The Stock Media industry continues to grow year after year, increasing its popularity among content creators and becoming the main source of income for millions of artists.

The main stock sites, authors and industry experts dare to announce some of the trends for stock media that will mark next year 2023.

The revival of the most nostalgic retro style, the use of vibrant colors and infinite combinations embodied in chromatic palettes never seen before. The rise of 3D designs that take us to a new universe and, at the same time, the greater awareness of environmental care embodied in minimalist and aspirational designs.

A combination of trends that speak of the past we have lived in recent years of restrictions and the future of freedom and innovation that we long to reach.

From Vecpho, we have compiled the main trends for Stock Media in 2023:

Retro fashion: a walk through nostalgia and pop art

That nostalgia for the retro and pop fashion of the past is still a trend among young people is perhaps not a novelty. A style and aesthetics that can be found in TV series, movies and commercials.

A call to the past that seeks to humanize brands and give them a closer touch among consumers.

Based on the grunge style, with teen magazines of the 90’s as a maximum source of inspiration and arcade games as witnesses of all this aesthetics and way of life, the retro + pop style is back and promises to stomp next year.

In Stock Media, we will find this yearning for retro nostalgia combined with a strong pop style. An explosive combination that will allow brands that join this trend to last in time.

Vibrant colors evoking freedom and creativity

Led by the strength and vitality of Viva Magenta, the striking colors, full of energy and optimism, will be used in 2023 and promise to leave no one indifferent.

Palettes with color combinations never seen before and a whole chromatic range full of contrasts, 2023 promises to be a year of optimistic and cheerful colors.

A cry for freedom and creativity that creatives and consumers have longed for in recent years after the pandemic.

At the same time, nature will continue to be very present in these chromatic combinations and when it comes to playing with new artistic creations.

Eco-branding as a symbol of authenticity

The awareness for the care of the environment reflected in a minimalist style, simple and with a monochromatic color range. The more eco style seeks in its image to be aspirational for young people and inspirational for older people.

This elegant, sober and organic style is present in many cosmetic and food brands in social networks. This trend is a favorite of many of our authors at Vecpho, especially MockUps and illustrations creators.

In recent years, many brands have appeared that have sustainability as their origin and others that over time have decided to join this trend, thanks to the impulse of consumers.

Caring for the environment and maintaining the planet we live on is a topic that concerns people all over the world and that can be seen in the main stock sites.

3D designs more immersive than ever

With the metaverse as the main source of inspiration, 3D designs are present in different sectors such as fashion, art or video games.

3D modeling is a new way of looking at the world and, above all, capturing it on the screen. Based on hyper-realistic illustrations and designs, 3D creations do not understand creative limits.

That’s why more and more illustration and vector designers are joining this design trend and innovating their way of working.

There are many stock sites that turn to Vecpho requesting this type of content, so if you have a portfolio of 3d designs and want to reach a larger number of image banks you can contact us here.

Happiness in the objective

After 2 years of restrictions and little mobility, content creators and artists yearn to fly, travel and photograph other worlds.

Capturing moments and portraying united people projecting happiness, joy and cooperation. These are some of the resources most requested by image banks and that we will be able to see in advertising campaigns in any sector.

Dreamlike landscapes and ego-boosting portraits are the photographic trends for 2023 announced by industry experts and demanded by the main stock sites.

The influence of social media

Social networks have become our main source of information and entertainment. If in this 2022 the viral dances and challenges of TikTok have already managed to turn the world upside down, 2023 is not going to be less.

Beyond impossible choreographies and chef recipes for Dummies, social networks such as TikTok and Instagram have made many people dedicate their lives as influencers, becoming references for millions of young people.

However, more and more brands are betting on their own employees as prescribers of their services and products, that is, as influencers of their own company.

Similarly, more and more microstockers show their face and use their own social networks as a showcase for their portfolio, share some tips for content creation or share with their followers the paradisiacal destinations they visit to act as a source of inspiration for other content creators.

Artificial intelligence as a new form of creation

Since Shutterstock announced its alliance with OpenAI in October, there has been a lot of talk about the creation of resources through this tool and how it will influence the way many artists work.

As the site announced last October, this type of alliance offers consumers the ability to instantly generate images based on their criteria and needs. In other words, “creativity at the speed of imagination”.

Although for some sectors Artificial Intelligence is still science fiction, for the world of design and advertising it is an increasingly present reality.

Far from being a threat to content creators, it could become a new form of income through additional financial compensation, as Shutterstock announced last October.

Creativity and artificial intelligence promise to be great allies in the coming years.

Trends for stock media in 2023

A combination of different styles and ways of creating that will be adapted by microstockers around the world. The Stock Media industry is still booming and is expected to grow exponentially in 2023.

Creativity, innovation and professionalism define Stock Media and each of the authors that make up Vecpho, the agency that represents microstockers.