2026 Word of the Year: Kinship

Hello designers, design industry, design lovers, and good-hearted humans everywhere — I’m Cheryl Durst, here to kick off your new year with a message from IIDA, and me!

I’ve got three things I want you to think about as we start this year together: joy, optimism, and trust. I’m starting the year focused on how we can foster all three, and what that can lead us toward as we journey through 2026, and beyond.

Joy is something I’ve been talking about for awhile now. It is important not just to think about joy, but to actively get out there and allow yourself to find and experience it. Take time to soak up joyful details in the world around you — it’s a proven driver of wellbeing AND longevity. Start with what is closest to us: the visual joy engendered by great design, by the natural world, even by that red chair you spot on the side of the road. Joy is most powerful when it resides in people, place and purpose.

Optimism is another key tenet of mine, and an inherent part of design. Designers create for what is coming next. They envision a future that includes warmth, welcome and positive outcomes for all. I believe in the power of design to shape a bright future, and I invite you all to extend that optimistic outlook as far as possible: look up, lean in and let your optimism flag fly high, because it is a beacon signals goodness toward you and out toward others.

Now for trust. I get it: you might be feeling that trust is in short supply these days. You’re not wrong — and that’s exactly why we need to focus on building trust and cultivating consistency. This one impacts how we show up for others, not once but over and over again. Remember that trust is earned; and the more we put in the work to become that trustworthy partner, friend, colleague, the greater the return on that investment — not just for ourselves, but for everyone around us. Trust is foundational to core wellbeing and it is transformative.

You could say trust is a gateway to my word of the year for 2026: KINSHIP. We talk a lot about community and our love of gathering; but this year, I’m looking forward to deepening attachments that go beyond surface-level, tapping into the power of the personal. Kinship is that deep recognition of the bonds we share. It is the resonance of shared stories. It is that unshakable sense of belonging that feels like coming, no matter where you might be. Design creates space to support and enhance kinship with others and fosters meaningful connections to place — the kinds of connections that ground us in our shared humanity. That’s what I’m looking for.

If our paths intersect in 2026 — and I hope they do — I want to hear about how you are cultivating joy, optimism and trust. I’m excited and curious for what’s next, and exhilarated to be out in the world, pursuing joy, optimism, trust and kinship. Together, let’s make it a great year for design. For life. For all.

Cheers and wishing you a beautiful and bountiful 2026.