After decades of having “clean and minimalistic” as the major trend, brutalist web design is slowly making a comeback. Its rough look, clashing colors, and minimum ornaments lend to more distinctive website designs. A perfect option to express creativity and unique ideas through your official or portfolio website.
Brutalist design came to popularity in the UK during the 1950s and 1960s. The concept is rooted in the resource limitations after the World War Two era despite rising demands for housing and other buildings. Brutalism answered those needs through bold, practical, no-frill architectural designs emphasizing functions over frills.
Many buildings with Brutalist style have monochrome palettes and bare structural elements. They often expose raw materials such as bricks, concrete layers, and plywood. Many notable buildings are known for their Brutalist approach, such as the Boston City Hall in Boston, Robarts Library in Toronto, and the Royal National Theatre in London.
The principles of brutalist design later translated into the digital world. In the mid-2010s, Brutalist web design started trending, especially among younger people and artists. They “rebelled” toward the clean, sleek webpages that spread in professional spaces.
Brutalist web design has elements similar to architecture in its design templates. They often have minimum CSS or draft-like design that gives an unfinished look. The visual elements also look raw, and the color themes tend to clash.
Many designers love playing with such elements because they offer a wider space for creativity. Unlike the sleeker modern designs that require restraint, the Brutalist web allows more unusual creativity. Brutalist designs also emphasize functionality, so you can cut elements that would slow down the webpage load.
The visual elements of Brutalist design also make your website look distinctive. Unlike so many similar-looking modern minimalist designs, Brutalist webpages look eye-catching. You can also express your personality with such a design. Plus, modern Brutalist often includes some sort of pop elements.
Brutalist web design appears in various stylish and popular sites. Here are some successful examples that you can draw inspiration from.
Google Creative Lab Five immediately attracts attention because its Brutalist design contrasts with Google’s massive reputation. Their webpage is almost bare, except for the white background and rows of texts in simple Serif fonts.
When you scroll down, you will see links to pages that allow visitors to take action. If you are interested in participating, type all the required information in the provided spaces without having to click on separate forms.
This design is the perfect combination of the stripped-bare style and the function-over-frills concept.
New York Times’ special article edition titled This is 18 used a unique, interactive webpage with Brutalist elements. Each section, which follows the daily life of several 18-year-old girls from different countries, uses simple layouts, minimum texts, and clashing color blocks.
The color blocks are not just for aesthetics. On the left, you will see a margin with different colors, which you can click to visit various sections of the page.
Toilet Paper Magazine is an explosion of creativity, surprise, and irregularity. Its Brutalist web design principles can be seen from its chaotic, “raw” layout. It lets images speak for themselves, with a strong influence on the pop elements.
The magazine website also uses a crude, raw animated effect that looks unpolished. Each image also does not follow certain layout rules, as the design mixed up different image types, color palettes, and sizes.
Dossier Industries is a publishing company with a simple design that emphasizes functionality. It contrasts the white background and simple texts and fonts with the colors of their book covers. Its navigation is very simple, and you can access almost every important function on the main page.
Want to design Brutalism on your website? Think out of the box and adopt the perfect combo of concept and font. You can access various unique fonts at Zarma Type, or you can commission one from us. With a custom font design, you can create the perfect Brutalist webpage that fits your taste and personality.
Brutalist web design answers the need for raw creativity and distinction, without sacrificing function. Try utilizing this design style to make your resume, store, or personal website more stylish.
