Why Neo-Brutalism?

Most designers, who aren’t deserted without internet, are aware that Neo-Brutalism design style has been all the craze in 2023. But why has it exploded, how has it shaped UI/UX design, and is it effective at conveying a brand message? I explore all of these aspects below… First, a bit of history. Neo-Brutalism is a design trend that is a derivative of the Brutalist design movement from the 1950s. Brutalism is an unorthodox approach to design and represents a departure from, and even a rejection of traditional design norms. Just like its predecessor, Neo-Brutalism is characterized by vivid colors, high contrasts, bold, modern and futuristic typography, unique shapes, outlines, and hard shadows. One if its key attributes is intentional lack of symmetry and alignments in layouts. It’s hard to pin down how and when Neo-Brutalism started to make itself known, but two of the biggest instigators of its popularization have been none other than Figma and Gumroad. They pioneered it into the belly of the design world and made this fringe style “cool”. Because its essence is to literally challenge the norms and offer a fresh, boundary-pushing perspective, it is a great thing in the way of therapy for design. Creativity needs to be broken and reconstructed in new ways in order for it flourish and inspire. Neo-Brutalism raised web and mobile design to a whole new level, departing from clean, minimalistic, and morphismic approaches, giving designers the freedom to introduce art into UI/UX design. Now even tech and e-commerce sites can boast an artistic appeal. Neo-Brutalism isn’t always the right answer to deliver communication. Its rebellious forms may detract from the brand message and get the user lost in its illustrious patterns. But if done right, it can decorate a brand message with distinct and memorable attributes. The liberating nature of this style is that it empowers a designer to explore the limits of their imagination, as well as their rebellious side. By the same token, in all of that excitement, one can make an irreconcilable mess out of it. Design floats somewhere in-between the artist’s subjective reality, cultural paradigms, universal laws, and ideas that have not yet been realized. It is a wonder that never seizes to be wonderful.