The holidays are just around the corner and, like Santa's elves, marketing teams around the globe are busy implementing both long-awaited and last-minute holiday campaign plans. But, unlike the elves, we have Thanksgiving to focus on before "the big show" in December.

As the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the globe, 114 million people lost their jobs. Artists, designers, and creatives were hit especially hard: in New York, two-thirds of arts positions are gone, while nearly a quarter of the creative workforce in Los Angeles has been cut.

Following World War I and the overthrow of Czar Nicholas II, Russia engaged in a civil war. The Red Army of the Bolsheviks emerged victorious in 1920, leading to the Bolshevik Revolution where art and design flourished. Experimental typography, straightforward pictorial designs, and political messages and ideology defined these designs.

Gone are the days where private label means low price but lacking in quality. For decades, store brands primarily focused on positioning themselves as better value, paying little mind to developing their own visual identities. In response to consumers’ growing interest in healthier foods and greater transparency, retailers have started developing sophisticated flavors and packaging for their in-house brands.

Illustration by Katharina Brenner [Source: AIGA Eye on Design] Needless to say, there’s a lot we’d all like to leave behind as we head into the new year. While most are much heavier and more significant than my personal design trend observations, I consider the happenings of the creative industry a welcome distraction.