Design Trends and Predictions for 2026

Theresa Jackson and Mike Rankin kick off the new year by reflecting on 2025 before looking ahead to 2026. They share their thoughts on design trends for 2026, framed less as visual styles and more as shifts in behavior and mindset. They also react to the Pantone Color of the Year, Cloud Dancer, and what it suggests about the current cultural mood. AI enters the discussion, as it has become part of nearly every conversation about the creative industry. Theresa and Mike talk about AI as one piece of a much bigger picture—how it's influencing tools, workflows, and expectations without defining the entire creative process. The episode wraps with a practical perspective on skill building for the year ahead and a look forward at what's coming next for CreativePro, including the 2026 content direction they're excited about. This episode offers a grounded reset for the new year—reflective, forward-looking, and focused on helping creative professionals move into 2026 with intention and confidence. Episode Highlights Theresa and Mike reflect on what stood out in 2025 and what they were proud of accomplishing. They discuss design trends for 2026 and why those trends are not about colors or type. Hear their reactions to the Pantone Color of the Year, Cloud Dancer, and what that choice suggests about the current cultural moment. Follow how AI enters the conversation naturally, as part of ongoing discussions about design tools, workflows, and expectations. Hear how talking about AI leads to a broader conversation about fundamentals, judgment, and experience. Get a preview of what's coming next for CreativePro, including what Theresa and Mike are excited to share in 2026. Episode Resources CreativePro Events Design Trends for 2026 – Adobe Blog Pantone Color of the Year 2026 Color and Culture by Nicte Cuevas Rebranding CreativePro – article by Nicte Cuevas Before&After – articles by John McWade How to Keep AI-Generated Presentations Fully Editable – tutorial by Camille Holden CreativePro Week 2026, Nashville, June 29–July 3, 2026 Save $100 on any CreativePro event in 2026 with the discount code: PODCAST Get $15 off one year of CreativePro membership with the discount code: PODCAST

Theresa Jackson kicks off this episode of the CreativePro Podcast by digging into one of the most common frustrations for creative teams: review and approval chaos. She's joined by Mike McHugh from PageProof. Listeners are invited to learn alongside Theresa as she asks the questions many teams wrestle with every day. Together, they unpack why creative reviews break down, why email and ad-hoc tools fail at scale, and how centralized proofing changes the way designers, marketers, legal teams, and executives work together. They also explore accountability, reporting, and the human side of approvals, including why people—not tools—are usually the biggest bottleneck. The conversation closes with a look at how AI is beginning to support review and compliance, and why clear processes matter more than ever as creative work scales. Episode Highlights Hear Theresa slowly realize this is way more than a proofing tool—and why her workflow brain kicks into overdrive. Listen as Mike calls out email as the quiet culprit behind most approval chaos. Catch the moment when replacing copy without breaking styles feels almost too good to be true. Feel seen as Theresa and Mike put words to what you already know: people, not tools, are where things usually get stuck. Hear how visibility and accountability change reviewer behavior once everyone's progress is out in the open. Listen as the conversation turns to AI, content credentials, and spotting what changed—and what shouldn't have. Episode Resources PageProof – website PageProof Adobe Add-on – learn more Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI) – website ​​CreativePro Week 2026, Nashville, June 29–July 3, 2026 Save $100 on any CreativePro event in 2026 with the discount code: PODCAST Get $15 off one year of CreativePro membership with the discount code: PODCAST

Mike Parkinson and Jody Wissing join the CreativePro Podcast for a candid conversation about their unexpected paths into presentation design. They explain that presentation design isn't what most people think it is. It's not about making pretty slides. It's about understanding and caring about the content well enough to turn it into a story. They walk through their favorite features for building slides in PowerPoint plus other essential apps for outlining, note gathering, and creating visual elements. Their conversation includes open and honest thoughts about the growing role of AI in presentation design. They share what's helping them, what's changing their workflows, and what keeps them curious—or cautious. They also talk about where they hope AI will take the industry and where they'd prefer it not to go, all while emphasizing the human thinking that still guides great presentation work. Episode Highlights Hear how Jody's very first presentation on a kindergarten playground set the tone for a lifetime of storytelling. Follow Mike's winding path from fine art to bioengineering to comic books before he ever opened PowerPoint. Learn why Jody sometimes shows 300+ slides in a 45-minute presentation, and how audiences never notice. Hear Mike describe AI as a Friction Fixer or Accelerator. It is part of the process, not the product. Listen as both designers share how AI is already part of their daily process, what it helps them do, and why the human element still matters. Catch their honest fears and hopes for AI—including how far they think avatars might go. Resources and Links Mike Parkinson – Website Jody Wissing – Website Inkscape – Free vector graphics editor Slidewise – Add-in for managing and inspecting PowerPoint content NXPowerLite – Windows file compressor Creative Cloud Libraries for PowerPoint – Add On The Presentation Design Conference 2026, February 17–20, 2026 CreativePro Week 2026, Nashville, June 29–July 3, 2026 Save $100 on any CreativePro event in 2026 with the discount code: PODCAST Get $15 off one year of CreativePro membership with the discount code: PODCAST

