Emerging Trends in Design: A Review of the Literature and Global Interest in the Future of the Field
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20868/ardin.2026.15.5663Keywords:
design, futures studies, design trends, augmented reality, virtual reality, immersiver design, artificial intelligenceAbstract
This article conducts a review of the existing literature on emerging design trends. Peer-reviewed articles published in leading journals, university repositories, and selected dissemination sources were examined in order to define the key terms associated with future directions in design. Furthermore, a framework was developed to analyze Google search data for these terms from May 2020 to May 2025. This approach enabled a comparison between the concepts identified in the literature as “emerging trends in design” and the actual search behavior of internet users over the past five years, with the objective of determining which concepts are genuinely gaining traction and which are not. The findings indicate that the terms highlighted in the literature as “new design trends” do, in fact, show a rising trajectory in online search interest. The study suggests that the future of design will follow the directions emphasized in the literature: increased attention to augmented and virtual reality, sustainability, new design approaches and methodologies, immersive and multisensory practices, as well as the growing role of Artificial Intelligence in the field. The insights presented here offer a foundation for subsequent research aimed at deepening the understanding of the relationship between design and the future.
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