As we kick off the new year, I thought it’d be fun to throw out a few predictions for what 2026 has in store for us TABbers. I’m genuinely curious where you agree, where you think I’m full of it, and what I’m completely missing.
1. Design makes a real comeback.
AI is getting pretty good at spitting out “fine” design. Clean layouts. Safe color palettes. Nothing offensively bad. And that’s exactly the problem.
When everyone can prompt their way to good enough, the only thing that stands out is something that feels intentional, opinionated, and human. Generic is about to get very crowded. 2026 feels like a great year to lean hard into actual design skills again — taste, restraint, and knowing when to break the rules.
2. WordPress gets some new eyeballs (thanks to AI).
If the right pieces fall into place, I think WordPress could end up being a surprisingly strong home for AI and agent-style workflows.
The big “if” is the interface. Someone needs to make it not feel like it was designed during the Bush administration… But at its core, WordPress already does a lot of the hard stuff well: content modeling, publishing, permissions, extensibility. Layer AI on top of that in a thoughtful way, and it could become a ridiculously capable platform instead of just “that thing blogs used to run on.”
3. The money is already in your inbox.
The agencies that grow the most will stop chasing new clients and start going deeper with the ones they already have. Strong relationships create more opportunities for small projects, expanded services, and strategic work that doesn’t require starting from zero every time.
4. Strategy will become more valuable.
There’s a difference between an idea and a strategy. As tools get faster and execution gets cheaper, I think ideas will become noise and judgment becomes the differentiator. Helping clients “connect the dots” will become the most valuable part of your offer (hello discovery!).
5. The acquisition train starts moving again.
2024 was a wild year for consolidation in the WordPress space. Then 2025 hit and everything got weird… Economic uncertainty and AI created a lot of “let’s just wait and see.”
But as things settle into a new normal, I think the big players go back to buying growth instead of building it. Cash-heavy companies will scoop up smaller tools, teams, and audiences that are tired, underfunded, or just ready to be done.
