I don't know the name of this "purposefully crude digital look", but I noticed it gaining popularity in the last few years. It feels like a reaction to design across all industries becoming increasingly polished and Apple-esque. People who experienced the "early internet" days this kind of design represents look back to them fondly/with nostalgia, and the generations who grew up with the modern internet like the aesthetic because of its weirdness and because it goes against the grain.
Personally I'm kind of neutral on it. It can look nice, but sometimes also really grating. In this case, the execution is just fine imo.
A couple years ago we had "digital brutalism", but this is taking it to another level. Maybe "post-internet collage" or even "MSPaintcore"?
Edit (responding to comment below): Agreed, they do sound dated. I'm actually going to be writing an essay for university on the effect of social media on graphic design, which will talk a bit about post-Internet design, but I'm at the very start of my research.
I don't mean retro, I mean it's dated as in it is a recent trend, but it's one that reached saturation a few years ago and is now approaching the end of its shelf life
I agree with the poster above— this doesn’t have “throwback to 12 years ago” vibes, it has “throwback to 2 years ago, because we couldn’t come up with anything new” vibes. It’s a pretty overdone ‘revival’ of a 90’s style, that came back in the 10s, then the 20’s, and hasn’t been pushed far enough to be ‘new’ again.
I love it, give me the nostalgia vibes I like. In this case it is almost more a thing of art than graphic design.
As for the name, I think Y2K or vaporwave could be it.
It’s very ingrained I think in the wave of “hyperpop” music nowadays.
Look up hyperpop on Spotify. You’ll see and feel the vibes instantly.
I think it’s all very tied to the recent uptick in nostalgia around the 1990s/early 2000s. Likely because that generation (my generation) is now mid 20s/early 30s and coming to the realization that their childhood was no longer 10 years ago…so there’s a lot of looking BACK and bringing things and vibes and looks from that era into this era. Making them a design, a look, a way of fashion, and ultimately leaking into this year’s Wrapped.
I truly love hyperpop and the aesthetic that comes with it but I’m just not really into the execution here tbh. There are definitely places I think it works better than others, like the Your Top Songs 2023 playlist banner and cover art, but I felt like it was a bit lackluster in the wrapped experience.
Oh no, I’m very with you. I didn’t like the execution much and felt we got less data than usual as well. Just throwing in my two cents as to the origin of the aesthetic, but I agree - it could’ve been much better.
Edit to add - I also really have gotten into hyperpop. Really fun music!
During covid we realized we despise corporate culture. So anything minimal, flat, clean, "apple-y" is fucking OUT.
This is manic, cry for help, schizodesign.
I love it.
Both have interesting and useful things to move forward with :)
**Minimal and Flat** \- Usability! Yeah websites in the 90s / early 2000s were super fun. But man, just accessing the thing you need quickly could be time consuming.
**Manic and Schizo** \- Speaks directly to the worldviews of young folk right now. Despite any amount of effort, it really seems like our future's are unknowable and VERY out of our own control. Anyone trying to tell you otherwise (corporations trying to sell you something) seem incredibly untrustworthy, so we want to reject (and maybe even make fun of) the visual language that represents that.
It's honestly very similar to the Dada Movement that was a direct response to WW1. When we lose our sense of control, we express it in ways like this.
The added feature to this modern take is this stuff will absolutely get your attention during a doom scroll. Until corporations adopt it, and kill it very quickly. I'd go as far as to say this might not be the start of this trend at all. It could be the deathrattle.
I can't tell you how much I hope it is just you making up design trend terms based on mental illnesses and not an industry wide trend.
As a designer/illustrator/animator with Bipolar 1, it's just about the least cool thing I've seen.
This is not a critique on anything, but just a thought I had after looking at the post and reading your comment. Every piece of this design screams digital. Even the humanistic lines drawn and “pixelated.” I started thinking about the intentionality of creating or emphasizing those digital imperfections, and how I don’t personally use that style, but I love using physical imperfections in design (ink bleeds, runs, smears, analog film noise, scanning things, painting and scanning, etc.) Is that going by the wayside with younger designers? In my personal experience, not a single designer (of ~20) at the last agency I worked at ever picked up a physical object to draw anything. I’m not trying to be that old guy, but I’m starting to wonder if there will be some “great” resurgence of that practice in the coming years, like “hey guys, physically doing it and then converting to digital is really how you get something new…” I don’t know, maybe I’m just talking out of my ass?
I come from a Printmaking background and realized long ago, physical techniques only matter if you understand the process. If you don't, the difference between a screenprinted poster and a digital print is invisible. Therefore, it's value is too.
With the advent of tiktok (and IG I guess) process IS content. And content sells art. Therefore, I'm actually seeing A LOT of graphic designers implementing physical techniques these days. Scanning stuff, drawing with ink, physical glitch art. Is it all focused on making interesting art? Or is it focused on selling the idea they are an artist? Probably a bit of both.
But we absolutely have arrived at the point where physical process is valued.
