---
name: trend-research
description: "Research current design, branding, marketing, and art direction trends from authoritative online sources. Use when someone asks about trending aesthetics, 2026 design trends, brand identity direction, art direction research, color/typography/layout trends, platform-specific visual trends (Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn), or needs a structured trend guidelines document. Outputs a markdown file with categorized trend insights and actionable asset recommendations."
---

# Trend Research Skill

Research current trends across design, branding, marketing, and art direction — then compile findings into structured, actionable guidelines.

## Workflow

### 1. Clarify Scope (if not specified)
Ask or infer:
- **Topic area:** design aesthetics / brand identity / marketing / art direction / platform-specific
- **Industry/niche:** general, tech, lifestyle, B2B, etc.
- **Output format:** quick summary vs. full guidelines doc

### 2. Research Phase

Run **parallel** web searches across categories. Use the sources in `references/sources.md`.

**Always search:**
- `"[year] [topic] design trends"` — e.g., "2026 branding design trends"
- `"[year] [topic] aesthetic"` — e.g., "2026 brand aesthetic"
- `"[topic] trends [year] [industry]"` — for niche-specific results

**Fetch the top 3–4 results** using `web_fetch` to extract full content (not just snippets). Target articles from the curated sources list — they have the highest signal-to-noise ratio.

### 3. Synthesis

After gathering raw research, synthesize into these categories:

- **Macro forces** — cultural/tech shifts driving the trends
- **Visual aesthetics** — styles, looks, movements (with examples)
- **Typography** — font styles, treatments, display choices
- **Color** — palettes, formulas, what to avoid
- **Layout** — structural patterns, grid systems
- **Texture & Finish** — materials, effects, tactile signals
- **Motion** — animation styles, pacing, behavior
- **Platform-specific** (if relevant) — what works on IG, TikTok, LinkedIn, etc.
- **Strategic angles** — how to leverage each trend for brand assets
- **Sweet spot recommendation** — the best combination for current work

### 4. Output

Always produce:
1. A **markdown file** saved to `agency/docs/[topic]-trends-[year].md`
2. A **summary paste** in chat for immediate use

Use the structure in `references/output-template.md` as the baseline.

---

## Quality Standards

- **Cite sources** — include source name and publication date
- **Be specific** — name actual fonts, hex ranges, brands doing it well
- **Be actionable** — every trend should have "asset applications" (what to make with it)
- **No vague fluff** — "clean and modern" without specifics is useless
- **Prioritize recency** — prefer articles from the last 3 months
- **Cross-reference** — a trend mentioned across 3+ sources = high confidence

## Tips

- Brave Search rate-limits at 1 req/sec — stagger parallel searches or batch them
- `web_fetch` is more reliable than search snippets for full content
- If a page blocks fetching, try a different source from the list
- For platform trends (IG, TikTok), also check Creator accounts + Reddit communities
- See `references/sources.md` for the full curated source list by category
