Designers are literally impossible to shop for… so we made a cheat sheet. 🎁😮💨 The 2025 Designer Wishlist is here: ten archetypes, fifty picks, zero guesswork.
From the Minimalist with the spotless desk to the Maximalist drowning (happily) in colour and clutter. Whether they’re a Technophile chasing the latest gadget, a Retrofuturist living in three decades at once, a Vibe Curator arranging their entire personality through lighting, or an Archivist hoarding memories and notebooks, there’s something here that will hit their exact designer niche.
Swipe through, save your favourites, and find the gifts that will actually live on their (or your) desk.
Our full blog post with even more ideas → linked in our bio. ✨
Here’s what we predict is going to be big in design this year 👀
Some were already heating up in 2024, but we see them really taking over in 2025.
Which are you into? Which ones give you the ick? Did we miss something? Let us know below!👇
🟣 Pixel
Pixel-perfect isn’t the goal anymore — pixelated is the goal. Designers are leaning into lo-fi aesthetics, bitmap fonts, chunky pixels, and raw web 1.0 vibes. It’s nostalgic, it’s digital-native, and it totally embraces the glitch.
🖤 Anti-design
Ugly is the new pretty. We’re talking chaotic layouts, clashing colors, broken grids, and type that does what it wants. Anti-design isn’t about being random — it’s rebellion with intent, challenging the polished norm and demanding attention.
🎨 Maximalist illustration
Clean and minimal is out — maximalist illustration is turning up the volume. Expect hyper-detailed, over-the-top drawings that are layered, expressive, and often weird in the best way. It’s all about letting the artwork take over.
🕯 Neo-Gothic
Gothic is getting a modern remix. Think dramatic serif type, moody palettes, ornate motifs, and medieval-inspired elements — but with a sharp, contemporary twist. Dark mode never looked so good.
✨ Art Deco Revival
We’re seeing a return to structured elegance — bold symmetry, geometric patterns, and high-gloss finishes. Art deco is back (again), but this time it’s less Gatsby and more grid-breaking luxury with modern type and color palettes.
📎 Mixed Media
Cut, paste, scan, scribble — mixed media is having a moment. Designers are combining analog textures with digital layers: taped notes, doodles, paper scans, messy type. It feels handmade, imperfect, and refreshingly human.
📱 UI-core
Interface aesthetics are leaking into all kinds of design. Inspired by Windows, iOS, and web dashboards, UI-core is minimalist, neutral, functional — but not boring. Lots of dropdowns, toggles, tabs, and that beautiful system font energy.
🤖 AI Design
Love it or hate it, AI is staying. But designers are moving past just prompting — they’re using AI to remix, prototype, or generate unexpected outcomes. The trend is less about the tool and more about how creatively you can push it.
Fresh issue, out now! Radical freebies up front, mega-cool fonts in the middle, ultra-pro mockups and big sale picks throughout. Swipe through for instant design action 👀 Now in stores. Well, store. Link in bio to shop the lot.
Meet @angelainthefields , one of the Studio 2am creators and a genuine favourite around here. 🌀❤️
Angela’s work sits right at the intersection of trend forecasting and design. She tracks culture obsessively, sits on obscure Reddits, watches graduate shows, follows companies nobody else is watching, and connects the dots into something you can actually use. The result is assets that feel ahead of the curve rather than chasing it.
Her approach is refreshingly pragmatic too. She’s clear-eyed about the difference between a fleeting Pinterest moment and a real cultural shift, and her work reflects that. Her shop on Studio 2am is full of modern, slightly urban, slightly experimental pieces that always seem to land a few months before everyone else catches on.
Have a browse through her shop, and follow her for the trend reports while you’re at it. Worth it on both counts. @angelainthefields
Some designers are keeping it analog, some are going all in on AI. Either way, what’s the part of design that stays uniquely human? Let us know in the comments ↓