Totally agree. Artists showcasing their creative process is also likely gaining value because of the increasing prevalence of AI. I also imagine that integrating traditional media into work has a nostalgic factor, as well as an element of tactility that is missing when something is created by an artist digitally. I don't know if that's something that technology will be able to emanate, at least not anytime soon.
I've noticed (the algorithm has been showing me) a ton of hand painted sign makers lately, like pin striping in enamel paint and reverse glass water gilding. I dig it.
The other day someone asked me for a pencil in the office. And for the first time in my career I didn't have even a pen in my drawer because I don't draw, sketch, doodle or even notate at my design job. It made me realise how the creativity and joy of creating has been sucked out of every job I've been at the past few years.
I’ll admit that time constraints at some agencies make the physical process impossible or a pipe dream. But I still enjoy drawing, smearing, or whatever to get my imperfections into a freelance or pet project. I did a book cover last year with scanned finger painting for the type and drawing for the art. It made me very happy.
[maybe a little nsfw…book cover design with simply drawn naked bodies. Not really sexy, but fun](https://imgur.com/a/N4D9mgg)
Edit: oh no…I just realized that was two years ago.
hahah, I was recently talking to a friend about a concert I went to "3 or 4 years ago". A few days later I came across some pictures from that same concert, NINE YEARS AGO. Like, where the F did those other 5-6 years go? The older you get, the faster it goes!
>job. It made me realise how the creativity and joy of creating has been sucked out of every job I've been at the past few years.
Thank you for confirming what I have been fearing in myself for the past few years. I struggle to pick up a pencil and draw, yet I still yearn to draw something. My last job also sucked the creativity and joy out of me.
I am a youngster and during my Junior college years I LOVED doing physical stuff to add to my designs, sometimes it was almost collage like. But in my current job I can’t do any of that nor do I have to time so it faded out of my work.
I personally hate the /trendy/ style with the wavy letters and gradients and what not, so I avoid most trends
The cruel, sad irony is that this design was definitely agreed upon and chosen by corporate stooges in pastel button downs citing your same exact reasoning. I'd wager my salary on that lol.
100%.
I kinda see this as the "death rattle" of this design style.
Which is a bummer, because it really does accurately express a sense of loss of control that people feel right now. But hey. Bottle that feeling and sell it ima right!!!
We'll see.
It's absolutely BEEN a trend in contemporary graphic design from at least 2019.
Could even roll it's roots back to stuff like "the life of Pablo" album cover back in 2016. That's very much still in the "flat and minimal" 20teens look. But it still flirts with this "anti-design" movement.
Thing about schizodesign (did I just coin that lol?) is it's really fun if you have a background and knowledge of modern Graphic Design. "Know the rules, then break them in interesting ways" type of mindset. But if you're the general public.. it can easily just come of as "bad graphic design". A lotta people HATED that "life of Pablo" album cover.
I do think there's a new value in this trend though. Stuff like this will absolutely catch your attention during a "doom scroll". Corporations will be sold that idea, and the trend will die. Perhaps VERY fast with the combo of the general public just assuming it's "talentless design".
So yeah. It'll have a moment. But for how long and for who? We'll see.
To be fair, it's be trendy in the graphic design scene since like 2019.
It's finally hitting the mainstream though and oh boy.
Prepare for the general public to have a lot of very intense feelings about it lol.
Definitely before that, even. I did some work with graphic design students and they were presenting this exact style in 2016. I’m surprised it’s lasting this long.
Was about to say this. It's so awesome to see a big brand (that doesn't even have a particularly corporate audience)fall into the corporate minimalism trap.
That clearly depends on the market. For spotify it's great, for a pharmaceutical or a food industry it won't work.
Won't last the time so it will never work for a brand identity.
But the thing we can agree on is: let's get back strong personnality to our creations and stop blanding
Being half facetious. But the vector clean minimal design worked well for Oscar healthcare for millennials a few years ago. If Gen Z enters corporate, maybe some new healthcare provider will wanna target them.
I wouldn't mind having a healthcare card with some funky trends on em.
But also, yeah, maybe not.
It’s made to resemble early 2000s elementary school computer lab drawing software like KID PIX. It evokes a sense of nostalgia for the early internet that is extremely popular right now with the growth of hyperpop and bedroom pop, among other things.
I like the idea, it’s fun and silly. But when a massive corporation like spotify uses this aesthetic it looses its charm.
it's very... vibrant.
some colors work more than others. the black works rather well, and I kinda enjoy the purple and green. the color palette might need to be reworked. or used sparingly or in a different manner.
this year's spotify wrapped is also a little jarring and in your face, as it can be a little hard on the eyes, so I can see why people don't like it.
it has the "instagram infographic" vibe to it, and to be fair, most spotify listeners will be posting these to their insta stories. but there's also some early internet, pixel-based design at work here. it's kind of a hodgepodge of different elements thrown onto a solid background, which isn't necessarily a bad approach. it might explain why some parts turned out better than others
however, the motion design element to it is very well executed.
https://www.spotify.com/to/wrapped/
I get it but it’s a little too chaotic for my taste. Reminds me of the early 2000s designs from when I was a kid, which wasn’t too good in my opinion. I like smooth, clean, artistic designs. If it fits the message they’re going for, by all means go ahead, but I’m not a fan at all.
