Brutalism is a bold web design trend that seems to rise and fall with the same regularity as breathing.
In this article we'll take a look at what this trend is, where it came from, and where you can find examples of brutalist web design. Finally, we'll take a look at some tips for incorporating brutalism in your own web UX/UI design practice.
What is Brutalism in Web Design?
Brutalism is a raw, minimal, style of design that embraces functionality over form and aesthetics. It tends to be characterized by an extremely simplistic, almost minimalist approach to layout and UI design.
Brutalism is a bold, counterintuitive take on raw, eye-catching visual design—and can be difficult to pin down with a definition, since it essentially aims to defy definition.
However, some of the key features that it often includes are repetitive, geometrical patterns; honesty about materials; social vision; and integrity of function.
Where Did Brutalism Come From?
The word brutalism is derived from the French term béton brut, which means raw concrete. Originally, it was used to describe a style of raw, exposed architecture that emerged in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
At the time, Europe had just emerged from the most destructive war in history, with widespread devastation to housing stock, commercial buildings, and civic halls. In these circumstances, there was an attraction to architecture that could be designed and executed quickly and efficiently, with a minimum of unnecessary decoration. Brutalist structures could also rise high, minimizing costs and maximizing capacity.
But, like most trends, brutalism was a reaction to what came before: a desire to leave behind the heavy, indescribably ornate designs of earlier times.
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Why Did Brutalism Emerge in Web Design?
While architectural brutalism declined in popularity after the 1970s, another, unexpected, source of Brutalist renaissance is in web design.
In 2016, the Washington Post reported that “the hottest trend in Web design is making intentionally ugly, difficult sites," an approach which they called “web brutalism."
Brutalist Websites also collects sites that fit this description, stating that “in its ruggedness and lack of concern to look comfortable or easy, Brutalism can be seen as a reaction by a younger generation to the lightness, optimism, and frivolity of today's web design”.
But how did this trend make its way to the field of web design?
Quite easily, in fact, since early web iterations were focused on raw functionality and content: clunky HTML coded websites and bold 90s design motifs, were naturally similar in concept to the defining characteristics of architecture's blocky, exposed structures. In itself, this was a practicality. As the online world developed, it also became much more refined in appearance. Clashing colors and jarring designs gave way to the principles of color theory and clean layouts.
Years later, these early website iterations re-emerged (or were simply noticed) as brutalism, a trend that defied the growing list of UI design best practices.
Importantly, brutalism tends to make an emergence with websites or brands that trend towards suspicion of corporate interests, and particularly of how much data is being collected about us by tech and social media giants like Google and Facebook.
Some user groups—particularly younger ones—are wary of the high finish of mainstream commercial sites, fearing that it conceals less attractive inner workings, both ethically and aesthetically. The Brutalist web design trend may also express a desire for greater online transparency from the organizations that demand our personal information—for the underlying structure and motivations of websites to be made visible, just as Brutalist building exposed their own raw materials and social vision.