The Design Trends Set to Boost Filipino Creativity in 2026

This year’s creative edge is visual authenticity over polished AI work.

A clear theme emerged at the recently unveiled Design Trends 2026 report of Canva: visual authenticity matters more than ever as artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more embedded in creative work.

Canva, a global platform for visual communication and collaboration, surveyed 1,000 creators from the US and Brazil, as well as behavior from over 260 million creators using the graphic design tool, for the report.

This shift has given rise to a new creative standard dubbed Imperfect by Design, where creators favor designs that feel human, expressive, and relatable over overly polished outputs. In the Philippines, where the creative economy contributed an estimated 7.3% of the country’s 2024 GDP, brands and creators are challenged to adapt without losing the authenticity that resonates with local audiences as AI transforms content creation.

“AI is accelerating how Filipinos create, but it’s human emotion that keeps the work meaningful. We’re seeing creators embrace designs that feel imperfect, expressive, and deeply personal and that’s becoming the new creative edge in 2026,” Angelo Cuyegkeng, Design Lead of Canva Philippines, said.

With 49% using AI tools weekly, and 30% daily, AI has now become a core part of creative workflows, reinforcing the technology’s role as a creative collaborator.

Among the key visual trends noted by the survey is Reality Warp, which are AI-driven visuals that are bold, surreal, and built to capture attention and amplify self-expression. Other trends include Drama Club and Prompt Playground, which both reflect growing experimentation as creators use AI to transform technical formats into playful creative outputs.

Canva also reported that searches tied to lo-fi, motion collage, and retro-tech aesthetics rose to 48.9%.

Searches for “clean layout,” “serif,” and “simple branding,” meanwhile, grew 54% year-over-year, reaching 45 million impressions on the platform.

In an increasingly automated landscape, designs that feel real may be what stands out most as Filipino brands look to use AI with intention, all the while keeping human creativity, emotion, and authenticity at its core for success in 2026.