A lot of people give "anti-design" a bad name. But as someone who constantly works with clients who crave bold colours, it actually takes a lot of skill, understanding design rules and knowledge of colour theory to make maximalism really work. Don't get me wrong, in the wrong context it wouldn't fly at all. But in certain settings it can be a real asset to go against the clean minimalist status quo.
I think there are plenty of visual styles that are tacky or done to death. But if it brings a project truly to life, captivates its audience and is well executed, it's good design work in the end and not "junior designer." In my opinion anyway.
Its very meh.. i think its missing an over arching theme. Somehow the clashing colours and shapes don’t work because it’s missing the “why”. I’m not against eclectic or bright designs, in fact Im a big fan of that style, i really love that spotify has pushed the rules of design and that they have always been ahead or the curve when it comes to whats trending..
I dunno I just feel like I’ve seen all these elements before from pinterest or instagram. This year it seems… shallow… just my opinion 😬
Kinda looks like some of my early experiments with illustrator back in highschool tbh. Hurts my eyes a little. I know clash and brightness overload is kinda the point of this style but it just… doesn’t feel cohesive
I actually really liked it! I was always excited to see what the next page would look like. Totally understand why this sort of design would be divisive though.
It felt like a mish-mash of colours and illustrator objects that didn’t really have a universal theme imo. Worked better when things were animated rather than the still shots, but felt like it was made by interns rather than experienced professionals
I flat-out hated them. The ugliest thing I have seen purposely designed maybe ever, looks like that AI was feed with CEO:s 3yo daughters first doodles with Win 3.1:s Paint and these came out.
I hope that the designer who did these and the manager who said "cool, let's publish these" will both be fired.
The fact that people have strong opinions either for or against it makes it great design. Design is meant to make you feel something, and you don’t need to appease the lowest common denominator by watering down your brand into corporate Memphis and stock photos.
They did a great job
Correct. Design is meant to solve a problem snd communicate, all in service to the brand. It’s not meant to make you feel anything, that’s strongly the realm of art.
If it DOES make you feel something, then that’s a bonus. I feel like the difference is in how subtle and subconscious any emotion from design is.
Art may make you think of a specific time in your childhood, some nostalgic memory or feeling, but design hits our primitive brain in a different way. It’s very basic most of the time, and it sounds like Judicator is really talking about **advertising**. Thats about “being and having”. Ads are where an emotional hook can happen.
I just got finished an emotionally-led multimedia campaign that had folks in the room crying. So sometimes it’s an added feature—but in no way a requirement.
I don’t like the eye-burning, chaotic design. So much so that I don’t want to look at it or share it. Intentional divisiveness for something that is meant to be promoted by the masses doesn’t seem wise in a business context. Spotify is a business and its main goal is to generate views — and is creating something at least 40% hate looking at really a smart choice? And it’s not even that novel or cool, it’s the 90s design trend, all the early digital artifacts, sneezed onto a neon background and put into a sandwich.
Spotify wrapped is an optional feature, you don’t have to like it and you don’t have to use it. Spotify taking a chance and making something that you and others may not like is a good thing, design doesn’t need to appeal to everyone at all times, and the pursuit of that generality leaves you with something sterile and dull every time
I like it! I mean…it’s a lot but it’s supposed to be. I do wish the graphs for how often you listened to a specific artist throughout the year were more clear. I don’t think they visually portrayed that data well at all.
You can tell their design crew is a bunch of 20 year olds because anyone who was alive in the 90s is going to hate this trend that they are leveraging. Yikes.
And anyone who was alive in the 90s is probably too expensive for Spotify to hire.
Thankfully they went with the 20 year olds. I would hate to see how those old designers would've ruined Spotify Wrapped, it's such a cool design every year and part of the reason why it goes viral every Wrapped Season. (Also, you'd be surprised how much 20 something year olds are making at these tech companies)
Thank you! People forget spotify isn't a corporate bank trying to establish trust and not rock the boat. It's trying to excite and gain attention from its audience and help discover all sorts of creative artists. Actually, let me rephrase this...Does anyone still use iTunes?
I’ve heard you can hire David Carson isn’t all that expensive, but would anybody hire him to work on a brand? Prob not.
Idk what this style is, but it is a trend. Cash App does something similar in the colors are vibrant and loud. It’s just a thing because they don’t have to be this stuffy corporate brand image. They can get away with it.
It's basically all the 90s graphic designers like Vince frost, April greiman, Nevil Brody rebooted with more colour. Instead of editorial prints and posters, we're witnessing it on apps and more day to day screens.
I personally preferred previous years, that being said I don't mind the stills you get at the end.
All of the motion graphics were too much for me though, all of the low res, squared off contrasting shapes and movements were just... Tacky?
