# Trend Research — Curated Sources

High-signal sources by category. Prioritize these when fetching full content.

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## Design & Branding

| Source | URL | Strength |
|--------|-----|----------|
| The Branding Journal | thebrandingjournal.com | Annual trend reports, strategic branding |
| Digital Synopsis | digitalsynopsis.com | Graphic design, visual trends, well-structured |
| Brand Strategy Lab | thebrandstrategylab.com | Brand strategy + identity trends |
| It's Nice That | itsnicethat.com | Design culture, cutting-edge creative |
| AIGA Eye on Design | eyeondesign.aiga.org | Industry editorial, design theory |
| Pentagram | pentagram.com/work | Reference for premium identity work |
| Awwwards | awwwards.com | Web/UI design trends, annual reports |
| Behance | behance.net | Visual portfolios, emerging styles |
| Dribbble | dribbble.com | UI/product design micro-trends |

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## Marketing & Growth

| Source | URL | Strength |
|--------|-----|----------|
| HubSpot Blog | blog.hubspot.com | Marketing trends, data-backed |
| Marketing Week | marketingweek.com | Brand strategy, campaign analysis |
| Content Marketing Institute | contentmarketinginstitute.com | Content/editorial trends |
| Sprout Social | sproutsocial.com/insights | Social media platform trends |
| Later Blog | later.com/blog | Instagram/TikTok visual trends |
| Buffer Blog | buffer.com/resources | Social media and visual content |

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## Color & Typography

| Source | URL | Strength |
|--------|-----|----------|
| Pantone | pantone.com | Color of the Year, seasonal palettes |
| Coolors Blog | coolors.co/blog | Color trend analysis |
| Adobe Color Trends | color.adobe.com/trends | Real-time color trend data |
| Google Fonts | fonts.google.com | Typography usage trends |
| Typewolf | typewolf.com | Font-in-use trends, editorial picks |
| Fonts In Use | fontsinuse.com | Real-world typography examples |

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## Art Direction & Visual Culture

| Source | URL | Strength |
|--------|-----|----------|
| Dezeen | dezeen.com | Architecture, product, visual design |
| Creative Boom | creativeboom.com | Creative industry, visual culture |
| Wallpaper* | wallpaper.com | Premium design, art direction |
| Mossery Blog | — | Lifestyle, illustration trends |
| Pinterest Trends | pinterest.com/trends | Real-time visual search trends |

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## Industry Reports (Annual)

| Source | URL | Strength |
|--------|-----|----------|
| Interbrand Best Global Brands | interbrand.com | Brand valuation + strategic trends |
| Canva Design Report | canva.com | Mass-market design usage trends |
| Venngage Design Report | venngage.com | Infographic/visual communication trends |
| Jumping Goose Graphic Trend Report | LinkedIn | In-depth visual trend analysis |

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## Search Query Templates

For each research request, adapt these:

```
"[year] [topic] design trends"           → e.g., "2026 branding design trends"
"[year] [topic] aesthetic"               → e.g., "2026 brand aesthetic"
"[topic] trends [year] [industry]"       → e.g., "marketing trends 2026 B2B"
"[platform] visual trends [year]"        → e.g., "Instagram visual trends 2026"
"best [asset type] design [year]"        → e.g., "best social media branding 2026"
"[color/font] trend [year]"              → e.g., "typography trend 2026"
```

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## Source Reliability Tiers

**Tier 1 (Highest signal — fetch full content):**
- The Branding Journal, Digital Synopsis, Brand Strategy Lab, AIGA, Interbrand

**Tier 2 (Good signal — fetch if Tier 1 insufficient):**
- HubSpot, Sprout Social, Awwwards, It's Nice That, Adobe

**Tier 3 (Supplemental — use for specific angles):**
- Pinterest Trends, Dribbble, Behance, Typewolf, Later Blog
