In a fast-moving and chaotic world, however, creative trends are changing faster than ever. So how do you keep track? Sites like Depositphotos have a birds-eye view of the latest global trends and that makes their annual trends forecast an invaluable read for content creators everywhere.
Japanese anime aesthetics
Japanese anime has long had a small and passionate following within the creative professions. But the Depositphotos report predicts that this will increasingly become mainstream throughout the next 12 months.
This is partly due to nostalgia for the early 2000s when exotic phenomena such as Pokemon first blew up in the West. But it's also been sparked by the increasing globalization of streaming services, whereby European and American audiences can access previously hard-to-find Asian content at the touch of a button. The use of anime aesthetics by huge brands such as Adidas and Acura as a sign of things to come – not least because the message of positivity that pervades anime is much needed in today's world.
Meaningful experiences
With Covid travel restrictions now pretty much a thing of the past, 2023 looks set to be the year when travel makes a big comeback.This will have a major influence on content creation across the board. Yet that doesn't mean things will simply go back to how they were in 2019. Right now, the global outlook towards travel is shifting toward more responsible, sustainable and meaningful experiences. This means, more eco-friendly and rewinding initiatives, a broader usage of visual techniques that feature nature inspired colors, as well as hiking and camping aesthetics; all of this reinforced by messages that incite us to take action today.
The golden age
Despite all the problems facing the world, the fact remains that humanity overall is thriving, and people are living longer, not just in the West but across the whole globe. That means one in six people in the world will be 60 or over by 2030. And that means that a creative profession that's traditionally focused most of its attention on the young is starting to reorient its approach. Part of that has been a shift toward focusing towards those in or approaching their 'golden years' in illustration, photography and video-based campaigns.
Magical realism
The world of the 2020s has been anything but predictable, and at the start of 2023, we're facing a future that's more uncertain than ever. So escapism is increasingly welcome, and it's no wonder that ethereal, experimental and surreal approaches to art, photography and film are becoming increasingly popular. This shift will become further heightened throughout 2023. Drawing inspiration from 20th-century magical realism, content creators will turn to hazy and blurry effects, deep shadows, and compelling compositions in their works. Experimental or creative editing and post-processing will be present in photography and videos more often; all in order to help viewers get lost in the dream-like aesthetic.
Eye on sustainability
With worry about climate change mounting, there's been a big shift in the 2020s from paying lip service to the problem to taking practical, effective action. No longer can we outsource sustainability, either to governments or the market; we all have our part to play, and that includes the creative profession. The report acknowledges how this is already, to an extent, happening. To make a difference, brands and content creators introduce green and zero-impact ideas to every process. They often draw inspiration from nature and collaborate with engineers or scientists to develop more effective and appealing solutions.
Of course, these are just predictions, so nothing is set in stone for 2023. Producing effective creative work means keeping up with what’s happening in the visual world. But if this forecast is anything to goby, it looks like there's an exciting year of creativity and design innovation ahead.
