What Does Brutalist Web Design Tell Us About 2016?

Brutalist web design is a somewhat new design philosophy in web development. Brutalist web design is characterised by websites that are intentionally difficult to navigate and use, lack of smooth lines or templates, and hyper-individualization and uniqueness. Some examples of Brutalist websites include the websites for Adult Swim, The Drudge Report, and Hacker News. These and other websites like them are termed ‘Brutalist’ in reference to a mid-20th century architectural movement of the same name. Brutalist buildings use exposed concrete, are modular in design, and choose function over form in most cases. Brutalist buildings are imposing, and can loom menacingly. With this in mind, Brutalist web design is well named. Both styles are appreciated for their economically sound foundations, artistic ‘honesty,’ and anti-elitist undertones. So, that's what Brutalist web design is, but what does Brutalist web design mean for the year 2016 and years to come?

In order to answer this question, I think it is good to take a look back at the origins of the Internet. At its core, the Internet is a set of protocols used to seamlessly connect networks with other networks, allowing individuals to instantly share information. One of the fundamental tools for the network of networks is a universal way of displaying information—enter HTML, and eventually CSS. HTML and CSS have held up the design end of the greatest technological renaissance in human history from the years 1993 through present day. Information is displayed in new ways, in new places, and at new speeds. All this took was an incredible amount of work by designers and developers. Today, despite the latest versions of HTML and CSS still being behind the front-end of basically every website on the planet, any web designer looking for a job knows that mastering tools that wrap around HTML and CSS like WordPress, Bootstrap and Sass is more important than improving the ability to hard-code HTML and CSS. WordPress and Bootstrap and tools like them were born of necessity. People began to demand more and more ornate websites as the Internet proliferated, and certain schemas and templates began to become more popular than others. Designers created tools that allowed them to create flashy websites fast, in order to meet demand. The end of this story is the modern Internet—extremely well designed websites that are almost indistinguishable from one another. Brutalist web design is a response to this evolution.

Brutalism demands what a website can do be the measure of the website’s value, instead of how it looks. Also, principles of Brutalist web design would suggest that templates are the antithesis to creativity. As someone who has some experience with web design, I understand where Brutalism is coming from. It's difficult when a client is wrapped up in whether or not a menu bounces off the top of the pane as the user scrolls, but shrugs off a site’s ability to change content based on a user’s physical location. That said, is 2016 the beginning of the Brutalist web design revolution? Well I would ask, did the Brutalist architectural movement last? Given that Brutalist buildings were only built for about 20 years, and the age of the Internet moves faster and faster every day, I would suggest that Brutalist web design will likely be unheard of in less than five years. I believe this for two reasons. First, it just seems too much like a fad to not be a fad. Websites that look like they came from the early nineties, websites that are hard to navigate, named after a niche architectural movement from the seventies… This all screams fad to me. Second, people like aesthetics, because people are lazy. Aesthetics themselves are a reflection of our own laziness. We like to be told what to like and what is beautiful. Greco-Roman architecture is still seen around the world after thousands of years, because the aesthetic is pleasing. The smooth lines of buildings like the Guggenheim in New York City or the color and form of Saint Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, show that many people like the meticulous design that is seen in websites like Twitter or FiveThirtyEight, and many others.

But, I still haven’t answered the title question. I think that Brutalist web design means that in 2016 we are on the cusp of some real changes in the way that we view and share information. Ubiquitous wearable tech and the ‘Internet of Things’ are just two of the many big changes right around the corner. Brutalism feels like a step sideways rather than a step forward. We may be taking sidesteps, because steps forward are currently indeterminate or difficult. In the simplest terms, Brutalism means that in 2016 some people are trying to break out of a design system that has gotten better, but hasn’t fundamentally changed in over 20 years. Brutalist web design suggests that web design is likely to experience tremendous changes in the near future as the Internet itself changes. Traditional aesthetics will likely endure, but Brutalist web design suggests people are bored and want more. What exactly that is, only time will tell.

Author:

Erik Kappelman is a transportation modeler for the Montana Department of Transportation. He is also the CEO of Duplovici, a technology consulting and web design company.