Shutterstock's 2019 creative predictions show contemporary aesthetics are a thing of the past
Shutterstock's 2019 creative trends report highlights how visual aesthetics of the past are far from dead, with top trends echoing old styles.
Shutterstock's creative trends report 2019
The report is based on Shutterstock's vast archive of stock images and footage, and year-on-year search increases, which the company used to generate its design and visual predictions for 2019.
The report names the top three trends for 2019 as 'Zine Culture, '80s Opulence' and 'Yesterday's tomorrow' - all of which are nostalgically reminiscent of the past.
In addition to top trends, the report outlines eight styles which were popular this year. They include, 'Tempting Typography,''Kawaii,' 'Beyond Plastic' and 'Colourful Cartoon Art.'
'Zine culture' reflects the imaginative world of photomontage, championed by artists like Hannah Hoch and Robert Rauschenberg. It meshes the old, raw artistic practice, with the digital capabilities of today, to create a fresh, uniquely undesigned look. According to Shuttterstock's search history, the term 'contemporary art collage' increased by 1376% this year.
'80's opulence' has as much bravado as a Culture Club album cover. According to the report, the term 'chain print' is up by 731% and 'elegance pattern' searches increased by 1060%. Good taste is forgotten and substituted for an ostentatious clash - from leopard print and snakeskin to peacock feathers and gold chains, all elements of the style compete for attention.
'Yesterday's Tomorrow' is an optimistic redux of early-tech that demonstrates that old is new again. The term 'synthwave' has increased by 717%, 'retrowave' by 676% and 'duotone' by 230%. The style reinstalls futurism aesthetics like bold purple, blue and pink duotone gradients, basic vector graphics and dreamy synth music.
Discussing the predictions report, Shutterstock's chief marketing officer, Lou Weiss, said: “Even the most talented creative professionals sometimes want a little inspiration for their next big project and our Creative Trends report is here to help.
“With over 1.5m fresh new assets added weekly and millions of searchers using our platform, Shutterstock has volume of search and download data to predict the hottest trends and newest fads being driven by the design world. We can’t wait to see these 2019 design themes come to life everywhere, from ad campaigns, to the catwalk, and in movies. This year, our top three trends are influenced by the bold design principles of years past, so it will be particularly interesting to see how they evolve with modern interpretations best suited for today’s digital platforms.”