The future of 3D design is about to get bigger, bolder, and way more fun. As we catapult into 2025, designers, illustrators, and motion creators are embracing some seriously cool trends, pushing the digital design game into a whole new dimension (literally).

Whether you’re a seasoned 3D pro or just dipping your toes in the water, these trends are here to shake up your creative world—from hyperrealistic and tactile 3D design to the rise of Spline, making 3D design accessible for all.

Ready to turn your ideas into jaw-dropping, reality-bending visuals? Let’s dive into seven innovative 3D design trends to bring your creative projects to life in 2025!

Typography is getting a whole new look in 2025. Dimensional typography is the next evolution of text in design, bringing letters to life with depth, texture, and movement.

In a world where design needs to pop and grab attention fast, flat typography just doesn’t cut it anymore. 3D text adds an extra layer of intrigue and can transform a basic word into a powerful visual element.

Brands like Nike and Apple have been using 3D typography in their campaigns, creating bold, dynamic text that feels more like an art installation than just words on a screen. 

Want to add dimensional typography to your next design project? Start by experimenting with simple 3D-type effects in programs like Blender or Cinema 4D and add shadow, texture, or metallic finishes to make your text leap off the page. Play around with animation to add movement for that extra wow factor in videos or motion graphics.

The push for sustainability isn’t just a trend—it’s a movement. Now spilling over into 3D design, sustainable 3D design focuses on creating eco-friendly, resource-conscious digital environments and assets.

As more businesses and consumers prioritize sustainability, the design world follows suit. By using digital tools to create eco-conscious designs, 3D designers are helping reduce waste, conserve resources, and raise awareness for environmental causes.

Many designers and design agencies (such as Apple logo designer Rob Janoff) are leading the way with digital product mockups, reducing the need for physical samples. Designers can follow suit by minimizing material waste and exploring the growing demand for eco-conscious 3D assets.

Focus on creating virtual models, products, and spaces that replace the need for physical prototypes. Use energy-efficient rendering techniques or explore platforms that offset carbon emissions from digital creation. And don’t forget to infuse your designs with eco-friendly messaging—think green color palettes and natural textures.

Get ready for jaw-dropping realism in 2025! Hyperrealistic 3D design is all about pushing boundaries and creating visuals so lifelike you’ll swear you could reach out and touch them.

As technology advances, so do the possibilities for creating ultra-realistic designs. With tools like Unreal Engine and Unity, designers can build 3D environments and characters that look like they’ve stepped out of reality.

“As a 3D artist, I’m amazed at how far hyperrealism has come,” says design specialist Jonathan Lam. “With tools like Unreal Engine and Cinema 4D, you can create visuals so lifelike you feel you could touch them. For me, it’s all about capturing tiny details—textures, lighting, reflections—that make a design come alive. I’m excited to see this trend expand beyond gaming into virtual reality and product design.”

Pixar’s films have always been the gold standard for hyperrealistic animation, but we’re seeing this trend expand into advertising, product design, and even virtual reality. Even games like “The Last of Us” now feature hyperrealistic inspirations. 

You can use software like Cinema 4D or Maya to replicate lifelike textures and lighting effects in your work or experiment with ultra-detailed models in Blender or Autodesk Maya to add that hyperreal flair to your next project.

Focus on perfecting lighting, textures, and rendering to achieve that hyperreal look. Whether you’re designing a photorealistic character for a game or crafting a product model for a commercial, the key is in the details. Get granular with skin textures, natural lighting, and reflections to take your design from good to stunning.

Tactile 3D design is all about bringing texture to life, turning ideas into something you can truly feel and experience. As digital design grows increasingly oversaturated, many creatives are rediscovering the value of hands-on techniques like painting and sculpting.

“A few years back, most of my work was digital,” says artist, sculptor, and 3D designer Pepe Bratanov AKA Peppy Colors. “It was such an easy way to get ideas out of my head—it was quick, satisfying, and effective. But eventually, curiosity took over. Moving from digital to physical felt like the next natural step. I wanted to see if some of those digital ideas could come to life in the real world. While some attempts were ambitious, with a bit of creativity and persistence, I found it so rewarding to bring them into physical form.”

This shift isn’t just a reaction to digital fatigue; it’s a way for artists to connect more deeply with their work, embracing the unpredictable nature of physical materials and the satisfaction of creating something tangible. By moving from screen to studio, artists are finding fresh inspiration in the textures, dimensions, and sensory impact that only real-world materials can provide.

As someone who’s worked with both digital and physical mediums, Pepe explains that, while nothing compares to experiencing art in real life, digital can still be a handy tool for mapping out ideas: “For me, digital has become my sketchbook. I still start on the computer to shape my ideas as much as possible before moving to the physical piece.”