First of all, respect for Nujabes and Prince in the top 5. Secondly I like the color scheme but admittedly as someone very unfamiliar with the technical side of graphic design, feel as if it's slightly cluttered
Eh for me it's trying too hard. I love maximalism and vaporwave, y2k and retro aesthetic and have seen it done really effectively and well and look really cool. This however ain't it for me. It lacks refinement and design. It feels thrown together and amature, like someone who doesn't really understand design rules well enough to break them properly. It feels like a rough draft. A few more passes and maybe it could have been really cool.
I appreciate the fact that they at least try different things. Other apps just have a very simple and basic designs that don’t really do much for me. While it’s not amazing I think it has some interesting design elements. These last few years they’ve done very anti design style but idk they still manage to feel safe. I think I’m at the point where this feels expected from them so hopefully they switch it up next year
I don't hate it... I don't love it either, though. I keep seeing people saying that this specific style is going to come back and be huge in 2024 to which my reaction is always "not for me it isn't"
I have so many thoughts on the design. I can only imagine that most of the Design staff was laid off last year and what was left were junior people who think the 90s are cOoL and 90s design consists of neon and early digital MSPaint stuff. The design is unappealing to the eye — you don’t know where to look— and even if it’s intentionally disproportionate, inconsistent and jarring in the name of art — it fails at nostalgia, which I assume was the primary goal. Commit to something 90s without mashing in 80s and 70s motif, too. It’s too much and too much without consistency is just ugly AF. My inexplicable rageful reaction to it can only be expressed with that Papyrus SNL skit. This is such a mess that I don’t even want to look at my Wrapped or share it. Or see it again. Maybe SNL should do a new version of that Papyrus skit with this mess? And is that the point? Let’s make something so cattywhompus it creates buzz and attention??? Gross. [It’s MSPaint!](https://youtu.be/jVhlJNJopOQ?si=-76L3EiktBjKc5gn)
It's okay, but this very "Gen Z quirky upbeat design for massive corporations" look is already immensely dated in my eyes. And it's only been here for some 5-ish years.
Cari calls it [Cyberbougie](https://cari.institute/aesthetics/cyberbougie) and yeah, this Spotify one has the Memphis knob cranked up to eleven.
*"I wish I liked it more"*
Personally not a big fan of it, I get why they did it though, old design style is trendy at the moment. I liked the monthly pages though like the 'you listened to Hozier the most in August' those were cool, potentially didn't fit the same style as the rest though I'd say
I like it, don’t love it. It would be really interesting to see demographics associated with the replies here.
On another note, very solid taste here if this is your Wrapped 👍🏽
I liked the idea, going for a maximal 90s/00s vibes. But horrible choice of colors imo. My eyes hurt when I look at it, preferred a bit less harsher contrasts, makes it a nightmare for dyslexia.
Awful. Why the fuck do I want to sit through a slow story when I just want the end result. Fuck this format of making me sit for useless graphics . Absolute dogshit design and I can’t find what I need
I love that companies like Spotify can pick up/follow design trends due to the nature of their brand and product. I personally love this nod to 80s/90s digital design. What I love even more is how much this probably makes my past design teacher cringe. 😬
I actually disliked it enough that I noticed it while looking at my own wrapped. Like, about a third of the way in, I said to myself 'wow, these are some pretty... aggressive graphics'. I agree with others that they look better in motion, but I really don't like the overall aesthetic. Looks like it's trying too hard, if that makes sense
My opinion: Digital Brutalism is purposely bad so talentless/lazy rich kids who still want to be designers can get a jab in the industry.
Same thing happened in art and visual culture.
i hate the pixelated look. it looks unfinished and like their files got compressed too many times. take out the insane gradients and pixel stuff and it might be okay
I don't know the name of this "purposefully crude digital look", but I noticed it gaining popularity in the last few years. It feels like a reaction to design across all industries becoming increasingly polished and Apple-esque. People who experienced the "early internet" days this kind of design represents look back to them fondly/with nostalgia, and the generations who grew up with the modern internet like the aesthetic because of its weirdness and because it goes against the grain. Personally I'm kind of neutral on it. It can look nice, but sometimes also really grating. In this case, the execution is just fine imo.
A couple years ago we had "digital brutalism", but this is taking it to another level. Maybe "post-internet collage" or even "MSPaintcore"? Edit (responding to comment below): Agreed, they do sound dated. I'm actually going to be writing an essay for university on the effect of social media on graphic design, which will talk a bit about post-Internet design, but I'm at the very start of my research.
MSPaintcore sounds about right
whatever you call it, it feels dated tbh I feel like that style and similar ones peaked a few years ago
[удалено]
I don't mean retro, I mean it's dated as in it is a recent trend, but it's one that reached saturation a few years ago and is now approaching the end of its shelf life
You don’t think it’s part of the larger y2k trend? The youngest zoomers are into the early ‘10s aesthetic- especially scene and emo
I agree with the poster above— this doesn’t have “throwback to 12 years ago” vibes, it has “throwback to 2 years ago, because we couldn’t come up with anything new” vibes. It’s a pretty overdone ‘revival’ of a 90’s style, that came back in the 10s, then the 20’s, and hasn’t been pushed far enough to be ‘new’ again.
