Christmas feels like a good moment to pause, not to summarise the year in neat bullet points or turn it into a highlight reel, but simply to acknowledge what this year really was, how much care went into it, and how many people quietly carried it forward, day after day.
At D5, this year was built story by story, article by article, message by message, shaped by editors chasing clarity, writers asking better questions, and contributors working across countries and time zones, all connected by a shared respect for design and for the people behind it.
More than 276,000 new readers found their way to D5 this year, while millions more encountered our stories across social platforms, through features, interviews, project spotlights, and coverage of the global design calendar. These numbers matter to us, not because they impress on their own, but because they confirm something we deeply believe in, that thoughtful, well-crafted editorial work still finds its audience when it is done with intention, passion and love.
This year took us on the road and into conversations that mattered. We partnered with events, institutions, and platforms that trusted D5 as an editorial voice, allowing us to report from within the industry rather than observing it from a distance, to listen closely, ask better questions, and share stories that reflect the complexity and richness of contemporary design.
What I am most proud of, though, is the team.
The invisible work that rarely shows up in numbers or headlines. The edits made late at night. The messages exchanged across time zones. The attention given to every caption, credit, and line of context. The shared instinct to slow down when something deserved more time, and the refusal to cut corners even when deadlines were tight.
That is what D5 is built on.
Christmas, at its best, is about slowing down, noticing what matters, and feeling grateful for the people around you. So today, that gratitude goes to our editorial team, our contributors, our partners, and our readers. Thank you for reading closely, for trusting us, and for being part of this growing community.
We are heading into the new year with ideas, plans, and plenty of work ahead, but today we pause, we look back, and we say thank you.
Wishing you a warm and peaceful Christmas,
D5 MAG
