Photo by Pere Jurado on Unsplash
Human creative skills have taken different shapes over the years. Each era brought something new, but most of the time, every new art style emerged from something that already existed. We could say nothing is totally original as we spiral in a cycle of inspiration and innovation.
In 2025, we see the same happening with an art style called neo-brutalism, which drew inspiration from brutalism, a mid-20th century art style mostly associated with Soviet architecture.
Neo-brutalism thrives in digital space, convincing more and more UI and UX designers and digital marketers. Take the digital interfaces of brands like Figma or Opportunity Nest – the geometrical shapes, zig-zagged lines, big headlines, and… well, let’s find out together.
From brutalism to neo-brutalism
The word “brutalism” comes from French béton brut, which is translated into English as raw concrete. While the term was first used in architecture in the 1950s and 60s, it has become associated with digital design in modern days.
And now, what’s the difference between brutalism and its newer form? Essentially, brutalism escapes the modern approach to design and takes the users back to the basics. It uses plain HTML elements and minimal visual effort and design layers. Just imagine the first web pages from the 1990s or look at the design of brands like Craiglist.
Bridging the gap between plain brutalism and the refined aesthetics of modern design, a new style came into life, maintaining simplicity but playing around with elements and colors, known as neo-brutalism.
Characteristics of neo-brutalism
Neo-brutalism has been around for some years now, and chances are you’ve already stumbled upon a site, an ad or even a designed product label. You can recognize a neo-brutalist site by the following characteristics.
Raw appearance
Looking at a neo-brutalist interface, one might think it appears too impersonal or cold. And they’re not wrong. This look is intentional – raw features are one of the key characteristics of neo-brutalism.
As we’ve mentioned before, the style focuses on functionality over form. It’s not a surprise that it doesn’t like too much decoration but rather relies on practical elements. The design can seem unfinished, but the digital glitches and rough textures are intentional.
Just like in brutalism, geometrical shapes play a role, too. Rectangles, stars, or circles are all in. These shapes are often used repetitively to create rhythm and draw attention to important areas on a page.
Retro touch
Imagine the old, vintage magazines or the internet from the early 2000s. Nostalgia sells best, right? Neo-brutalism does just that, mixing a retro touch with futurism.
In order to achieve this vintage vibe, neo-brutalist artists and designers use rich, high-saturated colors and unconventional layouts. In design, retro elements like Pixel art or old browser looks are much appreciated.
Usage of bold
In neo-brutalism, bold is used to catch the eye. The style is all about maintaining a simple, evocative typography, and what better way to achieve this if not through accentuation?
The designers avoid fancy fonts and keep a minimalist look with fonts like Anton, Rubik, Montserrat, or Bebas Neue, while also attracting the viewer.
Lots of contrast
We already talked about the usage of highly saturated colors. These are usually in high contrast to achieve the neo-brutalist look. Apart from that, the designs contain elements with hard shadows and outlines to add contrast. Add some black, simple fonts, and you have a neo-brutalist webpage prototype.
Oversized elements and typography
Last but not least, the design likes oversized elements and typography. Big headlines capture attention and oversized buttons, icons, or images help guide the user’s eye through the interface with clarity.
Asymmetry
Instead of a common grid layout, a neo-brutalist page will use more asymmetry. Though this makes it more dynamic, designers have to be careful not to make the page look messy and confuse the user.
Why is neo-brutalism trending in 2025?
As of 2025, we are certain neo-brutalism has a bright future ahead of it.
The sterile, and hyper-polished web design with pastel colors that ruled the web for the past couple of years is something that no longer appeals to the new generation. Especially Gen Zs gravitate towards a more honest, vibrant, and expressive design.
Additionally, born during the heyday of cassettes, CDs, and DVDs, young people feel nostalgia for different types of media. And neo-brutalism fits that description perfectly.
Design sells. From the design of brand-new jeans to that of a demo casino game, there’s no better way to grab people’s attention than using appealing visuals. Neo-brutalism mixes retro with futuristic elements and offers an escape from a sterile modern design that many Gen Zs oppose. Unfiltered and authentic, the style is used by many marketers, especially by UI designers, and is a significant art trend in 2025.
