Why the Snail Mail Trend Says More About 2026 Than You Think

A reflection on connection, AI fatigue, and what’s next for design professionals

First things first, happy holidays! I hope you’re having a wonderful holiday season. I’m currently indulging in some relaxation and tinkering with the new gadgets under my tree this year. Top of the list so far, the Ninja portable blender. I just made the best smoothie (seriously) in 2 minutes with almost no clean up…incredible. Now, as I type with one hand and hold my smoothie in the other, watching the tree lights twinkle, I’m feeling especially grateful for these quiet little moments. It seems like the perfect reminder that 2026 might just be the year we start noticing the little things again.

If you’ve spent any time on TikTok lately, you’ve probably noticed something quite charming happening.

People are getting excited about mail again! Not packages, not Amazon boxes, but actual mail!

I’m seeing handwritten notes, carefully designed postcards, and little mail clubs where strangers exchange letters for no reason other than wanting to feel connected to another person they’ve never met allll over my FYP.

At first glance this may seem like it’s being done out of nostalgia, the need to feel novel, or just following a trend, but I think that misses the bigger picture.

The snail mail trend isn’t really about paper. It’s a reaction to how disembodied our communication has become, especially over the last few years as AI has accelerated at a pace most of us never had time to emotionally catch up to.

On a deeper level, this feels like a collective desire to bring warmth back into how we interact with brands, businesses, and most importantly, with each other.

AI Has Changed Everything, and Not All of It Has Felt Good

There’s no denying that the last few years have been full of genuine excitement. AI has opened doors to efficiency, accessibility, and creative experimentation that would have felt impossible not long ago.

At the same time, it’s also introduced real harm. People are anxious about job security. Online content has become overwhelming, repetitive, and riddled with tell-tales signs of AI generation (yes, I’m looking at you, em-dash).

Entire platforms feel louder but somehow emptier. Even the environmental cost of all this digital infrastructure is starting to feel harder to ignore. For example, in my hometown they’ve built so many data centers in the last 2 years, that roads I’ve driven my whole life have become foreign to me.

Both things can coexist. Progress and discomfort often do.

What’s becoming increasingly clear though, is that people are tired of experiences that feel overly automated, flattened, or emotionally distant. Because when everything is optimized, it’s hard to make anything feel considered.

The Reality Check: AI Isn’t Going Anywhere

But alas, there’s no rollback coming. AI will continue to shape how businesses operate, how marketing is executed, and how creative work is produced.

What is changing is tolerance.

Audiences are becoming more sensitive to:

• Brand voices that sound polished but impersonal

• Messaging that feels generated rather than intentional

• Experiences that prioritize speed over understanding

People don’t want less technology, they just want better judgment and a human touch layered on top of it.

Why 2026 Feels Like a Course Correction

This is why I see 2026 not as a dramatic pivot, but as a recalibration.

Brands aren’t abandoning digital tools or automation. They’re starting to re-evaluate how those tools are used and what they cost in terms of trust, clarity, and emotional resonance, looking for moments of apricity in how they communicate after years of speed and scale.

The questions are shifting from “How fast can we scale this?” to “Does this actually feel good to interact with?”

User experience starts to mean more than frictionless clicks. It starts really focus on the big picture of the user’s journey to include tone, pacing, follow-up, and whether someone feels respected rather than processed.

Trust, care, and meaning are moving back into focus, not because they’re trendy, but because I think the absence of them is finally being felt.

What This Shift Looks Like in Practice

You can see this recalibration showing up everywhere once you start looking for it.

Private online communities replacing massive, impersonal audiences. Smaller in-person gatherings instead of endless virtual events. Thoughtful follow-ups instead of constant promotional noise. And yes, sometimes even physical mail making a return, because it slows things down enough to be noticed.

Reach still matters, but depth is starting to matter more.

What This Means for Architects

For architects, this shift shows up as a growing appetite for clarity.

Clients are navigating complex projects, long timelines, and high stakes. In that environment, a brand built solely on beautiful imagery isn’t enough anymore. What people want to understand is how decisions are made and how uncertainty is handled.

Websites and marketing that explain process, constraints, and philosophy help clients feel oriented rather than overwhelmed. In a world where AI can produce convincing visuals in seconds, strong design philosophy and discernment becomes the differentiators.

Architectural brands that take the time to communicate how they think will feel steadier and more credible than those that simply show what they’ve built.

What This Means for Landscape Architects

Landscape architects are especially well positioned for where things are headed, because their work already operates on longer timelines and deeper relationships.

As people become more attuned to environmental impact, seasonality, and stewardship, brands that talk about landscapes as evolving systems rather than finished products will stand out.

This shows up in marketing that emphasizes time, care, and continuity. It also shows up in physical touchpoints that feel tactile and considered, whether that’s a printed piece, a site-specific booklet, or a mailer that mirrors the materials and textures of the work itself.

In a culture craving grounding, landscape architecture branding that feels patient and intentional resonates naturally.

What This Means for Interior Designers

Interior design sits closest to daily life, which makes empathy an increasingly valuable asset.

Clients aren’t just asking for beautiful spaces. They’re asking for environments that support how they live, work, rest, and gather. In 2026, brands that communicate understanding, boundaries, and collaboration will feel far more compelling than those that focus solely on aesthetics.

Websites that guide visitors thoughtfully, brand voices that sound like real conversations, and marketing that acknowledges the emotional side of decision-making all contribute to this sense of trust.

AI can generate endless interiors that look good. It cannot replicate feeling understood or truly getting to know someone’s life in order to design the perfect space for them.

The Bigger Picture

Across architecture, landscape architecture, and interior design, the pattern is quite consistent. The future favors relationships that develop over time, communication that feels considered, and experiences that respect people’s attention instead of competing for it.

The rise of snail mail isn’t a quirky throwback. It’s a signal that people are craving humanized interaction again.

2026 isn’t about rejecting technology or chasing the next shiny thing. It’s about integrating powerful tools with better judgment, stronger values, and a clearer sense of care.

For design professionals, that’s not a radical shift. It’s an extension of how good work has always been done, just communicated more thoughtfully.

PSSS, I’m conducting a small experiment:

Somewhere in this newsletter, I used a word that means “the warmth of the sun on a cold winter day.” If you catch which word it was, reply and tell me your guess. There’s no prize (sorry!) I’m just curious who’s read their Compact Oxford recently.

If this letter sparked ideas—or maybe even a few realizations—I’d love to hear what resonated. And if you’re ready to start building your own brand foundation, I’d be honored to guide you through that process.

Until next time,

Hailey

A note from Hailey

You’ve built a successful design-build business, or maybe you’re just starting out. Now, you need a strong online presence that showcases your craft and skills to the world. You need a digital foundation that makes marketing simple and sets you up for growth.

You need a creative partner who gets it.

… me