Creative Trends 2024: Embracing the Future of Design with Depositphotos' Insights

How can one predict consumer preferences and behavior or foresee what visuals will resonate with their audiences in the upcoming year? A data-driven approach is one of the possible answers.

Depositphotos, a leading stock content platform with 40 million users worldwide, has just presented a research-based report for content creators, marketers, and business owners looking to navigate tendencies in design and communication. The research includes booming stock content searches, a deep analysis of various artistic approaches taken by the platform’s contributors, as well as insights from leading photography, design, and communication experts.

Take your time to discover concepts relevant to customers in 2024 and learn how to leverage them in your projects immediately.

Top 7 trends in creativity, communication, and graphic design for 2024

In past years, escapism and virtual realms were dominant tendencies in creative communications. On the contrary, 2024 will become a year when creatives and customers ground themselves with structured approaches for a real-world impact. Along with this, the accessibility and rapid development of technologies; a mass shift to remote-first and skill-based work; Gen Z ruling social media; and culture decentralization are all key factors that will influence the creative landscape in the coming year.

In 2024, we will see a nostalgic revival of 70s–90s street culture with a dash of stealth wealth. Creators and brands will lean more towards text-only communication, but there will still be a surge of merging reality, dimensions, and styles, emphasizing individuality and authenticity.

As Millennials and Gen Z dominate social media and are almost inseparable from engaging with and consuming online content, their influence will shape rapidly emerging and just as swiftly fading online aesthetic trends, which can be a fast lane into brand relevance. An ongoing evolution of redesigning workspaces and integrating more digital tools to achieve a more balanced and enjoyable work experience will also be in full swing in 2024.

1. Back to the streets

With social trends on the rise, 2024 graphic design will be influenced by expressive nostalgia, which is highly cherished and currently experienced by Millennials. Coming from four years of social and professional isolation and a remote-first lifestyle, those born in the 80s–90s are eager to re-explore the outdoors and reunite with their community.

Looking ahead, we can expect a boom in urban aesthetics for brand communications, including the use of graffiti lettering, retro and grainy visuals, DIY local scenes, and the integration of community events and street subcultures.

2. A way with words

Transparent communication is what drives consumer trust the most. Clear messaging and a thoughtful combination of typography are set to be leading design elements in 2024. Driven by the shift towards straightforward and easily digestible visual designs, this trend focuses on adding personality to minimalistic, text-only projects.

Creators can play with fonts and typefaces, creating shimmering, distorted, pixelated, and animated lettering to inject dynamism into their work, fully expressing their creative vision and boosting any message. Colored, angled, and differently sized type variations will eliminate the need to use additional design elements and facilitate the blend of diverse styles within a composition.

3. Core wave

Social media, with the majority of its active users being Gen Z, is sparking a move from a single leading aesthetic toward numerous "-cores" based on popular movies, books, cartoons, historical periods, and more. Marketers, designers, communicators, and other content creators can leverage these rising and sometimes short-lived aesthetics to engage consumers and improve their visibility.

Instead of sticking to one safe style for months, experiment with color palettes, visual elements, music genres, and effects to create a distinctive design that aligns with the values and interests of your audience. Apply different cores, like the trending Animecore, Cottagecore, or Barbiecore to your brand and product materials to show your adaptability and willingness to embrace creative change.

4. Retro yet timeless

Looking to the past for inspiration has always been a design tactic. And 2024 is bringing the #oldmoney aesthetic, where creators will delve into classic design elements, especially family-style legacy and antiques. With a modern spin, this trend embraces sustainability and a reimagining of old traditions, allowing the timeless aesthetics of quiet luxury items to resurface.

We can expect designs to feature natural, rich, brown-, green-, and earth-toned colors; 20th-century newspaper lettering; time-worn quality items; and elegantly crafted details that declare heritage and sophistication. To boost the timeless, retro film aesthetic, you can experiment with color-grading effects, vintage props, wood, leather, stone, and other durable, tactile textures.

5. Personality, not gender

2024 is the year of cultivating self-acceptance, celebrating diversity, breaking gender norms, and recognizing human character. Rather than sorting products, styles, and expressions into male- and female-oriented categories, we encourage an inclusive visual environment where everyone has the chance to self-express and genuinely represent their identity.

Designers will defy gender stereotypes in their projects, all while eliminating society boundaries. We will see the honoring of natural beauty, psychological diversity, human backgrounds, and individual experiences portrayed in brand visual communications.

6. The dimensions game

Are you ready to let your imagination run free and play with merging genres, dimensions, aesthetics, and concepts? In 2024, you can design with a fresh outlook on artistic expression and reimagine brand communication while channeling your creative self. Interweave reality with simulation, pushing the boundaries of human perception and creating unreal immersive experiences.

We can expect creators to experiment with color fusions, visual layering, motion effects, and interlacing dimensions to bring their fantasies to life. Contrasting techniques and textures will enhance visual storytelling and add a bit of zest to your work. Draw inspiration from renowned art movements and integrate AR design elements to create emotional impact and maintain clear messaging.

7. Life, work, hybrid

In 2024, the question of work-life balance will continue to evolve, reflecting our collective need for a harmonious combination of personal and professional pursuits. While some prefer separating their professional and personal tasks by dedicating time to executing work swiftly and indulging in leisure time, others shift towards a seamless blend of work and personal life without distinctive separation.

Digital design and brand communications will portray functional and stylish workspaces that accommodate various requirements and personal preferences. Creators will highlight the collaborative environments and inclusive energy of coworking locations, cafes, and redesigned office spaces. We will also see an emphasis on comfort, efficiency, and visually stimulating home settings where people can pay attention to their professional tasks and take care of familial responsibilities.

Ready to implement these trends and create exquisite design projects?

Exploring the 2024 creative trends and expert insights will allow you to channel your creativity with purpose and transform ideas into impactful visuals. Moreover, knowing what's on the horizon helps you stay relevant and visible to your target audience, meeting their evolving preferences and interests.

Use the Depositphotos Trend Report 2024 to choose concepts that fit your brand aesthetic and discover curated collections of licensed, high-quality images, videos, and audio files for your creative endeavors.

Read next: The Biggest Mobile App Trends for 2024 Revealed
by Irfan Ahmad via Digital Information World