Leaders speculate on how the industry will shape the coming year, giving rise to existential thoughts on design’s enduring power to connect on a human level, as well as growing customer and client expectations for the industry to reimagine and rebuild the world, all set against a backdrop of challenging business circumstances.
What does 2025 hold for design and what should clients be thinking about next year? Here’s what experts from across branding, product, UX, retail and more had to say…
Branding and identity design
Natasha Jen, partner, Pentagram: “Let’s begin by drawing a distinction between branding and design. Branding is fundamentally about marketing – selling a perception, a promise or a fantasy. Design, meanwhile, is about creating, although it can’t escape the gravitational pull of marketing considerations.
“In 2025, the role of design will grow increasingly ambiguous. AI tools are not just proliferating; they are actively redefining the act of design itself. What we once considered the …