Recalling All Creative Trends Ever: The Legacy of Flagship Reports

As a platform with over 300 million high-quality files and more than 5 million new uploads each month, we at Depositphotos observe trends and contribute to them. We decode the shifts in design, culture, and communication before everyone else does, and turn those insights into useful, inspiring resources for creators.

Every year since 2017, Depositphotos has published a flagship Creative Trends report—our annual lens into visual DNA. These are insight-rich guides crafted from the collective expertise of our in-house teams and a global community of creators. We analyze emerging aesthetics, audience behavior, and creative direction to forecast what’s shaping the visual world and why.

In this legacy archive, you’ll find every Creative Trends report we’ve ever released. From raw realism and retro revival to maximalism, hybrid aesthetics, and inclusive storytelling, this timeline traces a decade of creative evolution.

Whether you’re just discovering Depositphotos or have been with us from the start, this retrospective is your chance to revisit, reflect, and get inspired, again. Let’s begin!

Creative Trends 2025: Elevated Perspectives

In our latest report, we’ve overseen trends that blend imagination with purpose. Surrealism made a refined comeback, no longer chaotic but conceptually sharp. Visual sensitivity grew, especially in global campaigns. There’s an increased demand for images that honor cultural diversity, neurodivergence, and emotional nuance.

Key trends and tendencies:

• The new contemporary. Refined surrealism with intensified visuals that evoke emotion.
• Cluttercore. Layered, overstimulating designs that reflect digital chaos and complexity.
• Getting sentimental. Nostalgic, emotional visuals rooted in shared memories and human connection.
• AI-fueled art. Creative experimentation powered by generative AI and abstract narratives.
• Crafted harmony. Inclusive, purposeful branding that values representation and meaning.
• Embracing the dark. Moody, cinematic visuals celebrating shadows, surreal tones, and depth.
• Look from above. Different perspectives offering clarity, calm, and striking visual balance.

In 2025, we view visual content as something both strategic and deeply human.

Creative Trends 2024: Unfolding Reality

2024 brought a sense of order to the chaos. After a period of escapism and turbulence, creators leaned into structure, hybrid aesthetics, and nostalgic subcultures. Street culture made a bold return, text-based design took the spotlight, and genderless beauty reshaped visual storytelling.

The most dominant themes included:

• Back to the streets. Graffiti, DIY aesthetics, and urban storytelling.
• A way with words. Text-only designs and kinetic typography.
• Core wave. Microtrends and aesthetics like Fairycore and Barbiecore.
• Retro yet timeless. Quiet luxury, vintage textures, and family heritage.
• Personality, not gender. Inclusive visuals and emotional portraits.
• The dimensions game. Layered, multimedia, collage design.
• Life, work, hybrid. Visuals capturing work-life fluidity.

This year highlighted the growing maturity of both creators and audiences. Design became a mirror of societies’ pains and needs.

Creative Trends 2023: Ready to Escape?

Escapism and joy took center stage in our 2023 report. Audiences were drawn to fresh experiences and brands that reframe the ordinary. We celebrated color, positivity, and childlike wonder. Creative visuals were dynamic, expressive, and fun. With XR, immersive visuals, and bold aesthetics like anime, creators had new tools to captivate, connect, and inspire.

What stood out most:

• Anime thrill. Y2K-inspired anime visuals with bold characters and vibrant effects.
• Back to the wild. A surge in eco-conscious travel and rewilding aesthetics.
• A wonderful age. Honest, stylish portrayals of older generations beyond stereotypes.
• Ethereal world. Dreamlike visuals with soft haze and surreal compositions.
• Eye on sustainability. Earthy, minimalist design centered on green, low-impact living.
• Wellness upgrade. Tech-meets-wellbeing, from AR to immersive 3D calm spaces.
• A blast of joy. Maximalist color explosions rooted in joy, nostalgia, and playfulness.

It was certainly a year of emotional rebellion against gloom, and we’re proud to recall winning a Red Dot Award for this insightful and creative guide.

Creative Trends 2022: Merging the Future and the Past

Designers broke all the rules in 2022. The future stood shoulder to shoulder with the past. AI-generated music, metaverse experiences, and immersive design gained traction, while Y2K aesthetics and 70s psychedelic art made a loud comeback. The grid was dead. Maximalism exploded. Neon and distorted gradients defined a uniquely chaotic but purposeful aesthetic.

