Introducing Noun Project Photos

Professionally curated, art-quality photos that celebrate diversity.

We founded Noun Project in 2011 to build a global visual language that unites us. Over the last decade, we have shown our firm commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through initiatives like Iconathons and the Redefining Women collection, and by championing the creation of more civic-minded content that supports equal and accurate representation in iconography.

Visual language has the power to shape, reinforce, and change our perceptions about the world. It is more important than ever that the visual resources we have access to, from the classroom to the boardroom, are inclusive, free from outdated stereotypes, and empower creation in a socially conscious way.

Today, we’re thrilled to share what we’ve been quietly building since 2019. Guided by the same vision and principles we were founded on, we are now offering professionally curated, art-quality photos in addition to iconography. The photos available on our platform have been carefully selected to celebrate diversity and support the critical work of moving our society toward a more equitable future for all.

A Focus on Inclusion

The media we consume can lift us up, but it can also oppress those who have been marginalized. Many visual resources still perpetuate stereotypes, set unrealistic expectations, and present inaccurate and potentially harmful depictions. For decades, research has shown powerful connections between the images we see in mass media and how we see ourselves in society. From the impact of positive portrayals of women in STEM on the career choices of women and girls, to the importance of representation of the LGBTQ+ community on television and in film, and the detrimental effects of racial stereotypes portrayed in media, the evidence is clear: representation matters.

In the United States, 51% of Americans identify as female and 42% identify as BIPOC. If white men in America only make up 31% of the population, why are they featured in the majority of the images we see in mass media, from our textbooks to our televisions and presentation decks?

We all need to be more conscious about the messages we’re sending with the visuals we use in our day-to-day lives. The truth is, we are all susceptible to the media we consume and the social norms depicted by that media, which influences our value systems and, ultimately, how we treat each other. Positive representations help us form connections, enhance self-esteem, and send a powerful message about validity and one’s value in society. In the words of Yance Ford: “We can not be a better society until we see that better society. I can not be in the world until I see I am in the world.” To those of you who have felt unseen — we see You — and we are making sure the world does too.

Our collection has been developed through the lens of inclusion. Each photo available on Noun Project has been carefully selected to celebrate the diverse, beautiful world we live in. Throughout this process, we consulted diversity, equity and inclusion experts, and deliberately worked to create a set of photos that more accurately represent and benefit everyone, not just a few. Because representation is a fundamental part of equality.

Photo by Alia Youssef

Photo by Carina Konig

Curating for Quality over Quantity

Most stock photo platforms offer either high-quality images at high price points, or catalogs of un-curated, free images that users must spend time sifting through. We found that users open, on average, 3 websites and multiple browser tabs while hunting for the perfect image. People want to create beautiful visuals, whether that’s for a website, a social post, a client pitch, or a history lecture, and spending hours searching for the right content is tedious and counter-productive.

Focusing on quality over quantity has always been central to Noun Project’s content offering. Our goal is to enable users to quickly find exactly what they’re looking for, instead of wasting time rummaging through pages of search results. After months of research with our users and product team, as well as years of experience building a global community and the world’s most comprehensive icon collection, we are taking the same approach with Photos.

By applying what we’ve learned from our rigorous content curation process for iconography, we are carefully curating our photos to make sure only the most authentic, art-quality, and emotive images are selected for our collection. This is to help you quickly and easily find the best content for your needs, from people to flat lays, landscapes, animals and more.

Photo by Anna Ivanova

Accessible Licenses that Support Photographers and Models

Our photo licensing options reflect our commitment to offering free and affordably priced high-quality content, while also providing an opportunity for photographers to generate revenue from their work. All photos on Noun Project have model and location releases (unless specified as “Editorial Use Only”), so users have peace of mind when using our content. To protect the models that appear in images, any DEI tags associated with photos on Noun Project are taken directly from model releases. You can learn more about our Terms of Use and licensing details here.

Photo by Denis Kuvaiev

What’s Next

This is just the beginning. We are busy building a new icon and photo upload interface and improving our curation tools to accommodate a higher volume of icons and photos. In the meantime, we are working with a community of pre-selected photographers to develop the collection. If you are interested in working with us to build a more equitable visual language, let us know here if you are a photographer and here to be represented in photos.

Our work is not done, and we look forward to growing the collection with our community.

Explore the Collection

Photo by Jacob Lund

Photo by Avel Shah

Photo by Jacob Lund

Photo by Anna Ivanova

Photo by Denis Kuvaiev

Photo by Jacob Lund

Photo by Jacob Lund

Photo by Carina Konig

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Sofya Polyakov

Sofya Polyakov

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