While most people are busy making and breaking resolutions, the team here at DEQ Studio is taking time to pause and reflect: what were the design trends that defined 2022? What do they reflect about culture at large? And in what ways are industry leaders catching on or falling behind?

**1. Down with monopoly**

We don’t mean the board game. We mean the super-conglomerates that stop any and every small business or start-up from competing.

As social media has become ubiquitous, small businesses have a platform they can reliably launch from, provided their product hits different (that’s Gen Z speak for “cool”). Brands like Nobull, MVMT, and Warby Parker can succeed in spite of the enormous competition because of social media -- and it seems like consumers are eager to support them.

**2. Tesla isn’t cool anymore**

There was a time when spotting a Tesla on the road was a big deal, but 2022 was the year we became inured to its presence

. Electric car enthusiasts watched as newer, shinier and (frankly) faster cars made their way to production. The Lucid Air is now the darling of the industry, and the Lucid Sapphire has trounced the Tesla Plaid on the drag strip. There are also up-and-coming alternative energy vehicles like the solar-powered Aptera, which you have to see to believe, with features like knock-to-open that are just way too freaking cool.

All that to say, Tesla is now your mom’s electric car.

3. VR is back

Virtual reality tech has been puttering along

at a painfully slow pace, but 2022 was the year the industry made some significant headway. Meta, the company-formerly-known-as Facebook, threw its prodigious bulk behind the metaverse last year. Virtual reality tech was emboldened by this, as well as by block-chain technology that has created object scarcity in an otherwise infinite virtual world. We detailed the design implications of this already, but it’s worth noting again: industrial design has everything to gain by using VR to create, manipulate, and iterate 3D models. Collaborating remotely will be a breeze. Our studio was stoked to see the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show feature so much AR/VR tech. The possibilities are endless as this technology grows more intuitive and accessible.

We do have one hang up, though…VR microphones. What were they thinking when they designed this thing? It looks like something straight out of bot BDSM. You can do better, people.

4. Manual Transmissions

Tina and Ray Mattison, co-founders of Design Eye Q Studio, both love manual transmissions. Being able to actively *drive* a car is a gratifying experience that will someday fall into antiquity.

However, 2022 saw a resurgence of manual cars. This 2007 Murcielago Lamborghini is now worth millions of dollars, as car enthusiasts are now pining for manual transmissions. Even the newest of new supercars, including the latest Supra and the Koenigsegg CC850, have a manual option. In the next decade, we may see the last dying breath of the manual transmission, but for now, it lives on.

2022 saw a continued trend towards high-tech user interfaces that are intuitive, hands-free, and seamless (with the exception of the aforementioned manual transmission). Gestural, touch, or tap commands are now the standard in any new car interior. Home systems, wearable tech, and gaming have all embraced simple, intuitive interfaces.

As crazy-ass weather patterns disrupt our lives, we’re all desperate to see industries take part in saving our planet. That’s why eco-materials, recycled everything, and earth tones continued to excite consumers in 2022. In automotive, electric vehicles and hybrids are selling like hotcakes, and even interiors are becoming environmentally-friendly.

The shared trauma humanity suffered during the epidemic made some seismic cultural waves, including a collective agreement to escape into our childhoods. From 90s-inspired infographics and fashion (hello, hair clips) to Shrek-themed raves, we all just wanted a little something to remind us of the good ol’ days.

Also trending in 2022 (particularly among celebrities) was “the Naked dress” and a sort of brutally minimal aesthetic, like in Kim Kardashians all-white-everything house. Basically, less was more for the rich and famous in 2022. It will be interesting to see culture strike back in 2023 with the advent of the Barbie movie and Witherspoon’s film version of Daisy Jones and the Six. We predict a flurry of flower power and magenta. Sorry, Kim.

**9. Soft, pillowy, round and plush**

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Similar to our escape into nostalgia, we also created objects rounder, softer, and more doughy than in the previous decade. Pretty much every clothing ad on social media featured “the softest” something or other. We just really wanted to be comfortable in 2022, and that trend is not going to reverse itself any time soon.

10. AI Everything

With the emergence of more efficient, articulate, and accessible bots, 2022 saw an AI revolution in art video, and design flooded the internet,

leading to a subsequent counter-revolution among artists and creatives. Bots “learn” by being fed media and information created by humans, and there is widespread concern among many artists that, at best, bots are guilty of copyright infringement, and at worst, are a threat to art as an innately human expression, process, and form.

Here’s the thing. As designers and creatives ourselves, we ain’t afraid of no bots. We think AI art could prove useful in certain industries. For example, in product design, creating multiple iterations on a theme is difficult and time-consuming. Bots could be a boon for that creative process, as they’re able to create any number of iterations in the blink of an eye. But it still takes a human eye to discern what is valuable and what isn’t.

For those still harboring anxiety about AI generated art, do yourself a favor and watch this AI generated episode of Cobra Kai. There’s no need to fear -- bots clearly have a long way to go. In the meantime, we’re here for it.

What trends did you love or hate in 2022?

Let us know on LinkedIn or Facebook. For more information about us, you can read our blog, check out our design process, or contact us directly.

The Year in Review: Industrial Design, 2022

While most people are busy making and breaking resolutions, the team here at DEQ Studio is taking time to pause and reflect: what were the design trends that defined 2022? What do they reflect about culture at large? And in what ways are industry leaders catching on or falling behind?

All that to say, Tesla is now your mom’s electric car.

What trends did you love or hate in 2022?