It's difficult to envision the world of tomorrow, but not impossible. If there's one thing we can rely on, it's professionals and creatives that see change coming before anyone else. We spoke to photographers, designers, and content curators to help us weigh in on ideas, movements and trends in visual communication that are shaping this not so distant future.

Around the world, a global aesthetic is emerging, fueled by social media and influencers. Marketers are getting personal with content curation, and artists and designers are looking for ways to glorify the past while also experimenting with innovative approaches to their art. What else can we expect in the coming year?
9 TRENDS AND IDEAS YOU'LL SEE, HEAR AND BE A PART OF IN 2019
VISUALTRENDS2019
Special project by Depositphotos.com and Tilda.cc
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We give up a lot of our personal information and expect it to be used to view images and content that is relevant to us
Brands look to co-create experiences with consumers through UGC and influencer marketing, while tailoring visual content to fit not segments of consumers, but to fit and be relevant to individuals
At a time when ad blindness is at an all time high, personalized content is an opportunity to connect across various channels
Marketers around the world are experiencing pressure to break through to individual consumers, because we're entering an era where personalization is the only way forward
Visual content creation takes a turn for the better as brands look for ways to stand out from the crowd
Rejecting "one-size-fits-all" marketing, brands and companies are opting for a closer one-on-one experience and it starts with precision in visual content curation
THE ERA OF PERSONALIZATION
CREATIVE PROVOCATION
To get users to pay attention, visual content on social media has to have an edge. Brave, bold, and sometimes daring choices of visuals are becoming more prominent for this reason. This kind of creative provocation can be achieved through unconventional approaches to photography, art and design
It's no longer enough to deliver a picture-perfect moment or a flawless design. The key is memorable visuals, and today that means work that gets talked about and circulates the web as a result. Inspire conversation and you'll dig to the essence of what it means to stay relevant as a brand
Some of the best photography projects from Behance explore this trend, offering creative solutions and delivering striking visuals to get people talking. How far will brands go to embrace this trend and inspire conversation? Creative teams are brainstorming hard on that answer
As more photos and video are consumed on social media on the go on mobile devices, successful visuals need to be thumb-stopping. This means creating something unexpected that rises above the average or the noise that crowds social media today (Gabriel) DGT Portraits, professional photographer
NOSTALGIC FLASHBACKS
Seeing a 90s inspired webpage 5 years ago may have been a faux pas, but brands like Adidas have caught on that nostalgia can be brought back with their website for Yung series, introducing sneakers for the next millennium

Especially in web design, the use of palettes, patterns, and fonts that are reminiscent of that decade, throws us back in time for all the right reasons
Artists, designers, and notable brands follow the footsteps of the past, drawing some of the most prominent and memorable styles, moments, and notable figures

These references influence visual culture as more industries make direct references to the 60s, 70s, 80s, or 90s. These references to specific decades are appealing not only to those that remember the highlights, but to those that look to the past with curiosity and a newfound nostalgia