In a world that’s becoming increasingly digital, many brands and designers are seeking ways to make their creations feel more real. By enhancing the look and feel of textures, designers can create assets with a more human touch—like Nike’s product renders featuring rough-hewn materials. Apple also often uses tactile 3D elements in its product renders, making its designs feel touchable and smooth.

Try incorporating tactile textures in your next 3D model or animation for a more immersive feel—from rough stone to smooth glass or soft fabric. Programs like Substance Painter and ZBrush are perfect for creating intricate, textured details.

Artificial intelligence is making waves in 3D design, with AI-powered tools helping designers work smarter, faster, and more intuitively than ever before. 

With AI on board, designers can automate repetitive tasks, experiment with complex shapes, and even generate design ideas based on data. AI allows for more creative freedom and quicker turnarounds, making it a must-have for fast-paced industries like gaming and advertising. 

“Something I’ve been toying with is what AI means for 3D,” says visual artist and 3D creator Khyati Trehan. “I can see a world where 3D artists streamline their workflows by delegating tasks like modeling details, texturing, or lighting to generative AI in 3D. For instance, I might create a clay model using traditional 3D software, then use AI tools to generate and apply a texture.”

Adobe Firefly’s AI-powered design tools have been a game-changer, allowing creators to design faster while maintaining top-notch quality. NVIDIA’s Omniverse platform also pushes the boundaries of AI-powered 3D collaboration, allowing designers to create highly detailed 3D worlds faster than ever. 

Integrating AI into your design process is a no-brainer if you want to level up your workflow. Explore AI-driven tools like NVIDIA Omniverse or Adobe Firefly, allowing real-time collaboration, intelligent suggestions, and automatic rendering. Using AI, you can streamline your workflow and focus on your project’s creative elements.

AR is no longer just for games and apps—it’s becoming a standard tool in everyday design, allowing users to interact with the digital world in a whole new way. 

“As AR-capable devices become increasingly more mainstream through smartphones, headsets, and eyewear, we’re expecting to see growth in demand for high-quality 3D assets that can seamlessly blend with real-world environments,” says Mark Brodhuber, Video Specialist at Envato. “This shift isn’t just about gaming or entertainment—businesses are adopting AR for everything from virtual product try-ons to industrial training, making well-crafted 3D models more useful and versatile than ever.”

With AR, designers can create experiences that blend the digital and physical worlds, offering immersive, interactive visuals that go beyond the screen. 

As the technology becomes more accessible, AR pops up in everything from marketing to e-commerce. Everyone from Volvo to Coca-Cola has been using AR to help customers visualize products and generate UGC for their campaigns.

“Augmented Reality is swiftly becoming a go-to for brands to seamlessly blend digital elements with our physical world,” says Envato Author, Oksana_Kumer. “It’s transforming how we interact with information and experiences on a daily basis.”

Start experimenting with AR tools like Adobe Aero or Unity to bring your 3D designs to life in the real world. Whether it’s creating virtual try-ons for fashion brands or interactive product displays, AR offers endless possibilities for innovative design.

Say hello to Spline—the new kid on the block making 3D design more accessible. Spline allows users to create interactive 3D web experiences without complex coding or advanced software. 

Spline is democratizing 3D design by making it easy for anyone—whether you’re a pro designer or a beginner—to create stunning 3D visuals. Its intuitive interface and real-time editing capabilities make it a game-changer for web designers, content creators, and illustrators alike. 

It’s becoming especially popular in web design and UI/UX projects, where interactive 3D models, animations, and effects can be embedded directly into websites. This tool empowers designers to quickly bring their ideas to life, creating a more immersive user experience that feels modern and cutting-edge.

Yuji Sekiya, Senior Product Designer at Envato, observes, “As a product designer and creative, I’m seeing how 3D is becoming much more accessible—not just for creators but thanks to advancements in user hardware as well. There’s huge potential for using 3D to make traditionally dry, unengaging content fun and interactive, especially for audiences that are harder to reach, like young people or older generations. For example, imagine an interactive 3D city with infographics showing how it runs on sustainable energy for a government site, a gamified 3D experience teaching kids about fire safety, or even an energy company’s annual report brought to life with 3D objects representing different sectors—the only limit is your creativity!”

 If you’re looking to add some interactive 3D flair to your projects, Spline is your go-to. Whether designing a website, creating a portfolio, or building a digital experience, Spline makes integrating dynamic 3D visuals directly into your web projects easy.

Explore Spline templates or create your own 3D scenes to add a modern, dynamic touch to your web projects.

As we look ahead to 2025, the world of 3D design is more exciting than ever. From dimensional typography to hyperrealism, these trends are paving the way for new levels of creativity.

Ready to get started? Head over to Envato to explore a vast selection of 3D assets to help you take your designs to the next level. While you’re here, brush up on the top music trends and web design trends predictions for 2025, or read our interview with talented 3D creator Khyati Trehan!