Sunday, April 28, 2024

Brutalist Websites: 11 Inspiring Examples

brutalism graphic design

For reference, you can check the below example where you will see simple CSS Buttons and a nav bar with no advanced styling. In this beginner’s guide, we will explore Neobrutalism design in detail so that you can also start your next project with this. In the world of evolving design interfaces, designers use a wide range of designs.

The Art of Imperfection: Embracing Flaws in Brutalism Graphic Design

They want the web to be true to itself, to feel honest and not contrived. The brutalist philosophy shares that last goal with flat design, though the two aesthetic styles achieve it in very different ways. Brutalism in digital design is a style that intentionally attempts to look raw, haphazard, or unadorned. It echoes early 1990s-style websites (think Craigslist and the Drudge Report). Sometimes this aspect of brutalism is expressed as bare-bones, almost naked HTML site with blue links and monochromatic Monospace text. Ultimately, it's up to you to decide how neo brutalism fits your branding and how willing you are to overhaul your site to match this design style.

The Beatles' White Album cover

The full lineup of talks and more information about the festival can be found here. The second session will revolve around design that breaks down cultural barriers and stereotypes, as well as how to build better environments for communities. Now, his mural for the public school’s library will go on display for the first time. Recent artworks by the co-founder of Pussy Riot will be featured in a pop-up exhibition, along with an artist Q&A and performance, on May 16 in NYC.

Neo Brutalism: Your Guide to the Design Trend

brutalism graphic design

Outside of architecture, brutalist aesthetics were adopted other design fields, such as art, graphic design and fashion. In this article, we’ll discuss what brutalism is (web brutalism, in particular) and share examples of how websites have embraced this web design trend. Minimalism, however, aims to balance simplicity with beauty, so the details still matter. Default CMS settings, system fonts, and overused color palettes rarely have any place in minimalism. Instead, web designers carefully plot out every detail related to spacing, hierarchy, symmetry, and more. Brutalism in web design is a crude, plain, and transparent style that prioritizes functionality over form and effectivity over aesthetics.

Brutalist-inspired wallpaper collection features Welbeck Street car park - Dezeen

Brutalist-inspired wallpaper collection features Welbeck Street car park.

Posted: Fri, 12 Jan 2018 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Originally, it was used to describe a style of raw, exposed architecture that emerged in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Remember those who dip into brutalist waters are not just designers; they’re architects of thought, provocateurs of the visual feast. So, when the time comes to craft new stories in pixels and type, consider going brutalist, and make that impact unforgettable. The underlying principles of brutalism in graphic design continue to inspire, challenge, and evolve with time.

The Cons of Brutalist Web Design

Even if your web pages aren’t dominated by oversized, looming typography, the exposed structure of the UI — like the separating lines, tables, and open navigation — can give a site a sturdy feel. Brutalism tends to have a much shorter lifespan when it doesn’t emerge among the year’s design trends. It’s usually a trend adopted by creatives whose works are equally brutalist or avant-garde.

The irony of Brutalist design

This approach allows for a more engaging and memorable advertising experience, ultimately influencing consumer behavior and perception. In brutalism graphic design, asymmetry is not seen as a flaw but as a deliberate choice. By embracing asymmetry, designers create a sense of tension and visual interest. This departure from the expected creates a dynamic and engaging experience for the viewer, as they are forced to navigate through the design in search of balance and harmony. In brutalism graphic design, color is used sparingly and purposefully. Designers often opt for minimalistic color palettes, consisting of only a few bold and contrasting hues.

Defining Designers: Ones to Watch in 2024

In this article, we'll learn all about what brutalism is in graphic design and how 90s graphic design trends are influencing a new hybrid. Saul Bass (1920 – 1996) was instrumental in create a new American Minimalism in modern graphic design. With economy of color and utilizing almost rough, elemental forms his designs have become icons of the era, with many of his logo and corporate identity works still in use today. Don’t break your visual hierarchy, navigation, or interaction design just for the sake of novelty. And stick to pure brutalism, while avoiding antidesign like the plague it’ll be for your business metrics. Web brutalism is beginning to take on a new meaning, quite different from the spirit of the architectural movement.

brutalism graphic design

It’s more that it doesn’t always fit with the style and tone of the times. Oftentimes while browsing through the cyberspace, I stumble upon a so-called brutalism graphic design. Brutalist buildings met the need to rapidly and inexpensively rebuild after a devastating world war. Its principles of simplicity and functionality apply readily to web design and development. For example, a website formed of a single scrollable webpage with anchors is likely to be cheaper and easier to maintain and redesign than an elaborate multi-page site, and may even have usability benefits. Likewise, brutalist websites are often focused on functionality first, with visual aesthetics coming last (or not at all).

Brutalist graphic design in web form isn’t afraid to challenge your expectations. This simplicity, this rawness, it’s what made those early websites work so well. Modular designs, where everything fits together like a puzzle, are a big deal here.

Designs have become more expressive, and typography is louder, with colorful palettes. Although both may share a minimalist approach (depending on the application of the design), Brutalist designs are most often functional and impressive. Flat design is very versatile since it's equally suitable for corporate identity, web visuals, children's books – pretty much any digital design you can think of.

The nature of Brutalism is that it's never really clear-cut since it stems from such a diverse background in design, as we've already seen earlier in this article. Jean Dubuffet was the main proponent of the Art Brut movement in the creative arts. Also known as Outsider Art, Art Brut is naïve (or untrained), non-academic, or even crude creative work. The molded shapes could be infinitely replicated, making it possible to create "modules" – basic structures that could be assembled in any number to form a whole. It was a progressive, no-nonsense approach to design that emphasized utilitarianism. The strictly functional housing built in the Soviet Union was a cost-effective way to house millions of people displaced by the wars and fulfill the Communist state's promise of free housing for workers.

Brutalism emerged in Europe in the 1950s as countries sought to rebuild after World War II. One of the primary reasons this bare-bones style of design was pursued was because it was cost- and resource-efficient. While exposed concrete and brick facades and monochromatic palettes might not have led to the most attractive buildings, they were easier and cheaper to construct. While many brutalist websites share these traits, the designs aren’t always executed in the same manner — especially when web designers infuse brutalism into modern design techniques. For instance, the Whitney Museum website contains a predictable structure by today’s web design standards while also utilizing lots of imagery.

However, this rule-bending design technique isn’t always well-received, no matter how closely you follow its basic principles. Drudge Report is a news aggregation website that’s been around nearly as long as Craigslist has. Just like Craigslist, Drudge Report has maintained its brutalist style to this day. Apelido & Apelido is a quirky digital design studio with an equally quirky website.

"The reaction, like minimalism responding to loud prints in interior design, are styles like neo brutalism. It is unique and, for now, gives a clean modern impression." Another criticism of brutalism graphic design is its perceived difficulty in navigation. Critics argue that the unconventional layouts and disregard for traditional design principles can make it challenging for users to navigate and understand the content.

The explorative nature of the trend allows designers to expand and try out typefaces and compositions outside of the norm. We often see brutalist design in design pieces from brands that are open to exploration. Since the style can look artsy, highly experimental, and conceptual, it’s difficult for it to work for corporate brands. Both Brutalist architecture and Brutalist art focus on raw authenticity, the inherent qualities of materials, and cutting loose from the traditional forms of their particular disciplines. Digital designers also subvert the common tropes of brutalism, accomplishing feats of which architects working with physical materials are not capable. A recent popular interpretation of the style came about in the 2019 video game Control.

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