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Designing for the Now and Next | 2025 Predictions

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January 22, 2025

2025: The search for comfort & connection

The news cycle heading into 2025 is prepping consumers for a heavy year ahead. Consumers are responding by leaning into media that reflects their identity, by embracing nostalgia as a source of comfort, and by seeking human connection in an algorithm-driven world. All the while, AI is poised to make our lives faster, easier and more connected. How consumers engage with, evaluate, and shop for brands will rapidly evolve in 2025. 

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4 trends we predict will shape 2025: 

  1. Identity holds greater influence over media: As consumer identities become increasingly influenced by algorithms, so will their influence over the media landscape
  2. Nostalgia & the search for comfort: Algorithms aren’t the only reason we are embracing culture that feels familiar – the search for comfort has consumers and brands embracing nostalgia
  3. Two worlds of consumer expectations: Consumer expectations are being shaped by two seemingly opposing forces: the relentless march of AI-driven convenience and the deep human desire for raw authenticity
  4. Algorithms remake the consumer journey: As we move into an era of Algorithmic Planning, this year will be about painting the clearest picture with new data models

Get your copy of Designing for the Now and Next | 2025 Carat Predictions here.