Shutterstock Publishes 2014 Global Design Trends Infographic

-- With more than 350 million image downloads to date, Shutterstock unveils popular and emerging visual trends from around the world

NEW YORK, Jan. 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Shutterstock, Inc. (NYSE: SSTK), a leading global provider of commercial digital imagery, has published its third annual global design trends infographic. In the 2014 edition, Shutterstock uses data from over 350 million all-time image downloads to reveal recent and emerging visual trends from around the world. As the volume leader in stock image downloads, Shutterstock licenses 3 images every second from a collection of over 30 million photos, illustrations, vectors and video clips to businesses and visual communicators. Some of the trends outlined in the graphic include:

• No two countries design alike. From pastel colors in China to vibrant textures in the Netherlands, unique themes around the world continue to emerge.
• Flat, minimalist design elements replace skeuomorphism. Led by changes in app and software design, downloads of flat design elements increased by 200% over the past year.
• Instagram-esque images were a top visual theme of the year. With the popularity of retro cameras and mobile apps, searches for filtered images soared 661% in 2013, with no signs of abating.
• Search terms with the largest year-on-year growth include "Gatsby", "3D printing" and "BYOD" ("bring your own device"), with each rising 625%, 583% and 407% respectively
• Video is an increasingly popular medium for visual storytellers and access to new image-capture technology such as 4K is growing. Popular video content topics include education, 3D renderings, transportation and cityscapes.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140121/NY49462-d)
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120514/NY06418LOGO)

"The increasing demand for imagery is leading to new and innovative content types," said Shutterstock VP Content Scott Braut. "Our data reveals how photographers, illustrators, designers and videographers are influencing design trends on a local and global scale."

"Businesses and storytellers are using images to communicate in more ways and across more channels than ever before," added VP Global Communications Meagan Kirkpatrick. "From bright geometric patterns in Brazil to deconstructed classics in France, Shutterstock is seeing more diversity in visual communication trends than ever before."

To view Shutterstock's 2014 Global Design Trends infographic, visit the Shutterstock Blog.  For additional trend data, email press@shutterstock.com.

About Shutterstock

Shutterstock, Inc. (NYSE: SSTK), is a leading global provider of high-quality licensed photographs, vectors, illustrations and videos to businesses, marketing agencies and media organizations around the world. Working with its growing community of over 40,000 contributors, Shutterstock adds tens of thousands of images each week, and currently has more than 30 million images available.

Headquartered in New York City, with offices in Berlin, Chicago, London, and San Francisco, Shutterstock has customers in more than 150 countries. The company also owns Bigstock, a value-oriented stock media agency; Offset, a high-end image collection; and Skillfeed, an online marketplace for learning.

For more information, please visit http://www.shutterstock.com/, and follow Shutterstock on Twitter or on Facebook.