The State of Creative in 2022 & Looking Ahead

Curiosity and wonder are two guiding principles we use to execute great work and in 2022 we were as curious as ever. Our creative teams immersed themselves in their respective disciplines through conferences, explored trends and tech as a firm during our Coolhunting sessions, and exchanged opinions all year long. To kick off the start of the New Year, we’ve compiled key insights that defined our learnings in 2022 at shark&minnow and a few predictions for what’s to come in 2023.

Motion & Sound?

2022 was the year of high-efficiency #production. For us, that meant experimenting with collaboration tools, evaluating the benefit of workflow automation, and embracing the future-forward landscape of Motion & Sound. Conversations surrounding new technology entering the creative industry peaked this year with the emergence of more sophisticated Artificial Intelligence. While attending #AdobeMAX this year we looked past the skepticism and gained a better understanding of streamlining processes using technology. We learned that when used to enhance human functionality instead of replacing it – these tools can improve performance and provide more capacity for exploration.?

Aside from just efficiency, sessions at #AdobeMAX provided alternative ways to approach our content. One session in particular, led by Courtney Quinn of Color Me Courtney, was centered around the idea of “chapterizing” content for social media and beyond. She encouraged us to think of each piece of content as a part of a story and build a narrative arc over time. Once put into practice, this can help boost engagement and create a more captivating experience for your audience. We hope to see more and create more of this style of content and, in general, we look looking forward to continuing these valuable conversations over the next year.?

Our Motion & Sound prediction for 2022: Artificial Intelligence is here to stay and will only continue to evolve. We were able to get a first look at some of the products that will arrive over the next year at MAX Sneaks and many had refined capabilities. It’s likely that soon these products will offer additional features that will be able to (hopefully) assist with post-production at a higher level.?

Design

Good design has no victims – this was a driving theme in Design throughout the past year. Many industry professionals are re-evaluating who the real stakeholders are in their work and how what they create impacts the world around them; we were no exception. Design is a powerful tool and can alter and command user and non-user experiences. These past few tumultuous years have opened up vital conversations surrounding accessibility and equity, and with that, many designers have stepped back and reflected on their practices.

Empathy is a core value at shark&minnow and we ensure our work is reflective of that. For example, we approach our brand identity projects through an immersive discovery process and translate this into design that is informed by community stakeholders and leaders. We also believe in continuous learning influenced by a diverse range of perspectives to expand our knowledge of what it means to be equitable designers. This past fall, our Design team attended #AIGASeattle where we engaged in thoughtful conversations surrounding the power we harness as designers. The sessions we attended, specifically related to the topics of ethical design, were highly impactful and provided opportunities for further exploration of how we can better positively impact the creative and cultural landscape as a firm.?

Our Design prediction for 2023: Discourse surrounding equitable and ethical #design will continue to take a higher precedence in conversations, and intentionality will become an even larger discussion in the next year. As we emerge from times of crisis and uncertainty, many are reverting back to basics and letting their child-like wonder take the creative reigns. We expect this will continue to trend upwards as bold color, motion design, and playful forms become more mainstream, and will hopefully open up more opportunities for exploratory and disruptive creative.?

Public Relations

As misinformation and disinformation found their home in almost every sector of society, the need for Public Relations skyrocketed in 2022. Communicating not only frequently, but transparently during times of doubt has become more commonplace and has made a significant difference in public perception and trust. While we know this has been a recurring theme over the past three years, attending #PRSAIcon cemented this for us. Long are the days of using silence to buy time. We heard speakers recommend that organizations provide more authentic, factually accurate, and calm responses to reduce volatility. Industry professionals within PRSA also found that both internal and external stakeholders appreciated when brands opened up the dialogue using continual updates as needed. Often brands feel transparency makes for negative positioning, but in actuality,?it allows your consumer base to make an informed opinion about your practices and understand the steps your organization is taking to remedy a situation or the spread of misinformation.?

Our PR prediction for 2023: Combatting misinformation, particularly in healthcare spaces, will continue to trend in 2023. The need for accurate, transparent, and frequent information surrounding public health continues to grow even as we emerge from and adapt to the pandemic. The past year has proved that there’s a more sizable role for PR in the healthcare industry and beyond.?

Final Thoughts

Curiosity fuels innovation and is highly valuable for our clients. Our learnings drive ideas and allow us to produce great work that resonates with the brands we serve. Time spent investing in our team’s inquisitiveness proves its worth year after year and pushes us to dive deeper into our disciplines, client industries, and the larger creative sphere. We’ll continue to make space for these conversations and learning opportunities throughout 2023, and we hope you’ll join us.?Make sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube for more insights all year long.