Depositphotos Reveals Creative Trends For 2023, A Year Of Futuristic Escapades

By Mikelle Leow, 19 Dec 2022

Are you ready to hit reset for the year ahead? 2022 has been a whirlwind of ups and downs, so this time of year, when creative experts anticipate the best things for the foreseeable future, is well welcomed.

Pulling from data spanning its library of 250 million assets and user statistics, Depositphotos has unveiled its creative trend predictions for 2023. Entitled Ready to Escape?, the forecast describes a year filled with experimentation and exploration. Its seven themes to expect are as follows: ‘Anime Thrill’, ‘Back to the Wild’, ‘A Wonderful Age’, ‘Ethereal World’, ‘Eye on Sustainability’, ‘Wellness Upgrade’, and ‘A Blast of Joy’.

Y2K nostalgia appears to be an observation of public adoration that’s agreed upon by industry experts. Depositphotos, however, gathers that the reigniting inclivities for the aughts also include a growing love for anime.

“What fascinates us about anime is the message of positivity that exists in most of them,” describes Monga D., a Brazilian design studio focused on building “awesome and beautiful” things. “Believe in yourself, trust your friends, and chase your dreams. A relationship with fantasy does us good and inspires us to find different ways of solving our problems, whether in life or design. Along with this, there is the phenomenon of people being less and less ashamed.”

Creatives are once again turning to the outdoors and drawing from nature’s palette to convey environmental issues and encourage inclusive design. On the far side of the spectrum, they’re also switching their lenses to capture maximalist themes that are often even “too flashy,” says the stock image platform.

Notably, the crowd appears to also be enamored with 20th-century magical realism, which you can convey with stirring compositions, hazy and blurry effects, and deep shadows.

With the inception of the metaverse, Depositphotos is also seeing a transition of wellness projects to new environments, including in AR/VR experiences.

“Today’s consumers crave new experiences,” says the press release. “They look forward to engaging with brands that provide an alternative look at routine and inspire others to get going. Using creative approaches, XR technology, and more complex production techniques in 2023, content creators will have the opportunity to win over various audiences and invite them to immerse themselves in both well-forgotten and brand-new creative worlds.”

As the world approaches a landscape led by an aging population (the World Health Organization projects that one in six people will be 60 years old or above by 2030), it’s likely that 2023 will draw focus to the growing community. Forget cliché imagery often associated with stock photography of old people, though—Depositphotos believes authentic images of seniors enjoying their best lives, instead of cheerfully playing with their grandchildren, will be the ones to shine.

“This year, we defined seven main trends that will dominate creative communication. In 2023, brands and content creators will work on developing different kinds of creative worlds. They will turn to best practices from anime, the metaverse, the magical realism art movement, and more—all in order to liven up our routine,” sums up Maria Sibirtseva, Content Team Lead at Depositphotos.

Scroll down for a mood board of 2023’s overarching visual themes, and learn more from the full trend report here.

Anime Thrill