy is all about designs that feel soft, squishy, and almost touchable, even on a flat screen. As digital and AI artwork become more crowded, this trend helps designs stand out by adding texture, depth, and a sense of touch and play.
It works especially well for beauty, wellness, lifestyle, and digital-first brands, where visual impact and emotional connection matter just as much as functionality.
How to apply to your designs
- Use jelly-like, glassy, or inflated UI elements
- Experiment with 3D typography and rounded shapes
- Add soft shadows, highlights, and layered gradients
- Design rubbery buttons, pill shapes, and tactile components
- Apply subtle motion or micro-interactions where possible
When used intentionally, Gimme Gummy makes designs feel playful, modern, and engaging.
Want the full version?
Download the full guide with deeper insights, visual inspiration, and creative challenges to help you practise each trend!
What’s included:
A practical breakdown of the trends that matter
Creative challenges to help you apply them
Ideas for portfolios, personal projects, and client work
4.Neo Deco
Art Deco revival with a modern twist
Neo Deco brings back the glamour of Art Deco, but with a cleaner, more contemporary feel. After years of ultra-minimal design, this trend reintroduces bold geometry, elegant typography, and confident layouts without feeling dated.
This trend works especially well for luxury branding, packaging, editorial design, and event visuals where impact and sophistication are key.
How to apply to your designs
Use geometric shapes and symmetrical layouts
Pair elegant serif typography with clean sans-serif fonts
Introduce metallic accents through gradients rather than flat colour
Build strong hierarchy using scale and contrast
Neo Deco allows designers to create work that feels bold, timeless, and premium making it ideal for high-end client projects in 2026.
5.After-Dark Aesthetic
Moody, dramatic, and cinematic design
Pinterest refers to this trend as “Vamp Romantic”, but for graphic designers it translates into deep colour palettes, rich contrast, and expressive typography that feels bold and theatrical. This visual direction works particularly well for fashion, beauty, music, and personal brands that want to create emotional, high-impact designs.
How to apply to your designs
Use dark colour palettes with strong contrast
Introduce dramatic lighting and shadow effects
Choose expressive, character-led typography
6.Throwback Kid
Retro games, playful nostalgia, bold colour
Throwback Kid taps into nostalgia through retro games, fashion, vintage toys, and playful graphics. It blends childhood references with modern design, creating visuals that feel fun, expressive, and character-driven rather than dated.
This trend works especially well for illustration, packaging, branding, and social content that wants to feel joyful and memorable. Throwback Kid is ideal for lifestyle brands, kids’ products, entertainment, and social-first campaigns.
How to apply to your designs
- Use pixel-inspired graphics and retro iconography
- Experiment with bold, playful colour palettes
- Choose chunky or rounded typography
- Keep layouts simple and graphic
Throwback Kid is ideal for lifestyle brands, kids’ products, entertainment, and social-first campaigns.
7.Wilderkind
Organic forms & natural inspiration
Wilderkind brings fauna-inspired visuals into design in a more subtle and artistic way. Instead of loud prints, this trend focuses on organic patterns, natural textures, and gentle references to the natural world. It’s ideal for designers looking to combine nature with modern aesthetics.
Wilderkind works beautifully for fashion, beauty, wellness, and lifestyle brands.
How to apply to your designs
Use animal-inspired patterns in a abstract way
Work with earthy, nature-driven colour palettes
Introduce organic shapes, soft curves, and floating florals
Expect shades of green to take centre stage, along with unexpected natural motifs like cabbage leaves, florals, and foliage
Wilderkind works beautifully for fashion, beauty, wellness, and lifestyle brands.
Want More Inspiration?
We have put together a free downloadable 2026 Design Trends Inspiration Guide that goes beyond this blog.
- Expanded trend breakdowns
- More Visual inspiration and direction
- Over 10 Creative design challenges
Perfect for designers who want to explore, experiment, and stay creatively relevant in 2026.
We hope you’re feeling inspired by our trend breakdown and excited to start experimenting with new ideas in your own design work. Remember, design trends are not rules, they’re there for creative inspiration.
The most successful designers in 2026 won’t be the ones copying trends, but those who interpret trends with intention and apply them in ways that align with their clients’ goals, their portfolios, and their personal style. Whether you’re experimenting with colour, typography, layout, or texture, these trends are here to spark ideas, encourage exploration, and push your creativity forward, not limit it.
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Disclaimer: Sources & Credits The images we used for our trend guide were pulled from various online sources that captivated us, including talent designers, photographers, and painters. While we try to give them all the credit they deserve, sometimes we make mistakes or are unable to trace the source of the image. If you see anything we shouldn't have used or need proper crediting, please let us know, and we'll fix it.