As professionals we have from time to time to take decisions: go with the flow because is trendy or stay on current path. Sometimes it can be hard to decide, especially when is a pressure coming from the upper level because they heard that "this is the new thing" and we should have it too.
I will not say what you should do. But I will present you some real cases in my life and how they all went..
Let's say it how it is: how many actual trendsetters are actually skilled or educated in the field they are setting a trend? How many of the people shouting stuff on twitter have really a deep image of what they are talking about? How many of our UX colleagues are getting their knowledge (only) from social media?
Trends should not be the main aspect when we take a decision. Of course they should be kept in mind but always carefully weighted if it is necessary. I do not say remain with a steam engine car instead of electric but ... you can find a market for the steam too. At some point spiraling in trends can be dangerous for you as designer, because two years ago you were going for metro design, now you go for a flat ... and each time your explanation is "because is modern", you don't get to stop and think, you just do what the others are doing. Also technology speaking, trendy is sexy but how long the trend lives? Does it bring something to your customers? Bio is trendy, right? Well let's say you are a car manufacturer, how pervert will be to name any of your products .... bio? Even if you do it ... would anyone believe you? Ok, so you name your products "eco" now they should believe you. You recycle old steel and produce your cars bla bla. Now is trendy to have eco in cars, everyone has it.
How would you distinguish yourself from the masses if you copy? I say, let's implement x, y, z features or design if they really bring something to the user. Of course, refreshing the design after a period of time is good but don't do it just because it is trendy. Tomorrow will be something else, will you change every time or how you decide which trend you follow? Is only based on personal taste? Then maybe you should change your job if you do not know the taste of your users.
I have met many UX specialists having their background study in business field, economics, law, controlling and any other unrelated fields. Well, good for them, they changed their career path but with Twitter or some Design blogs as their only information pool... If you are one of them maybe it can sound patronizing but I have worked extra a Bachelor and a Master degree in this field, although my first university was engineering. I did not said that an online course makes me expert, or the fact that I worked (in spite of my original studies) since 2000 as web designer and later as multimedia developer is more than enough to call myself a guru. Well, I did also 6 years of studies learning things like User experience, User centered design and Interaction design, touching also storytelling, transmedia, VR, AR, personas, concepts, research, ambient intelligence, artificial intelligence, robotics, machine learning ... you name it, and all before it became cool and hype. And with all my studies I still have to wait until I call myself a god. But hey .... the guys with no studies and background are already gods and even on higher positions. So .... Idiocracy strikes again.
Enough bashing the poor uneducated. Let's look at our problem - TRENDS. Trends are good, trends are useful, trends pushed the overall development of humanity. Although, I can argue that laziness is the biggest factor in our evolution, trends are on the second place because we liked to copy what our neighbor does - like monkeys. Maybe we are monkeys after all. We like to copy, and if enough individuals copied something then becomes a trend which the rest should follow. This does not apply when the big Apple does something. Then becomes trend in the next second, everyone praises the mighty Apple, everyone should do like them.
Here is the point where it becomes dangerous. When we copy without using our judgment or rational thinking, we just hurry to embrace it with the same speed we pull our pants up when the husband/wife walks in and we play with the secretary. How many times you questioned a concept and the only answer you got was "X does it! They should have a reason, right?" or "I like how they do it and I don't like the other way" or the best one "Looks modern".
If I would not be bound to a civilized behavior at job my comments will be like this:"Yes you dumb-ass, X got some reasons but do you have the same reasons/needs?" or "This is not a reason, if you can't go over kindergarten argumentation wtf are you doing in this position. Your likes are null, the user should be in focus" and for the best one "define modern! And btw you are an idiot because with at least 2 years development/implementation time it will not look modern in 2020".
Let's look at the iPhonization of all the app design. If Apple does it, should I have it? Should I have "the cool" Frosted glass effect? Do you remember the hype and everyone trying to copy the effect? Does the user benefit from this or does this improve the usability or experience? NO!!! Does this make you app look like Apple? YES!!! Would it looked copied and everyone (who owns an apple) will say ... ah is like MacOS Vxyz? YES!!!! Would you appear as an creative dude or gal, pushing the envelope and creating amazing new interfaces? NO!!!!! Is this modern!?!? Define modern you twitterhead!