Here’s what defined the year:

• Metaverse. AR/VR realism with 3D elements and immersive interactivity. 
• Psychedelic art. Holographic/grainy textures and bright, abstract visuals. 
• AI-generated music. Custom, mood-based soundtracks created through AI for immersive content. 
• Y2K aesthetics. Retro-futuristic visuals with pastel palettes and shiny, nostalgia-driven vibes.
• Science, not fiction. Futuristic, space-inspired graphics featuring metallics and AI motifs. 
• Acts of self‑love. Minimalist, supportive images promoting mental health and self-care. 
• The art of scrollytelling. Multimedia scrolling experiences combining video, sound, and 3D effects. 
• Immersive everything. AR filters, 3D ads, and interactive campaigns for deeper engagement.

2022 was the year visual contrast became a creative superpower, blending old and new to craft bold, emotionally resonant narratives. The report was honored with a Red Dot Award for its creative insight and execution.

Creative Trends 2021: Living a New Reality

In 2021, creativity got personal. After a year of uncertainty, designers turned inward, putting emotion, connection, and authenticity at the heart of visual storytelling. Warm tones, nostalgic references, and human-first content dominated. Creators embraced vulnerability, celebrated imperfection, and used design as a tool for empathy. It was a year when softness spoke louder than spectacle, and visual storytelling focused on what truly matters.

Top visual narratives:

• Symbols of optimism. Bright palettes and rounded typography used to foster hope and brand trust.
• Wellness first. Balanced visuals and calming tones highlight mental and physical health.
• Solace in nature. Natural landscapes and earth-toned visuals offer comfort and reconnection with the outdoors.
• Virtual empathy. AR/VR and immersive tech used to create emotionally resonant, human-centered experiences.
• Authenticity 2.0. Genuine depictions of home life, slow living, and relatable emotions supersede staged perfection.
• Cinematic aesthetics. Film-like lighting and composition bring dramatic, refined visuals to everyday scenes.
• Snackable video. Quick, vertical, smartphone-shot Reels, Stories, and TikToks dominate social feeds.
• Audiovisual sync. Seamless integration of sound and visuals to boost engagement and harmony in content.
• Gamified by design. Interactive, playful elements in graphics and UX that invite participation and surprise.

2021 was a year of rebalancing, where creative work slowed down to feel more, not just show more.

Creative Trends 2020: Think Ahead

As the world accelerated toward a digital-first future, 2020 also grappled with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, shifting creative priorities. Designers explored immersive XR, neon-dystopian visuals, minimalist Bauhaus reinterpretations, and human-focused content. Creativity split between bold tech visions and a renewed craving for authenticity. Futuristic excitement met candid realness, giving creators a rich spectrum of visual strategies to work with.

Major trends to note:

• The world of tomorrow. XR and emerging tech visuals such as AI, IoT, and 5G brought futuristic environments into everyday visual storytelling.
• Neon dystopia. Aesthetics inspired by Cyberpunk, Black Mirror, Stranger Things, and Blade Runner, with neon palettes and an immersive atmosphere of futuristic unease.
• Limit AI‑tion. Images reflecting both the promise and caution of AI, deepfakes, and surveillance. 
• Bring down the Bauhaus. Clean, minimal designs inspired by Bauhaus, updated with modern interactive layouts and 3D elements.
• Brutalism and digital decay. Raw, unconventional layouts and stark visuals challenged polished perfection.
• Muted shades break. Soothing, minimalist color palettes offered a gentle counterpoint to bold tech-driven visuals.
• Play on optical perception. Distorted typography and warped visuals created dynamic tension necessary for attention-grabbing.
• Organic motion graphics. Blending fluid shapes, natural forms, and hypnotic movement to create intriguing, gravity-defying animations.
• Shift to vertical. Portrait and vertical formats adapted visuals for mobile and social-first consumption.
• Honest close‑ups. Unretouched product and subject close-ups highlighted authenticity and intimate detail.

2020 fused tomorrow’s technology with timeless humanity to convey deeper meanings about our modern society and push viewers to new experiences.

Creative Trends 2019: Bold Personalization

In 2019, visuals became hyper-personalized and emotionally provocative, merging individual-driven content with cultural throwbacks and environmental awareness. Creators broke from templates, blending nostalgia, interactivity, 3D, and sustainability cues to craft bold, thoughtful visual stories.

The highlights of the year:

• The era of personalization. Highly tailored visuals designed to resonate with individual viewers.
• Creative provocation. Edgy, thumb-stopping content with unconventional visuals that spark conversation.
• Nostalgic flashbacks. Revived palettes, patterns, and collage techniques referencing 60s–90s aesthetics.
• Embracing art history. Modern reinterpretations of classical and baroque art within contemporary visuals.
• First global aesthetic. A sleek, cohesive minimalism emerging worldwide across interiors and visual branding.
• Adding layers of interaction. Interactive visuals and experiential design to invite engagement.
• 3D design transition. Emerging use of 3D composition in photography and graphic design for added depth.
• Minimalism gets philosophical. Conceptual minimalism that conveys deeper narratives through simplicity.
• New wave of environmental awareness. Spotlighting sustainability, pollution, and eco-conscious lifestyles.

