Neo brutalism: The falsely accused UI design trend.
Let’s debunk some of the preconceived notions people have about neubrutalism.
By- Pallavimitra and Debuedwards
Neo-brutalism, or neubrutalism, has been a hot topic for Generation Z and Millennials for a while now. As time goes on, new trends develop and gain popularity; brutalism is one such UI design trend.
Let’s explore and break some predefined stereotypes!
Unconventional yet uncompromising in terms of aesthetics and functionality is what is called neubrutalism. Strong contrasts with clear edges, brilliant colours, bold and large lettering, and solid background textures or patterns are all examples of how the current UI design trend imitates the original architectural style, which emerged in the early 1960s. It portrays an output that is contemporary, has a distinctive, unique approach to infusing personality into designs, and doesn’t bargain on giving a good user experience. Also Let’s have a look on some of the examples which came in market.
Cred Neopop
The NeoPOP philosophy allows for the rapid and reliable construction of new component assemblies by reexamining fundamental templates. Neopop replicates the experiences of the real world using typefaces, textures, and interaction animation. The brand-new pieces are created to exhibit the most information possible in a fold while maintaining a lovely amount of negative space. High contrast, accessibility, haptic awareness, multi-state, and multiple elevation buttons aid in ensuring that you consistently behave in the proper way.
Secession
The world’s first independent exhibition space devoted only to modern art is the Vienna Secession, an association of visual artists. With a sleek and modern use of brutalist techniques, this website fulfils its role as the online representation of Vienna’s oldest gallery of contemporary art. The website is heavily focused on text, both scrolling and static. Images are shown on plain cards when they are presented. Artistic images are incorporated amidst the text, giving it a perfect balance while representing the purpose in itself.
Several people are under the misconception that brutalism is “ugly on purpose”.
The majority of brutalist websites are thought to have been purposefully created ugly; however, this may only be accurate in some instances. We can just say that beauty lies in the eye of the beholder; everyone has their own perception of what is aesthetically pleasing and what is not. Enthusiasts of mobile-friendly, plugin-packed WordPress themes might not be loudly proclaiming how much they adore the look; however, the same folks might also disdain minimalism. Perhaps it’s just a full circle moment for UI design, which began with pixelated images, bold colours, and misaligned writing.
Neobrutalism has been labelled and interpreted as just anti design
Anti-design refers to the use of fonts and layouts that depart from the norm. playing with large typefaces and flamboyant bright colors instead of merely neutral and moving away from the clean classic. Breaking the rules and pursuing innovation outside the constraints of established norms and guidelines established by humans. There are no specific boundaries for art. The conventions are made and defined by humans themselves. Is it all done the right way? Is it only the right way to do it?Does going against a design standard that has become the norm make it anti-design or rather, a different type that is not being able to fit into the design standards that we created?
A rebelling UI trend?
It’s not always anti-design just because it breaches the standards of conventional UI designs. Given that it defies conventional bounds, it may be considered a rebellious UX trend. The use of brutalism doesn’t necessarily have to interrupt the smooth user experience that the user deserves. If it’s taken in terms of going against the traditional rules, it is indeed a rebellious design, but it can also be aesthetically pleasing with a smooth user experience. Most people tend to equate rebellious designs with ones with a worse user experience.
Many think of it as a combination of random UI elements.
Is it just a mixture? While few initiatives might look like this, generalising the idea that it is a mere random mix of elements is an immature perspective. It’s just another new and fun way of making memorable user interfaces that have their own unique personalities. Differing from the traditional user interfaces, it has its own benefits and downsides, as every other thing in the universe does.
Let’s take a look at a UI design we designed as an example. We named the app Fuwu, an app for the local tradesperson. The Mandarin term for the name, Fuwu, is “At Your Service.”; you can easily connect with local contractors. When relocating for a career or any other reason, the unfamiliarity of a new location may be very stressful at times, particularly when it comes to finding somebody to help with domestic tasks. Finding tradesmen and adjusting to a new environment can be challenging when we go outside of our states for employment or studies.
Hence, we took the idea of “neo brutalism” and added a little touch of retro to create a fun and quirky app for Gen-Z.
We used a palette of pastel colours to convey the mood while keeping in mind the contrast needed to improve usability and guarantee that it is visible to the majority of users.
We combined fonts that are subtly dramatic but still complement one another rather than going all out loud.
We experimented with letters to create the app icon, which was inspired by the term “fuwu.”
Neo-brutalism uses a particular aesthetic that incorporates a border and a black shadow to enhance the design.
Wondering how everything turned out? Go and check out the whole case study and UI design on https://www.behance.net/gallery/156967259/Fuwu-%28Neobrutalism-App%29
Conclusion
Opinions on the UI design of Neobrutalism vary. It’s a subjective matter, and everyone perceives and uses it differently. While it’s possible that Gen Z might find Neobrutalism appealing, designers should consider the specific context, objectives, and target audience of their projects. By understanding their users’ preferences and needs, designers can create effective designs that resonate and achieve their goals.