David Blatner and Theresa Jackson return from Adobe MAX 2025 with stories, insights, and a few surprises. They recap the biggest announcements, their favorite new features, and the feeling of creative inspiration that had nothing to do with Adobe. From AI showing up in nearly every app to Firefly credits, new collaboration tools, and what it all means for creative professionals, they break down the most important takeaways from Adobe's flagship event. Episode Highlights David and Theresa share their experiences at Adobe MAX 2025 —  what makes it both inspiring and overwhelming. Why David calls Adobe MAX a "double-edged sword" — part innovation showcase, part marketing machine. Theresa's favorite new Lightroom feature: AI-powered photo culling. Their cautiously optimistic thoughts about Firefly Boards and Creative Cloud Projects. An honest conversation about AI credits, ethics, and the future of Adobe's business model. What tools and gadgets inspired their friends at MAX — from painting software to portable lighting. The unexpected creative tip from Jason Hoppe that had everyone laughing (and rethinking their Halloween jack-o'-lanterns). How attending events like Adobe MAX and CreativePro Week builds real creative community. Links & Resources Adobe MAX Sneaks 2025 Escape Motions: Rebelle Painting Software Harlowe Lights Jason Hoppe's Pumpkin Carving - https://www.youtube.com/@JasonHoppe  The InDesign Conference 2025, December 9–12 The Presentation Design Conference 2026, February 17–20 ​​CreativePro Week 2026, Nashville, June 29–July 3 Next Office Hours, Friday, December 19, at 3PM ET

During Adobe MAX, Canva dropped a bombshell announcement: the entire Affinity suite—Affinity Photo, Designer, and Publisher—would be free forever. In this episode, David Blatner, Theresa Jackson, and Mike Rankin share their reactions to the news and unpack what it means for creative professionals. They discuss how Canva's move shakes up the design software landscape and whether Affinity can ever rival Adobe's Creative Cloud. The team also explores why this announcement might be good news for everyone, from professional designers to the next generation of creatives. Episode Highlights Canva's surprise move announced during Adobe MAX Why David says "free" doesn't necessarily mean "professional-grade" Theresa's take on Adobe's shifting focus toward hobbyists Mike's look at Affinity's strengths (and key limitations) The gap between Adobe's "everyone" tools and enterprise solutions How Affinity compares for pros: what's missing and what's impressive The bigger picture: education, accessibility, and competition in creative software Resources Canva's official announcement: Affinity now free forever Affinity Suite overview (Photo, Designer, Publisher) Adobe MAX on demand sessions CreativePro InDesign Conference  

InDesign 2026 is here—and so are David and Anne-Marie! In this episode of The CreativePro Podcast, David Blatner and Anne-Marie Concepción bring back InDesign Secrets and dig into the newest release of Adobe InDesign (v21). They explore what's fresh, and what's just plain weird. From the new Flex Layout feature to live text editing in the browser, they unpack the good, the bad, and the future potential of InDesign's next chapter. Along the way, they share favorite finds, event updates, and a few classic "InDesign Secrets" throwbacks—complete with the return of the Obscure InDesign Feature of the Week (-eek!). Highlights: Who are David and Anne-Marie? Anne-Marie's LinkedIn Learning courses David's LinkedIn Learning courses InDesign User Group: 20th Anniversary Adobe MAX Obscure Feature of the Week: Emit CSS InDesign 2026: Flex Layout makes its debut (similar to CSS Flex Layout) David explains how Flex Containers let designers control spacing, alignment, and relationships among multiple objects. InDesign's "InCopy on the Web" (beta) Despite the confusing name, this new feature introduces true browser-based text editing for clients and collaborators. Cloud collaboration Cloud Documents Cloud documents now autosave, sync live edits, and support share-for-text-editing links. Math Expressions evolve Math Expressions MathML integration improves with a dedicated panel and the long-awaited ability to copy equations directly from Microsoft Word into InDesign. Jean-Claude's script to convert math expressions to RGB to CMYK Context Bar gets smarter (and slightly more confusing) The floating context menu now includes quick access to paragraph and character styles. Adobe Express template integration The new "Templates" option on InDesign's Home screen opens the Express web app, not native templates—an unexpected (and debatable) choice. Links & Resources Free Webinar: Bullets and Numbering in InDesign – Now available on demand Design + AI Summit – November 13–14, 2025 CreativePro Week – Coming to Nashville, June 29–July 3, home of Hatch Show Print Listeners can save $100 on any CreativePro event with the discount code: PODCAST CreativePro Membership – Unlock the magazine, downloads, and exclusive resources