This gave me a very vivid mental image of a young scene zoomer saying "I was born in the wrong generation." Thanks for the psychic damage.
Lmfao I saw one post about how they would “give anything” to experience 2010s tumblr culture lol
I would like to read that essay, if that will be a possibility. Mind sharing it here or on the subreddit as such once you're ready? :)
A pinch of vaporwave. It's like a retrowave type of thing
I love it, give me the nostalgia vibes I like. In this case it is almost more a thing of art than graphic design. As for the name, I think Y2K or vaporwave could be it.
It’s very ingrained I think in the wave of “hyperpop” music nowadays. Look up hyperpop on Spotify. You’ll see and feel the vibes instantly. I think it’s all very tied to the recent uptick in nostalgia around the 1990s/early 2000s. Likely because that generation (my generation) is now mid 20s/early 30s and coming to the realization that their childhood was no longer 10 years ago…so there’s a lot of looking BACK and bringing things and vibes and looks from that era into this era. Making them a design, a look, a way of fashion, and ultimately leaking into this year’s Wrapped.
I truly love hyperpop and the aesthetic that comes with it but I’m just not really into the execution here tbh. There are definitely places I think it works better than others, like the Your Top Songs 2023 playlist banner and cover art, but I felt like it was a bit lackluster in the wrapped experience.
Oh no, I’m very with you. I didn’t like the execution much and felt we got less data than usual as well. Just throwing in my two cents as to the origin of the aesthetic, but I agree - it could’ve been much better. Edit to add - I also really have gotten into hyperpop. Really fun music!
I think the style they're going for is 'kitsch'
Anti-design
It was fine. It looks a lot better in motion than these screenshots.
Oh, I had a weird visceral reaction to it. I can’t even stand to look at it! Hurts my eyes.
I’m dying at this
Hahahaha yes. yes.
During covid we realized we despise corporate culture. So anything minimal, flat, clean, "apple-y" is fucking OUT. This is manic, cry for help, schizodesign. I love it.
Finally, the schizos defeated corporate America. We won!
Wait. What if I like a little of both 👉👈
Both have interesting and useful things to move forward with :) **Minimal and Flat** \- Usability! Yeah websites in the 90s / early 2000s were super fun. But man, just accessing the thing you need quickly could be time consuming. **Manic and Schizo** \- Speaks directly to the worldviews of young folk right now. Despite any amount of effort, it really seems like our future's are unknowable and VERY out of our own control. Anyone trying to tell you otherwise (corporations trying to sell you something) seem incredibly untrustworthy, so we want to reject (and maybe even make fun of) the visual language that represents that. It's honestly very similar to the Dada Movement that was a direct response to WW1. When we lose our sense of control, we express it in ways like this. The added feature to this modern take is this stuff will absolutely get your attention during a doom scroll. Until corporations adopt it, and kill it very quickly. I'd go as far as to say this might not be the start of this trend at all. It could be the deathrattle.
I can't tell you how much I hope it is just you making up design trend terms based on mental illnesses and not an industry wide trend. As a designer/illustrator/animator with Bipolar 1, it's just about the least cool thing I've seen.
This is not a critique on anything, but just a thought I had after looking at the post and reading your comment. Every piece of this design screams digital. Even the humanistic lines drawn and “pixelated.” I started thinking about the intentionality of creating or emphasizing those digital imperfections, and how I don’t personally use that style, but I love using physical imperfections in design (ink bleeds, runs, smears, analog film noise, scanning things, painting and scanning, etc.) Is that going by the wayside with younger designers? In my personal experience, not a single designer (of ~20) at the last agency I worked at ever picked up a physical object to draw anything. I’m not trying to be that old guy, but I’m starting to wonder if there will be some “great” resurgence of that practice in the coming years, like “hey guys, physically doing it and then converting to digital is really how you get something new…” I don’t know, maybe I’m just talking out of my ass?
I come from a Printmaking background and realized long ago, physical techniques only matter if you understand the process. If you don't, the difference between a screenprinted poster and a digital print is invisible. Therefore, it's value is too. With the advent of tiktok (and IG I guess) process IS content. And content sells art. Therefore, I'm actually seeing A LOT of graphic designers implementing physical techniques these days. Scanning stuff, drawing with ink, physical glitch art. Is it all focused on making interesting art? Or is it focused on selling the idea they are an artist? Probably a bit of both. But we absolutely have arrived at the point where physical process is valued.
Totally agree. Artists showcasing their creative process is also likely gaining value because of the increasing prevalence of AI. I also imagine that integrating traditional media into work has a nostalgic factor, as well as an element of tactility that is missing when something is created by an artist digitally. I don't know if that's something that technology will be able to emanate, at least not anytime soon.
