In 2026 the shift will become more visible. The work already happens in pockets, but it will spread.
Independents will link up into more non paid or subscription free communities. Small studios will form tighter coalitions. Patience with large bodies and associations will thin as people realise they can build what they need without waiting for anyone to move first.
They will not wait for permission or for large bodies to shape the field on their behalf or for their benefit.
They will shape it themselves.
1. The Collective That Was Never Meant to Stay Small
New legal structures and shared frameworks will begin to appear, giving independents their first experience of pitching as unified teams. These early collectives will show how small practitioners can step confidently into briefs once off limits to them.
2. The Patchwork Agency
More flexible clusters of specialists will form around briefs. These early patchworks will behave like tailored agencies built for the work at hand and nothing else, proving that scale can be assembled rather than owned.
3. The Great Budget Reroute
Clients will begin shifting portions of spend toward independents who deliver work shaped by the people doing it. Not a dramatic swing, but a clear direction of travel as quality and ownership win out.
4. The Shared Engine Room
Independents will start pooling methods, templates, and operational tools. These early shared systems will reduce duplicated labour and show how collective craft can outperform isolated effort.
5. The Artisan Renaissance
The value of hands on practitioners will become more visible again. Small signs will show clients choosing the person who can actually shape a study, marking the slow return of research as craft rather than process.
6. The Infrastructure You Cannot See
Platforms will begin aligning into early ResTech cooperatives. They will not be polished at first, but they will show how independents can gain reach, support, and capability without absorbing the drag of large operational systems.
7. The Sideways Career
Researchers will start to grow through networks, coalitions, and collaborative ecosystems. Careers will widen rather than climb, and early adopters will show how independence can function as a long term path.
8. The Rise of the Odd Expert
Hyper niche specialists will be called upon more often. Clients will seek out the one person who understands a cultural fragment or methodological corner in real depth. Early signals will confirm that niche expertise is a strategic advantage.
9. The Global Studio Circle
Independent teams across countries will begin forming low friction alliances to deliver multi market work. These collaborations will show how global coverage can come from relationships, not offices.
10. The Unlocked Gate
Procurement will start loosening requirements that previously excluded smaller players. Early adaptations will allow independents and consortiums to enter spaces once closed to them.
11. The Trust Signal
Clients will turn more often to independents when they want clear, unfiltered judgement. Small patterns will show how independence creates room for honesty that is harder to maintain inside layered organisations.
12. The Open Table of Research
Frameworks, approaches, and tools will circulate more freely among independents. Early movements will reveal how open craft builds collective strength and shifts the culture away from guarded ownership.
13. The Return of Unfiltered Ideas
Independent teams will release work with more personality and presence. You will start to see early examples of thinking that feels alive rather than processed. Brands seeking clarity and originality will notice the difference.
14. The Skills Exchange
Peer led learning will rise. Informal clinics, collaborative labs, and practical knowledge sharing will show the beginnings of a decentralised training culture built by practitioners for practitioners.
15. The City of a Thousand Studios
The industry will begin to resemble a connected landscape of studios, individuals, and collectives. Power will come from connection, not size. No single structure will define the field. Many will. The outline of this new shape will become visible before the year ends.
Final Musings
If 2025 planted the seeds, 2026 will reveal the contours. The independent ecosystem will not replace the old model, but it will begin reshaping the field around people, craft, and collaboration. A thousand studios will rise in outline first, then in form.
A positive and punk vision for 2026 and beyond.
