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Participant
November 15, 2022
Question

Not Enough DE&I in Adobe Stock Images

  • November 15, 2022
  • 2 replies
  • 467 views

Hello Adobe, 

 

I'm a co-founder of a nonprofit working with underserved students from low-income backgrounds. Most of our students come from diverse backgrounds and are of various ethnicities. Our organization relies on various communication channels, and we use Adobe tools for creating content.

 

We have an Adobe Stock license but have to use other providers because Adobe's content does not contain enough usable images representing our diverse community. Too many stock photos are mostly whitewashed with token people of color, often posed or dressed as white people. Illustrations too often fail to represent the many colors of our global population. Not enough artwork represents the many cultures of our modern world.

 

In short, it all feels too middle-American and sanitized. I find this especially troubling, considering Adobe is a global brand selling to all nations and cultures.

 

I know that Adobe's stock content portfolio relies on artist submissions. However, artists of culture and color will only submit content if they feel welcome and of value. 


Adobe, it's time to take action and ramp up your DE&I activities so that your stock content library is more representative of your global customer community. This means investing in diverse artists and actively driving programs to build a useful and valuable content library.

 

Please feel free to add your plus-one thumbs up to this post if you agree with my feedback. 

 

Thanks for your consideration. 

This topic has been closed for replies.

2 replies

Henrik Heigl
Community Expert
Community Expert
November 25, 2022

Hello,

 

I'm not sure, but I could not confirm that. If I search for "diversity" at the Stock Images there are plenty of findings. If I look at the Adobe Blog or the hasttag #AdobeForAll there are many examples for what Adobe stands.
Just a few examples from the Blog:

https://blog.adobe.com/en/publish/2022/10/27/adobe-stock-artist-gabriel-vergani-on-creating-authentic-portraits-people-with-disabilities

https://blog.adobe.com/en/publish/2022/11/17/meet-six-women-entrepreneurs-changing-the-game

https://blog.adobe.com/en/publish/2022/10/25/new-look-old-growth-with-photographer-christina-nwabugo
Hope that helps.

regards,Henrik
Abambo
Community Expert
Community Expert
November 16, 2022

Please see this part of the contributor user's guide: https://helpx.adobe.com/stock/contributor/help/contribution-tips.html

See also this statement from the Adobe blog: https://blog.adobe.com/en/publish/2021/06/30/adobe-stock-embracing-diverse-inclusive-imagery-consumers-seek-authenticity

And finally, the link to a call to supporting artists via the Advocates program: https://pages.adobe.com/stock/en/advocates/

ABAMBO | Hard- and Software Engineer | Photographer
badmansAuthor
Participant
November 16, 2022
It's one thing to mention DE&I in the user guides. It's another to actively
seek out and overtly showcase diverse artists front and centre.
Abambo
Community Expert
Community Expert
November 16, 2022

Look into the last link! I provided 3 links, not only one!

ABAMBO | Hard- and Software Engineer | Photographer