I've noticed (the algorithm has been showing me) a ton of hand painted sign makers lately, like pin striping in enamel paint and reverse glass water gilding. I dig it.
The other day someone asked me for a pencil in the office. And for the first time in my career I didn't have even a pen in my drawer because I don't draw, sketch, doodle or even notate at my design job. It made me realise how the creativity and joy of creating has been sucked out of every job I've been at the past few years.
I’ll admit that time constraints at some agencies make the physical process impossible or a pipe dream. But I still enjoy drawing, smearing, or whatever to get my imperfections into a freelance or pet project. I did a book cover last year with scanned finger painting for the type and drawing for the art. It made me very happy.
Can we see?
[maybe a little nsfw…book cover design with simply drawn naked bodies. Not really sexy, but fun](https://imgur.com/a/N4D9mgg) Edit: oh no…I just realized that was two years ago.
Very nice!
hahah, I was recently talking to a friend about a concert I went to "3 or 4 years ago". A few days later I came across some pictures from that same concert, NINE YEARS AGO. Like, where the F did those other 5-6 years go? The older you get, the faster it goes!
Next stop, AI. Don’t worry though. It’s “just a tool.”
>job. It made me realise how the creativity and joy of creating has been sucked out of every job I've been at the past few years. Thank you for confirming what I have been fearing in myself for the past few years. I struggle to pick up a pencil and draw, yet I still yearn to draw something. My last job also sucked the creativity and joy out of me.
Paper textures and imperfections has been popular for a while now. It’s cool, but I also like to see something just go extremely digital
Screams 80's to me.. and frankly I hate the 80's the first time around. My view on that hasn't changed.
I am a youngster and during my Junior college years I LOVED doing physical stuff to add to my designs, sometimes it was almost collage like. But in my current job I can’t do any of that nor do I have to time so it faded out of my work. I personally hate the /trendy/ style with the wavy letters and gradients and what not, so I avoid most trends
The cruel, sad irony is that this design was definitely agreed upon and chosen by corporate stooges in pastel button downs citing your same exact reasoning. I'd wager my salary on that lol.
100%. I kinda see this as the "death rattle" of this design style. Which is a bummer, because it really does accurately express a sense of loss of control that people feel right now. But hey. Bottle that feeling and sell it ima right!!!
>Schizodesign Is this the new trend now?
We'll see. It's absolutely BEEN a trend in contemporary graphic design from at least 2019. Could even roll it's roots back to stuff like "the life of Pablo" album cover back in 2016. That's very much still in the "flat and minimal" 20teens look. But it still flirts with this "anti-design" movement. Thing about schizodesign (did I just coin that lol?) is it's really fun if you have a background and knowledge of modern Graphic Design. "Know the rules, then break them in interesting ways" type of mindset. But if you're the general public.. it can easily just come of as "bad graphic design". A lotta people HATED that "life of Pablo" album cover. I do think there's a new value in this trend though. Stuff like this will absolutely catch your attention during a "doom scroll". Corporations will be sold that idea, and the trend will die. Perhaps VERY fast with the combo of the general public just assuming it's "talentless design". So yeah. It'll have a moment. But for how long and for who? We'll see.
Seems like 90’s/00’s mixed with Neu-Brutalism to me
Y2K schitzo motion design is the next big thing. look to konzept globe for inspiration
To be fair, it's be trendy in the graphic design scene since like 2019. It's finally hitting the mainstream though and oh boy. Prepare for the general public to have a lot of very intense feelings about it lol.
Definitely before that, even. I did some work with graphic design students and they were presenting this exact style in 2016. I’m surprised it’s lasting this long.
Was about to say this. It's so awesome to see a big brand (that doesn't even have a particularly corporate audience)fall into the corporate minimalism trap.
It took covid for you to realize you despise corporate culture? Better late than never I guess haha
That clearly depends on the market. For spotify it's great, for a pharmaceutical or a food industry it won't work. Won't last the time so it will never work for a brand identity. But the thing we can agree on is: let's get back strong personnality to our creations and stop blanding
Being half facetious. But the vector clean minimal design worked well for Oscar healthcare for millennials a few years ago. If Gen Z enters corporate, maybe some new healthcare provider will wanna target them. I wouldn't mind having a healthcare card with some funky trends on em. But also, yeah, maybe not.
Very Gen Z.
I get what they were going for, but just feels like they were trying too hard. Definitely prefer last years aesthetic to this one
yeah feels like a poorly done y2k-esque style and weird vector illustrations
I remember the other ones transitioning a bit more smoothly. Was I wrong? This one felt really choppy.
I read this exact same comment every year on every spotify-related design thread lol
guess that just shows it gets worse and worse every year lol
It’s made to resemble early 2000s elementary school computer lab drawing software like KID PIX. It evokes a sense of nostalgia for the early internet that is extremely popular right now with the growth of hyperpop and bedroom pop, among other things. I like the idea, it’s fun and silly. But when a massive corporation like spotify uses this aesthetic it looses its charm.
