The “right problem” problem
March 4, 2026
By Fernanda Santos • February 2026
I hear the word trend used constantly in design, and often in a way that makes it feel disposable. Something new, something fast, something that will be replaced in six months. But in my experience, trends aren’t shallow. They’re misunderstood.
A trend is rarely just about how something looks. It’s about why it looks that way in the first place.
Trends don’t start on Instagram or on a mood board. They start with people. With how we live, what we’re worried about, what we’re craving, and how our routines change over time. Design is simply the visible layer of those shifts.
Designers don’t create trends out of thin air. We read them. We connect dots. We notice when the same ideas start appearing in different places, for different reasons. That’s when something moves from being a coincidence to being a signal.
Not everything labelled as a trend deserves the same attention.
Some trends are quick, very visual, and easy to copy. They work well for marketing moments, but they age fast. I think of these as surface trends.
Timeless trends are different. They’re slower and quieter. They’re tied to behaviour rather than aesthetics. They don’t disappear — they evolve. You see them reinterpreted across seasons, categories, and price points because they’re responding to something real. When designers learn to tell the difference, the work becomes more intentional and far more durable.
Colour and materials are where trends show up first. Long before a look becomes mainstream, you can already feel it in palettes and textures. These choices require commitment — from sourcing to production — so they tend to move ahead of the curve. Colour is emotional. It reflects how people want to feel, often before they can articulate it. Materials respond to touch, comfort, longevity, and values. This is especially true in textiles, which live so close to the body and the home.
For me, textiles are one of the clearest ways to read what’s coming next.
At Qrious Eye, trend forecasting isn’t about predicting what will be popular. It’s about paying attention. I look for patterns across industries — interiors, fashion, wellness, even architecture — and ask what they have in common.
When the same colour stories, material choices, or surface treatments keep showing up in different contexts, that’s usually a sign of a deeper shift. Those are the moments where you can design two years ahead, not because you’re guessing, but because you’re listening.
The goal is never novelty. Its relevance.
Design has an impact beyond aesthetics. It shapes how spaces feel and how people experience them. In a world saturated with fast trends, choosing what lasts is a form of responsibility.
When trends are understood as reflections of human behaviour, timelessness becomes a conscious design choice — not an accident.
About Fernanda Santos
Fernanda Santos is a creative director and textile designer with over 25 years of international experience in colour, materials, and trend forecasting. She is the founder of Qrious Eye Studio, where she works with brands to translate behavioural shifts into thoughtful, long-lasting design directions across home and lifestyle categories.