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- 🔗 🧠#14: Looking Ahead in 2025 Pt. 2
🔗 🧠#14: Looking Ahead in 2025 Pt. 2
2025 trends in Collaboration, AI, Typography, Customer Experience, & Culture
Jake Zuke
February 07, 2025
Five resources every week with actionable takeaways to make you a better designer.
February is upon us. One month of 2025 already behind. At the beginning of January, we took a peek into what we might expect to see in 2025.
Of course, there are always more trends to consider. Before this year slips right out from underneath us, let's take one more look at what we might see on the horizons.
— Jake
TODAY'S EDITION
THE STATE OF THE DESIGNER (AND DEVELOPER)
The last few years have us wading in a new era of product creation and collaboration. This report from Figma is neat because it isn’t just focused on designers in a vacuum—but how ultimately our dev counterparts fit into the picture. It gives us some surprising insights about how designers and devs are adapting with their work environments, collaborating, and looking at changes in technology.
THE JUICE
Remote Work Renaissance: The Great Workplace Shift™️ is settling into a groove. Nearly everyone works remotely at least sometimes, and most are splitting time between home and office (and ofc a good chunk are embracing fully remote). We see a little bit of difference across the globe—with European teams happy with this flexibility, APAC folks are maintaining a stronger office presence.
Collaboration is Actually Key: The most satisfied designers and developers turn out to be the ones working more closely together, not in silos. Digital collaboration tools are bridging gaps between teams, whether they're across the room or across the globe. Turns out we like each other after all.
The Handoff Headache: Despite improved collaboration, the designer-to-developer handoff remains a pain point. Teams struggle with misaligned priorities and assumptions about each other's processes. Digital tools help, but there's still work to be done in translating design intent into development reality. Stay tuned for the design <> dev Links for Thinks edition.
AI as Amplifier: AI isn't necessarily replacing anyone, it's making teams more optimistic about their future. Most see it as a way to reduce busywork and speed up processes, especially in APAC where adoption is highest. The impact on collaboration is still emerging, but the potential for transformation is becoming clear.
The Job Market Reality Check: While there's more uncertainty about job prospects than last year, there's also more optimism about the evolution of both disciplines. Teams see AI and improved collaboration as opportunities rather than threats.
LETTERS WITH PERSONALITY
Technology promised us perfect letterforms—pristine vectors and flawless curves. But in 2025, typography might be leaning into its rebellious side. While AI and design tools chase pixel perfection, type designers are intentionally breaking rules, adding personality quirks, and proving that sometimes the most powerful statement is being perfectly imperfect.
THE JUICE
Scene Stealers: High-contrast serifs are serving main character energy. Think bold strokes, extra swashes, and letterforms that demand attention. These aren't your grandmother's book fonts.
Medieval Times: Blackletter and garalde styles are getting a modern remix. Sharp edges meet formal elements for an aesthetic that says "I have a LinkedIn, but I also joust on weekends."
The Human Touch: Digital handwriting finally feels... human-ish? Natural imperfections and organic flow make signatures feel less like robots trying their best.
Mix & Match Families: Font families are going beyond just bold and italic. Single typefaces now pack sans, serif, and display styles—like a typographic Swiss Army knife.
The Independent Scene: Small foundries and independent designers keep pushing boundaries, creating fresh takes faster than you can say, well, something that takes a long time to say.
ANOTHER DAY ANOTHER AI-OLLAR
Maybe one day soon AI won't be taking over our entire discourse. Until that day though, let's talk about AI. Are we going to be stuck in chatbot purgatory for our whole lives? Probably not, according to Google Cloud's latest report. Here's what they're seeing for 2025.
THE JUICE
See, Feel, Hear: Multimodal AI might finally understand context like humans do—processing images, voice, and text simultaneously, making interactions feel more natural and less like you're talking to a robot with distinct steps.
Agent Smith(s): We're moving from single chatbots to multi-agent systems where different AI specialists work together behind the scenes for specific tasks—think one for visuals, one for data, one for coding, all collaborating to get stuff done.
Smart Search: Search is evolving beyond typing keywords into a box. Future systems will understand complex queries, help refine questions, and even spot patterns you haven't noticed yet.
Invisible Tech: The best AI experiences will be the ones users don't even notice. Customer service will resolve issues before they become problems, and personalization will feel natural rather than creepy.
Defense Squad: As AI gets more integrated into everything, security becomes crucial. But instead of adding friction, AI security will work behind the scenes to protect users while keeping experiences smooth.
LESS ROBOT, MORE HUMAN…ROBOTS
Between the AI hype (see, can’t get away from it) and privacy concerns, customer experience has hit a crossroads. While some companies chase shiny new tools, the real winners in 2025 will focus on something different: making digital interactions feel more human, not less.
THE JUICE
AI Integration Changes Everything: 34.2% of digital pros are all-in on AI as their top priority. But we're not talking sci-fi robots—think more "making mundane tasks magical" and less "sorry, HAL can't do that." Companies are using AI for everything from customer service to product recommendations, focusing on working smarter, not harder.
Hyper-Personalization Beats Vanilla: Basic segmentation evolves into hyper-personalization. With 78% of consumers more likely to repurchase from brands offering personalized content, companies are using AI to deliver highly contextualized experiences at scale.
Journey Unification Matters: Data shows that deeper, more consistent experiences lead to better conversion. The magic number? 20+ pages across devices for converted users. Turns out people like when things just work, regardless of whether they're on their phone, laptop, or smart fridge.
Data Gets Smarter: Companies are moving beyond basic analytics to combine first-party data with qualitative insights. This deeper understanding helps deliver better experiences, with data-driven companies growing 30% faster annually. Because sometimes the best insights come from actually watching what your customers do, not just counting clicks.
PINTEREST’S CRYSTAL BALL
Pinterest has a lot of folks searching for inspiration. So naturally, they can put together a pretty interesting report to predict visual trends that might creep into the year. The latest trend report paints a picture of 2025 that's bold, expressive, and wacky weird. The data shows a clear shift from minimalist design toward something more personal and playful, both in physical spaces and digital experiences. Dare I say more fun?
THE JUICE
Mix & Maximalism: Bold patterns and eclectic prints layer together in surprising combinations. Gen X and Boomers lead this departure from clean minimalism, embracing organized chaos in design.
Terra Futura: Sustainability gets a sci-fi makeover. Solarpunk (idk wtf this is, but it sounded cool) aesthetics merge eco-conscious living with futuristic elements, making green living feel less granola and more cutting-edge.
Digital Makeover: Avatar customization moves beyond gaming. People invest in their digital personas with the same care they give their physical appearance, influencing both online and offline style choices.
Beyond Beige: Color becomes the new neutral. Full-spectrum looks replace muted palettes as personal energy and individual style take center stage in visual expression.
THANKS FOR READING—SEE YOU NEXT WEEK
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Cheers, Jake