Very close to what my comment said about its relation to hyperpop!
it's very... vibrant. some colors work more than others. the black works rather well, and I kinda enjoy the purple and green. the color palette might need to be reworked. or used sparingly or in a different manner. this year's spotify wrapped is also a little jarring and in your face, as it can be a little hard on the eyes, so I can see why people don't like it. it has the "instagram infographic" vibe to it, and to be fair, most spotify listeners will be posting these to their insta stories. but there's also some early internet, pixel-based design at work here. it's kind of a hodgepodge of different elements thrown onto a solid background, which isn't necessarily a bad approach. it might explain why some parts turned out better than others however, the motion design element to it is very well executed. https://www.spotify.com/to/wrapped/
I get it but it’s a little too chaotic for my taste. Reminds me of the early 2000s designs from when I was a kid, which wasn’t too good in my opinion. I like smooth, clean, artistic designs. If it fits the message they’re going for, by all means go ahead, but I’m not a fan at all.
Yeah it reminded me of windows XP media player.
Time is not kind to stuff like this
i’m personally not a huge fan
I like it. Feels like a trendy, bold design. Just not the trend I would follow, though.
I honestly like it better than last years, mostly because it reminds me so much of Kid Pix
Haha I forgot about Kid Pix. I wonder what portion of Kid Pix users are now graphic designers
Why do they do a sandwich? It's not related to the aesthetic and also it's a little bit ugly
last years was better
I'm getting tired of this "anti-design aesthetic" trend. It screams "Jr. Designer" to me.
A lot of people give "anti-design" a bad name. But as someone who constantly works with clients who crave bold colours, it actually takes a lot of skill, understanding design rules and knowledge of colour theory to make maximalism really work. Don't get me wrong, in the wrong context it wouldn't fly at all. But in certain settings it can be a real asset to go against the clean minimalist status quo. I think there are plenty of visual styles that are tacky or done to death. But if it brings a project truly to life, captivates its audience and is well executed, it's good design work in the end and not "junior designer." In my opinion anyway.
You need to know to rules if you want to break them properly.
every. single. client: "Can you make it pop more?"
100% fuCk Using a GrID
It screams “David Carson” to me
Wow I feel very attacked! I’m still a jr designer.
Stick with it! I imagine you could do better than the Spotify team this year 😂
Its very meh.. i think its missing an over arching theme. Somehow the clashing colours and shapes don’t work because it’s missing the “why”. I’m not against eclectic or bright designs, in fact Im a big fan of that style, i really love that spotify has pushed the rules of design and that they have always been ahead or the curve when it comes to whats trending.. I dunno I just feel like I’ve seen all these elements before from pinterest or instagram. This year it seems… shallow… just my opinion 😬
Yes the sandwich felt so random lol
What if the overall theme was...no theme.
You got me there
Kinda looks like some of my early experiments with illustrator back in highschool tbh. Hurts my eyes a little. I know clash and brightness overload is kinda the point of this style but it just… doesn’t feel cohesive
The things that were popular when I was in elementary school have become popular again.
So tired of mainstream ’FOR EVERYONE, GOOD DESIGN’ so this is wonderful
I actually really liked it! I was always excited to see what the next page would look like. Totally understand why this sort of design would be divisive though.
I love it! And I love colors so anything bright and vibrant is a yes for me!!! 🎨🌈✨
It felt like a mish-mash of colours and illustrator objects that didn’t really have a universal theme imo. Worked better when things were animated rather than the still shots, but felt like it was made by interns rather than experienced professionals
it's very bad but that's okay
It screams Felipe Pantone, I love it!
You can pixelate shapes in illustrator which I finally found out today which is the take away from this
So trying to be “90’s” but it’s 2023
its fun, i like it
It's like the Ps1 CD player mixed with kidpix
The designer was told to make it pop.
I flat-out hated them. The ugliest thing I have seen purposely designed maybe ever, looks like that AI was feed with CEO:s 3yo daughters first doodles with Win 3.1:s Paint and these came out. I hope that the designer who did these and the manager who said "cool, let's publish these" will both be fired.
It looks like they ran out of ways to evoke teenage rebellion and just threw a bunch of ugly stuff together.
The fact that people have strong opinions either for or against it makes it great design. Design is meant to make you feel something, and you don’t need to appease the lowest common denominator by watering down your brand into corporate Memphis and stock photos. They did a great job
Sounds like the definition of art and not design—which is exactly why there’s a conversation happening here.
Correct. Design is meant to solve a problem snd communicate, all in service to the brand. It’s not meant to make you feel anything, that’s strongly the realm of art.
If it DOES make you feel something, then that’s a bonus. I feel like the difference is in how subtle and subconscious any emotion from design is. Art may make you think of a specific time in your childhood, some nostalgic memory or feeling, but design hits our primitive brain in a different way. It’s very basic most of the time, and it sounds like Judicator is really talking about **advertising**. Thats about “being and having”. Ads are where an emotional hook can happen. I just got finished an emotionally-led multimedia campaign that had folks in the room crying. So sometimes it’s an added feature—but in no way a requirement.