Fashion often draws inspiration from the past, showing us that it can be done with taste and a new spin. Nostalgic flashbacks are very much about embracing and glorifying the best of both worlds - nostalgic look and feel with a modern spin to establish a style
We're going old school. There's an emphasis on creating collages and using old photographs to create new meaning and ask new questions about the past Oded Wagenstein, professional photographer
The search for inspiration doesn't only throw us a few decades back, but sometimes centuries. Classical art is echoed in the works of contemporary artists around the world. It's another technique that is about finding inspiration and interpreting it in a more personal way
We're seeing photographers make clear references, advertising that occasionally takes the same route and even Instagram accounts that use classical paintings to add a modern twist to them (sometimes with a touch of irony and humor)
American photographer, Christy Lee, creates breathtaking photographs of people underwater that are being compared to Baroque paintings. The artist's unusual technique is manipulating light and color in a way that captures beauty and fragility of her subjects with a clear reference to art history's finest masters
EMBRACING ART HISTORY
FIRST GLOBAL AESTHETIC
Why are some coffee shops starting to look the same around the world?
Quartz News picked up a first, truly global aesthetic - luxury minimalism that prioritizes authenticity and rawness. This global aesthetic is heavily influenced by social media, spreading a homogenous design trend that is starting to shape interiors and still life in the places we eat, drink, and pass time
It's not just coffee shops that are being altered to be more "Instagrammable", it's interior design in general that is now considering this kind of edge to attract more clients. It's scary to think that social media has a hand in shaping the physical world, but it's true, and it's not only seen in interior design choices. Places around the world are starting to look the same
The specifics of this trend is a very refined, sleek, and clean aesthetic. This polished look that features raw, original materials is spreading on social media like wildfire and quickly taking over the world with the sophisticated take on lifestyle imagery
ADDING LAYERS OF INTERACTION
The talk of 2018 was video and animation, with tools like Crello offering templates to make the most of the popular medium. The forecast for next year is an extension of this - new ways for us to interact with content. It's also true for web design, where interactive elements are being added to get people to engage with visual content
Interactive and experiential art is appearing more and more in exhibitions and being talked about. Audiences are also being attracted to and tend to interact with these forms of arts more FeiFan Zhang, artist and professional photographer
In Sydney, Australia, the Museum of Contemporary Arts allows visitors to rename the whole space based on the 3 letters from the abbreviation. This kind of interactive element engages visitors and illustrates that people too can be part of the design. Giving people the opportunity to engage with content guarantees they remember your brand, product, or cause
3D DESIGN
TRANSITION
More designers are acquiring new tools and mastering new skills to deliver three-dimensional elements to their work. Adding this kind of depth to designs creates an immediate visual interest and challenges the static of graphic design the way we know it.
Website designs are quickly catching on to try the next big thing in graphic design. Even our own stock photographers are experimenting with 3D design, showing us elaborate works of art that will ultimately be the first place creatives look to experiment.
Facebook surprised everyone with the rollout of 3D photos this year. There are many implications to the new feature, especially in application to graphic design and sharing your work on social media.
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MINIMALISM GETS PHILOSOPHICAL
If we look to the one trend that has never died out but gained momentum, it's minimalism. However, the forecast for the coming year is deeper conceptual minimalism not only in web and app design, but product design and photography as well.
There was no shortage of minimalist photos before, but now they tend to get a bit more conceptual. Capturing something pretty isn't enough, you need to create a narrative, to imply a deeper meaning. These photos often look like a frame from a movie, you somehow know, that this is only a part of a frozen in time story, with a beginning, middle, and end. It's not just coffee cup smithereens, for example. That's someone's broken relationships. Or a crack in society. Dina Belenko, artist and professional photographer
Minimalism becomes philosophical in the sense that viewers are forced to stop and think, to reflect and reach conclusions about shots that are stripped of the grandiose. A minimalistic image does not equal boring, on the contrary, adding new and unexpected elements into the composition shows that minimalism is anything but that. This kind of stylistic choice is evident with the works of photographers we interview at Depositphotos.
NEW WAVE OF ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS
You know it's getting serious when $5 million Super Bowl ads shift their attention to social and environmental issues. Brands are starting to take a stance on important topics, and more so than ever, environmental matters are at the top of the list of concerns.
Environmental concerns are on the lips of politicians around the world, making it a place of investment, and we're seeing more visuals that reveal the true state of the world we live in. These images take center stage in news feeds because it's time we all decide to take a stance on global concerns. Studies are starting to show that consumers would rather get behind brands based on the causes they support which is something to consider for every business.

It's a two way street for our last trend that affects each and every one of us. Industries can help spread the word, and creatives have it in their hands to guide us in this movement and come up with solutions for the sustainable future we're all hoping for.
Environmental issues - pollution, human intervention in nature - will be a major visual trend in 2019. In the media you are currently inundated with plastic waste in nature. Sustainability, recycling, organic, healthy living in harmony with and respect for nature. These are trending topics Edwin Butter, professional photographer
Special thanks to our creative community: Edwin Butter, Branislav Nenin, Sergey Tinyakov, Dina Belenko, Gabriel from DGT Portraits, László Lőrik, Victoriya Bulyga, Justin Govender, Oded Wagenstein, Jan Janssen, Stefano Gardel, Niko Photographisme, FeiFan Zhang, Al Mefer, Jashim Salam, Alvaro Matas, and Jorge Lawerta

Image credits: ufabizphoto, brocrock, Rawpixel, Tekillazzz, faraonsas, iakovenko123, KrisCole, korolOK, skvalval, alkir_dep, gregorylee, luminastock, mooveen, anberization, Zamurovic, Katya_Havok, avgustino, Shotshop, Caiaimage, Westend61, Photocase.

All images are available here, and Focused Collection files are here

Visual Trends 2020
Special project by Depositphotos.com and Tilda.cc
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