In the current state of the world, it’s easy to forget about the importance of trends, but you know that satisfying feeling of knowing the greatness of something before it explodes? Like finding cheap concert tickets to your favorite band before they break out, or even something much more mundane like purchasing the important yet impossible to find the ingredient for a recipe soon to be viral on TikTok.
Trends, as much as we can deny it, are essential. They create cultural shifts, highlight the latest and greatest, and bring together folks by sharing what will soon become the themes we all talk about in the design world.
Today, Adobe Stock released its 2022 Creative Trends Forecast. The report incorporates learnings from both the stock world and the brand’s research to determine the trends we’ll see within photography, illustration, vector graphics, design templates, motion graphics, and 3D—essentially everything you need to know about the industry and where it’s going.
Within the space of visual trends, the brand is looking at inclusivity, sustainable awareness, the rise of self-love, and more movement.
In the post-pandemic—and, let’s be honest, current pandemic times—showcasing inherently positive visuals work to create a more positive community. “For weary consumers across sectors from fashion and beauty, food and beverage, and other major product segments, this trend focuses on a sense of laughter, enthusiasm, and hope,” said Adobe in a blog post announcing the visual trends. “Underneath the whimsy, at the core of this trend is grit: the determination to keep going and keep smiling in the face of mounting challenges, no matter how steep.”
Furthermore, the notion of visuals moving in a more centered-self direction speaks to the importance of mental health and the right we all have to put our mental wellbeing first. These visuals find inspiration in balance, inclusivity, peace, and an overall sense of calmness.
Additionally, the trending visuals of prioritizing our planet stem from a place of inclusivity by nature. The visuals for this theme showcase the importance of our Earth, sustainability, and the values associated with preserving our environment, proving that we have to come together as a community and inspire meaningful change.
Lastly, the visual trend inspired by socially distanced engagements and WFH environments is dubbed “In The Groove,” writing that it’s “a way for us to experience physicality without needing to touch. Even though we may be alone, working remotely, socially distanced from one another, these visuals allow us to stay sensually connected, at least in our minds.”
These visual trends get presented by way of thematic imagery, with Adobe Stock creating a report of Design Trends to balance the visuals with a more conceptual take.
Adobe Stock forecasts that the trends encapsulate Soft Pop, New Naturalism, Otherworldly Visions, and Heritage Craft within the Design Trends report.
The Soft Pop trend gets represented by 3D cartoons and a plush dreamlike visual system; in addition, the muted pastels and spherical geometry create a nostalgic sense of glee, infusing designs with a hint of positivity and joyfulness. New Naturalism, however, is a design trend inspired by clean modernism and organic, fresh visuals that inspire a clean slate and an open mind.
Meanwhile, Otherworldly Visions represent a science-fiction-inspired escape from the natural world, one potentially inspired by the metaverse, a world where the dystopian future might not be as far off as we think. And, lastly, Heritage Craft is a trend working to honor folk art, geometrical patterns, and inspiration from design all over the world.
Overall, Adobe’s trend report highlights positivity and inclusivity, which, these days, is a warm welcome.
The entire Adobe Stock 2022 Creative Trends Report is available to read here.