"Imperfect by Design"
2026 design trend as a response to AI
A quick preface,
I wanted to create a blog space on my website where I can openly write about my thoughts on current design trends, old ones, or anything related to the ever-changing design world. My goal is to keep an archive of my thoughts on design patterns and spectate how my own ideas evolve or stay consistent over time. I am not an expert on the topics, but after 8 years of studying Design, I enjoy being a spectator of design trends while developing my own design style.
——-
Right now is a particularly interesting time in the design world, and the world in general. AI is finding where it belongs in each industry and it is interesting how quickly AI became a tool for the creative fields. I like to think of AI as a spectrum: I don't reject all of it but I don't accept all of it. For example; AI is a great tool to ideate with and to speed up certain monotonous parts of the process. It can open up new possibilities to create experiences that integrate modern tech and authentic soul together to create something other-wordly into our tangible world.
But the process has always been the most important in any design project; process always deems product. If the entire process is skipped by using AI for everything, from beginning to end, then there is no process. And therefore, the product is no good. It's about finding the balance where AI can be used for efficiency & improvement, and the human touch is still traceable.
The discrepancies in the uses of AI for branding & advertising come from all across the spectrum. I see cafe advertisements clearly designed with a singular prompt on chatgpt all over Boston, because it is cheap and easy. I also see major companies, such as Hermes, rejecting the quick use of AI by hiring artists who work in meticulous and laborious mediums. Their 2025 branding included analog knit animation, mixed media, and stop motion from independent artists who are masters of their craft.
[side note: I have always found AI as machinery to be extremely compelling. Decades of research and building have brought us to this new AI revolution. I have seen some AI artists creating beautiful works from generated prompts. There are AI models out there, such as KREA, that have been designed and coded by humans to create works that have an essence of a soul. I'm not denying it and I think this will become more refined & fine-tuned in the future. AI models that can generate art with a cohesive aesthetic and clear art direction have the chance to be its own "genre" of art. I have seen incredible works come out of a single prompt. That being said, I'm extremely passionate about human-centered design and I have always believed in the physical process of creation being a critical step in the design process. There is an element of experimentation that I cannot replace by using prompts to generate images or videos. But that's not denying AI as a beneficial tool in the process and also not to neglect the fact that there are AI artists, coders and engineers creating impactful and meaningful projects / artworks. And some are working towards the same cause; to make us feel]
In our evolving world where technology & efficiency are often prioritized over mindful living, I believe humans will prefer reality over perfection. It's obvious when design has traces of human creation that cannot be replaced by the pristine machines. Somewhere between the imperfections, we recognize the realness of life; and life is never perfect. I believe the "demand" for authenticity is on the rise, and authenticity comes with imperfection and experimentation. Authenticity comes with a traceable human touch.
This is why I love the new design trend: "Imperfect by Design". It encourages human touch, human error. And by 'error' I don't mean deliberate mistakes or lazy work - I just mean the raw realness that comes from design crafted by humans. This trend shows that as fascinating and useful AI can be, humans want to be able to detect the details that were created by another human hand. I think the root of all of this is that we all crave connection. The irony of social media is that "connection" can feel like a fallacy, and it only makes us yearn more for true connections. Real ones. Ones that are not generated in a few seconds. The things we design can help promote this message, designs that evoke the human senses. Design that feels personal. Design that reminds us of our humanity and aliveness. Design that we can connect to. And in order to connect to the designs, the designs must reflect the true nature of life. And life is chaotic. It's at times messy and textured. It's imperfect. And there is so much beauty in the imperfections.
In the theme of imperfection, my mind goes to the designers who made mess beautiful. David Carson is a stellar example of this design practice. He was a pioneer of the grunge editorial style that influenced design in both corporate and art worlds. The rules he broke as a designer were not only indicative of the time period but also radicalized a whole new style of design, a style that he delivered with confidence and talent. It was bold, different and messy. Organized chaos. It spoke to people because it feels real.
That being said, AI is evolving everyday and there are tools out there that, with the correct approach, can create things and experiences that draw us to experience the world in a new way. The possibilities are fascinating and the intention remains the most critical. And the intention should be human-centered and authentic.
Guidelines and grids are generated to help us design with a clear order — And they are important. However, sometimes the unique human traces are hiding between those guidelines. And those traces can make us feel.
