iF Design Trend Conference

Earlier this year, we were awarded an iF Design Award for the UHUE custom cosmetic creator (Now CO.8) under the Product, Beauty & Personal Care category. With 10,651 entries from 66 countries, we were ecstatic to be recognized for our work in pushing the boundaries of product development and meaningful design.

As part of this celebration, we attended the iF Design Award Night in Berlin, followed by the iF Design Trend Conference, hosted in the inspiring architectural space designed by Frank Gehry. The conference offered a deep dive into the iF Design Trend Report 2025, outlining the global transformations reshaping our industries and societies, and how design must evolve in response.

In this article, we’ve captured the most important themes and key takeaways from the conference, along with reflections on how these insights align with our work at Unbox.

Six Fundamental Societal Transformations

The conference highlighted six fundamental societal transformations currently shaping design industries: 

◾ Human Digitality: Design Taming the Digital Revolution

◾ Conscious Economy: Design enabling empathetic interactions

◾ Eco Transition: Design driving the transformation to a circular society

◾ Globalization: Design enabling glocal resilience

◾ Co-Society: Design fostering togetherness in a fragmented society

◾ Mindset Revolution: Design breaking up stereotypes

These shifts remind us that design must evolve to meet society’s changing needs and how we can respond to some of the most pressing challenges we face today. 

At Unbox, we’re committed to designing with intention. In today’s digital landscape, we ask ourselves how to use design to foster inclusive narratives that reflect diverse experiences. Design has the power to create more empathetic and meaningful interactions, reinforcing the sense of community that humans seek. This could be in many ways, such as creating experiences that connect people in thoughtful ways, building for sustainable & circular systems, or more broadly reimagining our societies & global economy.

Human Digitality: taming a revolution

As AI continues to integrate into every industry, new challenges are emerging around transparency, clarity, and trust. Designers must now think beyond inputs and outputs and ask how users can clearly understand, communicate with, and even challenge automated systems.

“Users need to feel confident that the machine is operating safely and effectively, even when not directly involved. This calls for interfaces that can explain AI decision-making processes, display real-time status updates, and allow users to override or adjust machine behavior when necessary.”

— Lydia Hsiao-Mei Lin, CEO, Taiwan Artificial Intelligence Association

From AI companions to responsive interfaces, there’s a growing need for machine-friendly communication design, such as visual indicators, micro-interactions, or contextual prompts that make these technologies more human.

And beyond usability, there's a rise in playful design within spaces that encourage curiosity, creativity, and emotional connection. Whether through gamification, colorful visuals, or interactive storytelling, play is becoming a powerful tool in both digital and physical experiences.

We would love to hear your thoughts. As designers, how can we steer the technology revolution towards more thoughtfulness and transparency?

Conscious Economy: Design enabling empathetic interactions

The shift toward a conscious economy challenges businesses to balance profitability with a growing purpose. From ecological responsibility to employee well-being, companies are under pressure to rethink how value is created, both functionally and emotionally.

This includes fostering:

• Workplace well-being: Creating spaces and systems that support creativity, rest, and collaboration.

• Servitization: Moving from product ownership to service-based models that prioritize flexibility and ongoing engagement.

• Emotional Design: Designing not just for function, but for evoking sensory experiences and deeper user connections.

The convergence of AI-powered systems and artificial empathy is opening up new terrain in how services can respond in more human-centered, emotionally intelligent ways.

As we continue to shape products and experiences, we ask: How can emotional design deepen the relationship between people and technology? How can hybrid service models evolve product ecosystems into something more sustainable and engaging?

Co-Society: Design fostering togetherness in a fragmented societyIn the world of luxury, packaging serves as more than just a container; it becomes a statement. It’s not only a functional asset but also a storytelling medium that speaks to care, quality, and the values a brand stands for. Today’s luxury packaging embraces broader shifts: refillable formats, sustainable materials, emotional design, and transparent storytelling. The unboxing experience itself has become intentional to connect with the users. 

Key Trends:

▪️ Sustainable materials and systems

▪️ Minimalism and opulence

▪️ Personalization for deeper user connection

▪️ Craftsmanship and sensory interaction

▪️ Storytelling that reflects care and authenticity

As our name suggests, these are all topics we consider deeply at Unbox. Throughout the entire product development process, we are evaluating ways to improve the user experience, create deeper connections, reflect our values, and reduce impacts. We understand the user journey starts with discovering a brand and follows through at every touchpoint and interaction. Even at the end of life, there is an opportunity to leave the user with a positive experience they can feel good about.      

These choices are noted in the iF Trend Report, particularly on the modern understanding of wealth, where value is no longer defined solely by status or surface-level appeal, but by emotional connection, longevity, and ethical integrity. Luxury today reflects conscious choices, where craftsmanship and care are as important as innovation and material quality.