2019 fused personalization with cultural reflection and meaningful design, setting the stage for visual storytelling that’s as thoughtful as it is eye-catching.

Сreative Trends 2018: Raw and Relatable

In 2018, visual storytelling got real: unfiltered and experimental. Capturing the world with phones and adding bold editing was the new normal, so creators responded with authentic photography, motion, and mixed-media design. As a result, we got a visual language that’s refreshingly dynamic but still honest and human.

Design directions that dominated:

• Impact photography. Raw, smartphone-shot images that spotlight truth and social awareness.
• Perfect strangers. Real people as models, adding relatability and spontaneity to visuals.
• Artistic expression through travels. “Van‑life” and nature‑centered shots that blend lifestyle and landscape.
• Deadpan photography. Emotion‑neutral, detached shots that strip visuals to their core.
• Video as a tool. Live, candid videos such as Stories and livestreams bring immediacy and trust.
• Motion as a new norm for graphics. GIFs and animated visuals are becoming standard for engagement.
• Blurred lines of reality. AR, augmented filters, and mobile “mixed reality” expand visual boundaries.
• Creative collages. Layered images and cut‑and‑paste aesthetics spark originality.
• Brave color choices and effects. Duotones, glitches, and bold palettes demanding attention.
• Accept me for who I am. Real, diverse models and inclusive images shape honest storytelling.

In 2018, design became more personal and plugged in, mirroring the evolution we were experiencing at the time.

Creative Trends 2017: Life in Motion

Let’s wrap up this list with, in fact, our very first flagship report. In 2017, visual storytelling began pivoting toward authenticity and spontaneity, driven by visual trends emerging on Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter. As smartphone photography became more widespread, designers captured raw, candid, and relatable moments in their creative projects. The key trends celebrated everyday life, diversity, and the unexpected beauty of reality.

The core creative tendencies:

• ’90s are back—for real. Polaroid-style snapshots, bold colors, and retro film filters.
• Emotions and movement. Real moments in action became essential for engagement. Imperfect, gritty, unposed.
• Connected world. Abstract, emotive depictions of AI, VR, and IoT hinted at technology’s growing role.
• [Still] challenging stereotypes. Diverse, inclusive photography broke away from traditional casting norms.
• Video domination. Facebook announced video as its top priority. There’s a wave of dynamic formats. From 360° to GIFs and drone footage.
• Astrophotography. Stellar imagery featuring nebulae, galaxies, and night skies captured the public’s cosmic fascination, riding the wave of interest sparked by NASA’s Moon and Mars projects.
• Bold still life. Vibrant object photography turned everyday items into pop-art statements.
• Moody minimal landscapes. Sparse, misty scenes decorated blogs, branding, and moodboards.
• Drone photography. High-altitude angles created fresh, adventurous views.
• Simple patterns. Minimalist backgrounds and natural textures added visual calmness.
• Technology-driven Gen Z. Digital-born, socially aware, and tech-savvy youth pushed the world to more innovation.
• DIY stories. Handmade processes and small-business creators filled the frame with authenticity and inspiration.

2017 marked a turning point in design, and visuals embraced life’s raw edges, laying a foundation for a more authentic creative era.

Final thoughts: More trends to come!

From 2017 to 2025, Depositphotos’ Creative Trends reports capture a decade of evolving visual language, shaped by cultural shifts, design breakthroughs, and advancing technology. What began as a call for authenticity and raw storytelling gradually expanded into immersive formats, emotional depth, and bold experimentation.

As AR, AI, and XR matured, creators started to blur the lines between reality and imagination, crafting visuals that reflect and reshape the world around us. Throughout the years, one thing remained constant: the need to connect. And in that pursuit, design has become more inclusive, more intentional, and more human than ever.

But trends don’t pause, and neither do we. Expect more insights, more inspiration, and more creative vision from the Depositphotos team and the global creative community. Stay tuned!

Read more about recent design tendencies

The New Contemporary: 2025’s Boldest Creative Trend

Getting Sentimental Trend: Boost Your Brand’s Emotional Appeal

Cluttercore Trend: A Dream Come True for Maximalists

Crafted Harmony: Japanese-Inspired Trend for Mindful Communication

Embracing the Dark: The Rise of Moody and Daring Design Trend

Look from Above: A Creative Trend for Spectacular Visual Stories