SYDNEY - Thursday, 11. December 2025
Canva’s third annual
Design Trends Report uncovers insights from millions of Canva users and
billions of designs to predict the must-know visual trends for creators
and brands in 2026.
90% surge in DIY-inspired searches, reflecting a shift toward raw, personal, and imperfect design.
85% increase in searches for Zine and Substack inspired layouts as creators gravitate toward editorial style storytelling.
80% of creators say 2026 is the year to regain creative control,
embracing AI as a partner while prioritizing styles that feel human.
54% growth in searches for clean layouts and simple branding as audiences gravitate toward pared back styles.
527% surge in lo-fi aesthetic searches in favor of nostalgia driven, emotionally expressive visuals.
220% jump in searches for “liminal” and “uncanny” content as lines between real and surreal blur.
(BUSINESS
WIRE)--Canva, the world’s leading all-in-one visual communication
platform, today unveiled its third annual Design Trends Report with bold
predictions for creativity, social media and brand content in 2026. The
company also unveiled a “Design DNA” feature, which offers Canva users a
custom recap that celebrates their creative output in 2025.
Trends from Creators, for Creators
By
analyzing design and search activity, expert insights from the Canva
Designer Advisory Board, and a survey of 1,000 creators across the U.S.
and Brazil, Canva has identified 10 design trends that will shape
creative and design culture in 2026. The findings paint a clear picture:
as creators embrace AI’s power, they also crave the human touches that
make design feel personal.
A New Creative Standard: Imperfect by Design
As
AI technology raises the baseline for what's possible, visual
authenticity has become the ultimate differentiator. After years of
algorithmic sameness and polished perfection, 80% of creators surveyed
said “2026 is the year we regain creative control” - not by rejecting
AI, but by using it on their own terms.
AI remains a central part
of creators’ workflows, with 77% describing AI as an “essential
partner.” This moment is about using the tools at our disposal, while
ensuring individual taste and personality shine through.
From
sensory textures to cinematic storytelling, creators are diving
headfirst into the synthetic era. With searches for DIY and
collage-inspired elements up by 90%, users are simultaneously embracing
design that signals genuine human presence while also embracing what AI
has to offer.
“As more and more creators turn to AI to help them
express themselves visually, we believe 2026 marks the year of Imperfect
by Design, a time when blending AI seamlessly with human imagination
and creativity has never mattered more. Canva was built for this shift,
to empower anyone to use AI on their terms and bring their ideas to life
in a way that feels personal, authentic, and unmistakably human.”
– Cat van der Werff, Canva’s Executive Creative Director
10 Trends Brands & Creators Need to Know
Canva’s
global insights reveal 10 design trends set to shape creativity in
2026, reflecting how AI, culture, and community are reshaping visual
expression worldwide.
Reality Warp: Creators are
intentionally blurring the line between real and surreal. Searches for
“liminal” and “uncanny” jumped 220% year over year, with nearly a
quarter of creators predicting this will be the defining look of 2026.
Prompt Playground: Experimentation meets early-internet nostalgia as
people design for emotional impact first. UI fragments, retro-tech
references, and “vibe coding” are reshaping visual language, with
searches for “lo-fi aesthetic” spiking 527%.
Explorecore: In
response to digital overwhelm, Explorecore champions clarity and calm.
Searches for Zine- and Substack-inspired layouts are up 85% year over
year as creators seek designs that slow the pace and invite deeper
exploration.
Texture Check: Driven by a boom in CGI and
hyper-real materials, Texture Check makes surfaces the star. From glassy
to waxy to touchably tactile, realistic textures are surging on Canva,
where related searches have grown 30%.
Notes App Chic: The rise
of celebrated imperfection is pushing creators toward scrapbook-style
visuals, messy compositions, and behind-the-scenes authenticity. DIY and
collage-inspired elements are up 90%, reflecting a cultural shift
toward progress over polish.
Opt-Out Era: A counterweight to
digital burnout, this trend pares visuals back to their essentials.
Clean layouts, serif fonts, and simple branding are replacing maximalist
palettes and mascots. Searches for “clean layout,” “serif,” and “simple
branding” climbed 54%.
Drama Club: Creators are turning up the
emotional volume, channeling cinematic storytelling across social
content, art, and video. Interest in “mockumentary,” “dramatic
spotlight,” and similar motifs is up 27%, fueling a resurgence in
high-drama aesthetics.
GrannyWave: In India, nostalgia is driving
a vibrant revival of cultural motifs, from handloom patterns to
festival hues and Bollywood glamour. Searches for “Desi” and “Hindi
typography” grew 26% and 17%, highlighting a return to heritage-rich,
maximalist storytelling.
Zinegeist: In Mexico, the DIY zine
movement is back with extra volume. Collaged layouts, anti-gloss
textures, and bold, oversized type are taking hold as creators reject
overly digital aesthetics. Related searches—like “brutalist design” and
“type poster”—rose 77% year over year.
Block Party: Spain’s
creative community is blending vintage tones, folklore, and everyday
pastimes into warm, nostalgic visuals reimagined through a modern lens.
Searches for styles like “Estética Tradicional” and “Folklore Urbano”
hit 1.5 million impressions.
Getting Personal with Design DNA
Canva
users can now access their own unique ‘Design DNA’ report. The
AI-powered Design DNA feature analyzes each user’s 2025 design habits
and generates a bespoke recap of their creative achievements. A
personalized creative identity card is shared to indicate whether
they’re a Font Stylist, a Prompt Picasso, a Chatter Box, or a Newbie.
Canva generated over 111 million unique Design DNA assets last year.
Canva’s
trend predictions for 2026 can be found at canva.com/design-trends/ and
any Canva user can generate their own Design DNA recap at canva.com.
About Canva
Launched
in 2013, Canva is the world’s leading all-in-one platform for visual
communication and collaboration. Built to empower everyone to design,
Canva serves the creative and design needs of enterprises, small
businesses, consumers, and students in more than 190 countries
worldwide.
Whether you’re a novice taking your first steps in
design, or a creative professional seeking powerful tools, Canva ensures
users have what they need to transform an idea into something
beautiful. Underpinned by the world's most comprehensive library of
designer-made content, Canva is powered by a suite of products and
proprietary AI tools that elevate how individuals and teams create,
collaborate, and communicate with ease.
Press Hub
Click here
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251210696597/en/
Permalink
https://www.aetoswire.com/en/news/1112202551631
Contacts
Canva press contact
maddison@canva.com
No comments:
Post a Comment