PS; This is all written by me, no chatgpt or claude to iterate my thoughts this time ;)
2026 design trend as a response to AI
A quick preface,
I wanted to create a blog space on my website where I can openly write about my thoughts on current design trends, old ones, or anything related to the ever-changing design world. My goal is to keep an archive of my thoughts on design patterns and spectate how my own ideas evolve or stay consistent over time. I am not an expert on the topics, but after 8 years of studying Design, I enjoy being a spectator of design trends while developing my own design style.
——-
Right now is a particularly interesting time in the design world, and the world in general. AI is finding where it belongs in each industry and it is interesting how quickly AI became a tool for the creative fields. I like to think of AI as a spectrum: I don't reject all of it but I don't accept all of it. For example; AI is a great tool to ideate with and to speed up certain monotonous parts of the process. It can open up new possibilities to create experiences that integrate modern tech and authentic soul together to create something other-wordly into our tangible world.
But the process has always been the most important in any design project; process always deems product. If the entire process is skipped by using AI for everything, from beginning to end, then there is no process. And therefore, the product is no good. It's about finding the balance where AI can be used for efficiency & improvement, and the human touch is still traceable.
The discrepancies in the uses of AI for branding & advertising come from all across the spectrum. I see cafe advertisements clearly designed with a singular prompt on chatgpt all over Boston, because it is cheap and easy. I also see major companies, such as Hermes, rejecting the quick use of AI by hiring artists who work in meticulous and laborious mediums. Their 2025 branding included analog knit animation, mixed media, and stop motion from independent artists who are masters of their craft.
[side note: I have always found AI as machinery to be extremely compelling. Decades of research and building have brought us to this new AI revolution. I have seen some AI artists creating beautiful works from generated prompts. There are AI models out there, such as KREA, that have been designed and coded by humans to create works that have an essence of a soul. I'm not denying it and I think this will become more refined & fine-tuned in the future. AI models that can generate art with a cohesive aesthetic and clear art direction have the chance to be its own "genre" of art. I have seen incredible works come out of a single prompt. That being said, I'm extremely passionate about human-centered design and I have always believed in the physical process of creation being a critical step in the design process. There is an element of experimentation that I cannot replace by using prompts to generate images or videos. But that's not denying AI as a beneficial tool in the process and also not to neglect the fact that there are AI artists, coders and engineers creating impactful and meaningful projects / artworks. And some are working towards the same cause; to make us feel]
In our evolving world where technology & efficiency are often prioritized over mindful living, I believe humans will prefer reality over perfection. It's obvious when design has traces of human creation that cannot be replaced by the pristine machines. Somewhere between the imperfections, we recognize the realness of life; and life is never perfect. I believe the "demand" for authenticity is on the rise, and authenticity comes with imperfection and experimentation. Authenticity comes with a traceable human touch.
This is why I love the new design trend: "Imperfect by Design". It encourages human touch, human error. And by 'error' I don't mean deliberate mistakes or lazy work - I just mean the raw realness that comes from design crafted by humans. This trend shows that as fascinating and useful AI can be, humans want to be able to detect the details that were created by another human hand. I think the root of all of this is that we all crave connection. The irony of social media is that "connection" can feel like a fallacy, and it only makes us yearn more for true connections. Real ones. Ones that are not generated in a few seconds. The things we design can help promote this message, designs that evoke the human senses. Design that feels personal. Design that reminds us of our humanity and aliveness. Design that we can connect to. And in order to connect to the designs, the designs must reflect the true nature of life. And life is chaotic. It's at times messy and textured. It's imperfect. And there is so much beauty in the imperfections.
In the theme of imperfection, my mind goes to the designers who made mess beautiful. David Carson is a stellar example of this design practice. He was a pioneer of the grunge editorial style that influenced design in both corporate and art worlds. The rules he broke as a designer were not only indicative of the time period but also radicalized a whole new style of design, a style that he delivered with confidence and talent. It was bold, different and messy. Organized chaos. It spoke to people because it feels real.
That being said, AI is evolving everyday and there are tools out there that, with the correct approach, can create things and experiences that draw us to experience the world in a new way. The possibilities are fascinating and the intention remains the most critical. And the intention should be human-centered and authentic.
Guidelines and grids are generated to help us design with a clear order — And they are important. However, sometimes the unique human traces are hiding between those guidelines. And those traces can make us feel.
PS; This is all written by me, no chatgpt or claude to iterate my thoughts this time ;)