Dive into the colorful and ever-evolving landscape trend forecasting with my 2026 trend report, where I share the latest and coolest trends just waiting to spark your creativity!
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Welcome to my 2026 Trend Forecast! I'm Cat, and I've been working in art licensing and surface pattern design for over a decade.
Every year, I put together this trend forecast, and it's become one of my favorite annual passion projects. This report is a tool l use to guide my own design work, and I'm excited to share it with you.
Knowing what's coming next is essential if you want to build a successful creative business in this space. I've seen firsthand how much trends impact licensing opportunities, and that's exactly why I started creating these reports. I needed something that looked at emerging visual trends specifically through the lens of art licensing and surface pattern design, the categories where my work lives: home decor, wall art, wall-paper, stationery, dated goods, tech accessories, apparel, gifting, etc.
But beyond the practical side, I'm also genuinely fascinated by this. I love watching visual movements emerge, evolve, and eventually shape what consumers connect with. As soon as I launch each year's report, I'm already working on the next one, constantly observing, collecting inspiration, and spotting the patterns that will define the year ahead.
This report represents an entire year's worth of research, built specifically for artists who are designing work that will live on prints and products. My goal is to give you actionable insights you can confidently use in your own work, knowing they'll resonate with consumers in 2026 and beyond.
Meet the eye behind the trends. For the past decade, I’ve worked in the commercial art world, primarily in art licensing, where I license my designs on products that sell globally. To date, over a million products
featuring my artwork have been sold worldwide, and a huge reason for that success is trend awareness.
I’ve built my career on knowing what’s coming next. I spot visual trends before they peak, and I know how to turn those high-concept ideas into designs that actually sell. That’s what these annual trend reports are all about: sharing what I’m seeing so you can stay ahead.
Trend forecasting isn’t just about predicting the future. It’s about paying attention to the cultural shifts, design innovations, and aesthetic movements happening right now that will shape tomorrow. This report is my way of passing that knowledge on to fellow artists & designers, art directors, and industry professionals who want to be ready for what’s next.
Ending on a note of gratitude. I want to extend a huge thank you to all the amazing artists and designers featured in this trend report. Your creativity and unique styles have truly brought these 2026 trends to life. Thank you for letting your art serve as a vision for the future. Your work doesn’t just inspire, it shapes what’s possible in our industry.
Wishing you inspiration,
Discover profitable design trends and create artwork with mass appeal.
Are you ready to create artwork and designs that will become insanely popular and earn you passive income for months or years to come? Welcome to trend-forecasting!
This class is packed with insider tips to identify trends early and tons of actionable steps you can start implementing into your creative work today.
