As a first addition to my blog, I thought it would be only suitable, as an advocate of bold design, to shine some light on a topic which all designers pay close attention to, whether it's done deliberately or it's just something that we digest on autopilot after a few years in the design game.
And if you arrived here through LinkedIn, you will already know what I'm chatting about, which is trends.
Design trends arise from new technologies unfolding, changes in the market, or also consumer behaviours. Nevertheless, they become a part of our landscape, and we are partially obliged to follow them to prevent us from looking distinctively wrong within the desired category.
However, after reading this year's iF Design Trend Report 2026, I could agree that in today's world, where design is in abundance due to the rise of AI, we are quickly reaching the 'age of average'. As AI itself is classed as a trend (like it or not), this can quickly cause countertrends which are becoming just as important to our designs as the trend itself. So much to the point that the countertrend becomes the trend; standing out like a sore thumb or being the black sheep can be better than trying to fit in for the sake of doing so.
I'm sure most designers in FMCG are now aware of Liquid Death's dramatic approach to a water brand, which was created as a response to Monster Energy supplying 'tour water' cans for punk bands on tour: they looked like Monster Energy to the audience but actually contained water. Monster maintained the visual endorsement, and the bands got the hydration they needed without being shortly diagnosed afterwards with type 2 diabetes.
I mean, it was a brave move to make water rock 'n' roll, but it's opened a lot of doors for its audiences. It's hard to imagine Ozzy (R.I.P.) being interviewed whilst sipping a pink bottle of Nestlé Pure Life.
Another great example I've noticed recently is Graza, who pretty much redefined the extra virgin olive oil category by changing the functionality of it by choosing a squeezy sauce bottle as its packaging format. Not only does this change the aesthetic; it changes the occasion, becoming 'premium without preciousness', allowing its customers to feel less guilty about its everyday 'drizzle', which is what they also did to refine the category even more.
They separated it into two SKUs, 'Sizzle' and 'Drizzle', one for cooking with and the other for dressings, etc. Drizzle is made from younger olives with a more intense flavour, which is why I think this idea is genius, because it simplified how people understand and use premium olive oil, which is a more important piece of design thinking here.
A successful countertrend doesn't simply look different. It spots the unwritten rules of a category and breaks the ones that don't actually matter. Graza was evaluated at a sizzling $240m in 2025, which was achieved in its first three years.
As inspiring as this all seems, we have to consider a few things. These brands both were competing in oversaturated markets where a lot of same-same-but-different designs were on every corner; most customers were already ready for a new approach or a better understanding of it.
Living in Asia, the market is a little different than the USA, but we do see a lot of trends begin in the West, then often spill into the East through globalisation of major brands. However, it's important to be wary of our surroundings and understand what feels premium in Switzerland may not feel the same in Siem Reap.
Also, as much as these examples have proven to perform well, we don't always have to be so extreme with this principle. What I can gather from the report is that the best innovations happen between two opposite poles. For me, I've always felt it's a harmony between familiarity and originality which leads to the best results.
Let's take Chivas Regal XV as a great example of sprinkling a little attitude onto a more than expected, luxury gold premium aesthetic, or Instagram's decision to include some script-looking characters within a primarily sans serif typeface for their most recent refreshed wordmark.
All in all, we can see that breaking away from the expected might be the best path, as long as we ground ourselves some room for basic recognition.
Peace