In this episode, Amy Balliett and Mark Heaps sit down for an honest conversation about artificial intelligence and what it means for creative professionals. They share how AI is showing up in their work today, the opportunities it creates, and the worries it raises about originality, ethics, and the future of design. Along the way, you'll hear candid reflections on how creatives can keep their unique voice while adapting to rapid change, why embracing experimentation matters, and how to balance efficiency with authenticity. Amy and Mark bring both optimism and caution to the discussion, leaving you with practical insights and plenty to think about. Highlights Lighthearted banter about tech talk and finding "their people" Honest takes on common fears: job loss, plagiarism, and the "end of the world" narrative How AI is reshaping creative careers and where humans still hold an edge The balance between efficiency and originality when using AI in design Practical advice for staying relevant: evolve, experiment, and protect your value Why ethics, transparency, and authenticity matter in AI-powered workflows Opportunities for creatives to lead in strategy, storytelling, and human-centered design Future-proofing careers by learning adaptable skills, not just technical tasks AI Tools Mentioned Adobe Firefly Nano Banana for Photoshop Loveable Bolt Replit Streamlit Vercel Firebase Links & Resources Design + AI FREE Webinar – September 30, 2025: https://creativepro.com/event/free-webinar-unlocking-the-potential-of-ai-in-video/  Design + AI Summit – November 13–14, 2025:https://creativepro.com/event/design-ai-summit-2025/  Listeners can save $100 on any CreativePro event with the discount code: PODCAST CreativePro Membership – Unlock the magazine, downloads, and exclusive resources: https://creativepro.com/membership/

In this episode, Theresa Jackson and Mike Rankin go behind the scenes at CreativePro. They share how their similar career beginnings in prepress connected them at their first meeting many years ago, and how they now share overlapping roles at CreativePro. You'll hear from Mike about the CreativePro Magazine evolution from InDesign-only coverage to a broader creative focus, and other changes that make content faster and easier to digest. This is followed with a conversation about community connection and their ideas for sustaining the energy of CreativePro Week year-round. Mike shares his newly formed Office Hours, and Theresa teases similar new community initiatives on the horizon. Along the way, they preview upcoming events and dive into a candid discussion about AI in design—what excites them, what makes them uneasy, and why creativity and foundational skills still matters most. The show wraps with Mike's top InDesign career tip—one you won't want to miss.   Links & Resources CreativePro Membership – Unlock the magazine, downloads, and exclusive resources: https://creativepro.com/membership/ CreativePro Magazine Article MATE: Your AI Helper in InDesign and Illustrator https://creativepro.com/mate-your-ai-helper-in-indesign-and-illustrator/ Office Hours – Join the conversation: https://creativepro.com/office-hours/ Design + Accessibility Summit – September 16–19, 2025: https://creativepro.com/event/design-accessibility-summit-2025/#overview Design + AI FREE Webinar – September 30, 2025: https://creativepro.com/event/free-webinar-unlocking-the-potential-of-ai-in-video/ Design + AI Summit – November 13–14, 2025:https://creativepro.com/event/design-ai-summit-2025/ The InDesign Conference – December 9–12, 2025: https://creativepro.com/event/indesign-conference-2025/ Rob de Winter's Flux Kontext Photoshop Plugin – https://www.robdewinter.com/flux-kontext-plugin-for-photoshop

InDesignSecrets is now the CreativePro podcast! Join David Blatner and Theresa Jackson and review the past 20 years of podcasting, as well as what to expect next! Links and Info: Our podcast started in late 2005! Trivia: Did you know our podcast intro music was created by Anne-Marie Concepcion's daughter, Nicole?! Have an idea for a future podcast? Leave us a note below!

Topics: Big news about podcast name Our favorite obscure features Fun obscure feature "spelling bee" game Obscure Feature: Positional Form   Friendly Alien: Episode 300 Tip of the Week   Barbell: 20 Obscure Features Episode 35   List of All Our Obscure Features (so far)   Positional Form: Exploring OpenType Pro Fonts, Part 2