Adobe Forecasts 2023 Creative Trends—From ‘Psychic Waves’ To ‘Retro Active’

What a year it has been. From the unfolding metaverse to the AI art generation boom, 2022 has thrown the creative world in uncharted waters. That means, more than ever, brands and creators are finding comfort in the familiar aughts and embracing authentic, unfiltered moments. At the same time, they’re tapping into the metaphysical and spiritual realms for new answers.

Adobe Stock has unleashed its 2023 predictions for creative trends to inspire your forthcoming motion, visual, and design work, based on internal data and external research. The four big themes comprise ‘Psychic Waves’, ‘Real is Radical’, ‘Animals & Influencers’, and ‘Retro Active’. Discover them below.

Psychic Waves

The lockdown forced the world to look within themselves and get in touch with their mental health and spirituality. Naturally, this evolved into a quest for broadened awareness and answers for the meaning beyond life.

In times of stress, people often turn to the old wisdom of tools like the tarot and astrology to find certainty. The psychic services market, in fact, has been valued at about US$2.2 billion in the US.

Capturing these multidimensional themes isn’t easy, but creatives can manifest them in the forms of shape-shifting graphics, mesmerizing gradients, fantastical dreamscapes, and natural materials.

Real is Radical

Consumers have come to expect diverse and authentic content, and now they’re yearning for more candid, unvarnished moments that are sometimes even goofy. Recent times have seen the rise of filter-free apps like BeReal that trade edits for honesty. 

“Spurred by digital transformation and the industry obsession with seamlessness, branding and brand experiences have grown entirely boring,” says Wayne Deakin, global principal of creative at corporate identity agency Wolff Olins. “It’s high time to shake things up and ditch the minimalism for something more real.”

For a dose of unabashed individualism, Adobe suggests “[keeping] it real with vertical videos.”

“Because most people experience social content on their cellphones, vertical videos have become a must-have. With a more spontaneous vibe than horizontal videos, they give your brand a more authentic look and feel.”

Animals & Influencers

The internet can’t get enough of charismatic creatures. Joining the burgeoning world of human influencers are pets like Jiffpom, who reportedly makes an average of US$23,900 per TikTok video, along with anime and virtual idols.

“As a result, they have become a dominating presence in brand messaging, proliferating across sectors in the form of anime, illustrations, photography, and 3D renders,” says Adobe.

Retro Active

Nostalgia is the new new. Y2K and kidcore aesthetics are seeing a revival. The hashtag #y2kfashion has amassed 1.1 billion views on TikTok, and 1.3 million posts on Instagram.

“Whether it’s Y2K revival with low rise jeans, websites reminiscent of a 90’s video game, or your favorite influencer suddenly reviving 80’s goth makeup looks, the Retro Active trend is here,” Adobe details.

[via Adobe Stock]