(Above: Devlin's stage design for Carmen at the Bregenz Festspiele on Lake Constance in Austria, 2017. Image courtesy of Es Devlin)

As 2025 winds down, Perspective has once again offered a compelling look at the ideas, people, and values shaping today’s design world. Each issue of IIDA’s digital magazine is centered on a defining theme: Designing for Joy, our spring issue, celebrated color, emotion, and the delight great design can spark — from joyful products to the most exuberant installations from Milan Design Week 2025. Design is Everywhere, our summer issue, explored the business and breadth of design in daily life, spotlighting creative strategy across everything from Beyoncé’s monumental stage sets to bespoke retail environments. (We even spent a day in the life of IIDA’s EVP and CEO, Cheryl Durst, during Chicago Design Week.) And to close the year, Designing for Social Good turns its focus to design’s healing, hopeful power — showcasing people and projects advancing equity, uplifting communities, and imagining more just futures through thoughtful, human-centered work.

Taken together, these issues form a portrait of a profession that is imaginative, resilient, and deeply committed to improving the world around us. To help you dive in, we’ve picked five stories that highlight the ingenuity, innovation, and human-centered thinking at the heart of this year’s coverage. From world-builders and color visionaries to sustainability pioneers and social changemakers, you’ll meet designers who are moving the profession forward. They offer insight, inspiration, and a clear view of what’s ahead for design — whether you’re seeking creative fuel, industry perspective, or a sense of where the field is heading.

Settle in and explore the stories that shaped 2025 — and the ideas that will carry us into 2026.