Ugly design is everywhere

Intentional and unintentional

So, are you into Digital Brutalism, too?

This trend, known as Ugly Design, is everywhere (view a curated collection). Its resurgence represents a countermovement to the minimalist, highly polished aesthetic that dominated digital and product design in the 2010s and early 2020s.

Brutalist websites intentionally use harsh typography, clashing colors and unconventional layouts that challenge traditional usability principles.

At its core, this design approach rejects any “clean” design language, sleek minimalism and precision.

Some companies and brands strategically adopt these ugly elements to appear more authentic and relatable to younger audiences. They use design flaws to increase memorability, brand recognition and recall.

In cognitive science, this is called “negativity bias” since humans remember negative or uncomfortable experiences more than positive ones.

But sometimes, this anti-design is just ugly without any deep afterthought.

When done well, however, Ugly Design challenges traditional notions of aesthetic beauty and breaks from the visual monotony that users are accustomed to.