Design that creates moments of connection, clarity, and care is more essential than ever. Whether in packaging, product ecosystems, or environments, we believe design has the power to bring people closer.

We should ask ourselves, how can design create more personal and memorable experiences? How can we foster deeper connections to our products and brand?

Mindset Revolution: Design breaking up stereotypes

Design is shifting mindsets. 

• Gen Z’s fluid identity is influencing aesthetics through irony and layered expression. Products are becoming more inclusive, moving away from gender binaries to focus on function, emotion, and accessibility.

• Family dynamics are changing. With fathers taking on more caregiving roles, there's a demand for neutral and even masculine design in parenting. New mothers are seeking performance-based solutions that support active lifestyles. Taboos are fading, giving space for products that promote openness and normalize once-sensitive topics.

• Mental health is now central. Design is supporting this shift with preventative, everyday tools that integrate wellbeing. From AI-driven emotion tracking to sensory-based personalization, emotional awareness is being built into product experiences. While healthy habits are widely known, design is helping make them easier to adopt through mindful technologies.

• Spirituality is evolving. There’s a growing interest in modern spirituality focused on self-care and sensory balance rather than tradition. As research around psychoactive substances progresses, design is stepping in to create reflective, calming environments that prioritize mental clarity over escapism.

Globalization: Design enabling glocal resilience

Key insights shaping global design today reflect shifts in culture, technology, and supply chain systems. These changes are redefining how we create, collaborate, and connect.

• Cultural diversity fuels innovation

Exposure to different perspectives fosters creative problem-solving and opens new approaches. Encountering other viewpoints sparks constructive challenges, which are essential to innovation. In a globalized world, openness to cross-cultural learning is vital for effective collaboration.

• Exporting and communicating culture

Globalization now includes the exchange of cultural ideas and knowledge. Consumers increasingly seek offerings that feel authentic and carry rich, original context.

• Challenges in glocalized branding

Brands operating globally must maintain a consistent identity while adapting to cultural nuances, local regulations, and shifting market dynamics. Balancing global visibility with local relevance is critical.

• Hospitality design

Travel is increasingly viewed as a transformative experience. Hospitality design plays a vital role by expressing cultural identity and acting as a bridge between travelers and local communities.

• Resilient supply chains

Global uncertainties demand supply networks that prioritize adaptability over efficiency. Regional alternatives and circular systems help mitigate risks. Key design principles for resilient supply chains include adaptivity, decentrality, diversity, collectiveness, and holism.

• Packaging design

Thoughtful packaging contributes to supply chain resilience by incorporating protection, efficiency, and flexibility into logistics. New materials, smart packaging, and circular strategies are shaping its future.

• 3D printing on the rise

3D printing helps address supply bottlenecks while enabling product customization and easier repairs. It is steadily reshaping how we design and manufacture.

• Rural hacking

In underconnected regions, communities are building low-tech, high-impact solutions. These ecosystems rely on self-sufficiency, local knowledge, and strong community ties. Designers working in these contexts often adapt creatively with limited resources.

Eco Transition: Design driving the transformation to a circular society

As the conversation around design and sustainability evolves, we’re seeing a shift toward holistic systems thinking where circularity, shared use, and regenerative practices become fundamental design principles.

• Eco Transition

Design drives the transformation toward a circular society. Products are considered within larger systems throughout their entire lifecycle, from resource-efficient production and use to material regeneration and reuse.

• Solar Boom

Solar energy is shaping the next phase of sustainable design. Advances in technology allow solar to be integrated into architecture with new surfaces, colors, and flexible forms, becoming both a functional and aesthetic element.

• Regenerative Energy Systems

Energy is moving from isolated sources to interconnected grids. Designs now create open, interactive systems that engage with their environment and users in an ongoing dialogue.

• Energy Storage

Innovations in battery and storage technology make renewable energy more reliable and accessible for homes. Design plays a role in integrating these systems so they fit aesthetically within living spaces and convey hope for a livable future.

• Tap Water Innovation

As clean drinking water becomes scarcer, new designs focus on waterless toilets, greywater recycling, and multifunctional filtration systems to address this vital need.

• Rethinking Shared Systems

The shared use of spaces, products, skills, and knowledge is growing rapidly. Scarcity drives sharing concepts such as communal parking and recreational areas, highlighting the potential for more flexible resource use.

• B2B Sharing

Businesses benefit from shared resources, reducing costs and increasing flexibility. Knowledge sharing accelerates innovation through open platforms, making circular design knowledge more widely accessible.

• Architectural Upcycling

Heritage and innovation combine to create adaptable spaces that evolve. And buildings once designed for single purposes are transformed into living environments that support social and architectural sustainability.

• Biodiverse Sharing

Design increasingly considers entire ecosystems. Spaces are created to support both humans and nature, fostering environments that promote biodiversity and a unique sense of place.

All Photography: Anne Freitag