Design is feeling human again

Photo by Antoine Bouchina

Hi friends of the zebra,

We hope 2026 is off to a great start for you — filled with colour, fun projects, and meaningful experiences.

As we’re easing back into the studio, we took a moment to reflect on 2025 and the year it’s been. Some highlights included collaborating with Victorian Opera on their seasonal campaigns, from The Lyrebird’s Voice to Abduction and Katya Kabanova, as well as working for the third year in a row with Reel Good Film Festival on a fully illustrated campaign.

Looking back, one thing feels increasingly clear: design can no longer be separated from the hands that make it.

A shift toward human-centered design in 2026

After years of hyper-polished branding, photorealistic visuals, and AI-generated perfection, that level of flawlessness has started to feel sterile. When everything can be generated instantly, audiences are drawn to work that feels intentional, emotional, and unmistakably human.

Across design trends in 2026, we’re seeing a strong shift toward human-centered and authentic branding. Designers are embracing imperfection: hand-drawn marks, tactile textures, visible assembly, rough edges, and analog processes like sketching, scanning, collaging, and scrapbooking. These elements introduce warmth and personality where overly polished design can feel flat.

In a world shaped by AI, AR, and digital acceleration, creative work is paradoxically becoming more organic. Branding is moving away from frictionless perfection and toward designs that feel personal, local, and made with care.

Authenticity over perfection

After a decade of immaculate interfaces and mirror-sheen visuals, roughness has become a signal of intent. Texture, grain, noise, handwriting, and subtle imperfections act as credibility markers, proof that a human was involved. This is not about rejecting technology, but about using it more intentionally. AI can support and accelerate creative workflows, but it can’t replace intuition, emotional intelligence, or storytelling rooted in lived experience.

Why custom illustration matters more than ever

At Release The Zebra, this evolution strongly aligns with how we approach branding and illustration. Custom illustration allows space for personality, tactility, and humanity. It helps brands simplify complex ideas, express values clearly, and build emotional connections in an increasingly automated visual landscape.

As we move through 2026, we’ll be sharing more about our projects, our process, and why we believe brands that choose their rough edges on purpose are the ones that truly stand out.

More soon,