Neubrutalism- a trending style taking over the web

This design language is characterized by sleek, rounded edges, gentle and vibrant shadows, and subtle gradients that bestow a luminous quality akin to a sweet, candy-like glow.

Every seven years, there is a cyclical shift alternating between embracing full-on skeuomorphism and adopting complete minimalism, with each iteration settling on a slightly modified approach.

While a familiar UI is a good thing for users because amongst other reasons it feels comfortable and they can jump into the application without a learning curve (as long as the UX is also user-friendly which it isn’t always — looking at you, Jira) it’s a bit like walking downtown in a large city and all the buildings looking the same in their modernist style; the only way to know where you are and find what you’re looking for is through signage, i.e. street names and signs on buildings.

The style I want to talk about today is not going to win the popularity contest either. Neubrutalism, or Neobrutalism as some people call it, is a mix of regular brutalism in web design and more modern typography, illustration, and animation standards.

What is Neubrutalism?

Neubrutalism can be easily identified by a few particular traits. Immediately noticeable are the solid clashing colors; large bold text in quirky fonts tells you where you are and what you can do there. There are strange animations and illustrations.

Bold Typography: designers typically use unconventional typography, especially in a bold font.

Raw & Unpolished Aesthetic: Neubrutalism in web design embraces imperfection, akin to brutalist architecture's exposed concrete, diverging from the polished appearance of flat design.

Bright Color Palettes: Compared to flat design, neubrutalism tends to favor using bright colors.

Prominent borders and shadows: approaches borders that are often thick, black strokes outline design elements to give a prominent look, uses shadows that are never blurred but instead full color

Asymmetrical layouts: Asymmetry can create visual interest by breaking free from uniformity and introducing unpredictability.

Noisy textures: use noisy or rough textures, adding to the untraditional, visually jarring aesthetic which gives a nostalgic feeling.

Neubrutalism distinctively departs from flat design, offering a unique style born from the desire for more creative and distinctive interfaces. It addresses the need for refreshing designs that stand out in contrast to the commonplace flat design templates.