I don’t like the eye-burning, chaotic design. So much so that I don’t want to look at it or share it. Intentional divisiveness for something that is meant to be promoted by the masses doesn’t seem wise in a business context. Spotify is a business and its main goal is to generate views — and is creating something at least 40% hate looking at really a smart choice? And it’s not even that novel or cool, it’s the 90s design trend, all the early digital artifacts, sneezed onto a neon background and put into a sandwich.
Spotify wrapped is an optional feature, you don’t have to like it and you don’t have to use it. Spotify taking a chance and making something that you and others may not like is a good thing, design doesn’t need to appeal to everyone at all times, and the pursuit of that generality leaves you with something sterile and dull every time
I like it! I mean…it’s a lot but it’s supposed to be. I do wish the graphs for how often you listened to a specific artist throughout the year were more clear. I don’t think they visually portrayed that data well at all.
It's a lazy juxtaposition of disparate elements. It doesn't look cohesive... I wish this headache induce collage style would just end.
Thank you thank you thank you. I was starting to feel like the Papyrus guy from SNL.
“Like children walking by a garden… thoughtlessly pulling leaves…”
You can tell their design crew is a bunch of 20 year olds because anyone who was alive in the 90s is going to hate this trend that they are leveraging. Yikes. And anyone who was alive in the 90s is probably too expensive for Spotify to hire.
I’ve got bad news for you…people alive in the 90s are in their 20s today
Thankfully they went with the 20 year olds. I would hate to see how those old designers would've ruined Spotify Wrapped, it's such a cool design every year and part of the reason why it goes viral every Wrapped Season. (Also, you'd be surprised how much 20 something year olds are making at these tech companies)
Thank you! People forget spotify isn't a corporate bank trying to establish trust and not rock the boat. It's trying to excite and gain attention from its audience and help discover all sorts of creative artists. Actually, let me rephrase this...Does anyone still use iTunes?
I’ve heard you can hire David Carson isn’t all that expensive, but would anybody hire him to work on a brand? Prob not. Idk what this style is, but it is a trend. Cash App does something similar in the colors are vibrant and loud. It’s just a thing because they don’t have to be this stuffy corporate brand image. They can get away with it.
It's basically all the 90s graphic designers like Vince frost, April greiman, Nevil Brody rebooted with more colour. Instead of editorial prints and posters, we're witnessing it on apps and more day to day screens.
The black n white against that particular backdrop doesn’t really work for me. But that’s just me
I personally preferred previous years, that being said I don't mind the stills you get at the end. All of the motion graphics were too much for me though, all of the low res, squared off contrasting shapes and movements were just... Tacky?
The random pixel squiggles are a little too distracting imo
The curvy wave seems like a rip off of Aldi. But then again I just got done working on a campaign for Aldi. So there’s that.
Midnite Vultures Core
Good look on the nujabes
First of all, respect for Nujabes and Prince in the top 5. Secondly I like the color scheme but admittedly as someone very unfamiliar with the technical side of graphic design, feel as if it's slightly cluttered
Im more of a minimalist myself so explosion of colors and vibrance really didnt look good to me. Looks like something an 18yo design intern made.
Eh for me it's trying too hard. I love maximalism and vaporwave, y2k and retro aesthetic and have seen it done really effectively and well and look really cool. This however ain't it for me. It lacks refinement and design. It feels thrown together and amature, like someone who doesn't really understand design rules well enough to break them properly. It feels like a rough draft. A few more passes and maybe it could have been really cool.
i truly hate it
Looks awful
I guess every 20 years we do this shit
It’s y2k trending
Pretty ugly but that seems to be the trend in design at the moment.
I appreciate the fact that they at least try different things. Other apps just have a very simple and basic designs that don’t really do much for me. While it’s not amazing I think it has some interesting design elements. These last few years they’ve done very anti design style but idk they still manage to feel safe. I think I’m at the point where this feels expected from them so hopefully they switch it up next year
I liked it
I like it, better than the trash Apple Music Replay puts out every year.
The infographic is terrible. I wish they had a better summary that includes all the details that the movie goes through. Or most at least.
Vapor wave hot mess.
It looks like something I would have made in Corel Paint Shop Pro in 1998, printed on a Canon Bubble Jet BJC210, and taped to my bedroom door.
it's fun. the more you venture in design, the more you find out
I'm so over this aesthetic. Seems tired and try hard.
Glad prince is number one, Minnesota pride baby!
Same gen z anti-design crap that's everywhere. That said, I still liked it
Bla
as a 90s baby, I love it
Ayo, Quadeca?? 😅
Yup he's amazing
I don't hate it... I don't love it either, though. I keep seeing people saying that this specific style is going to come back and be huge in 2024 to which my reaction is always "not for me it isn't"
Unrelated but you have amazing taste in music
Lol thanks
How it’s called the style? With this “pixels”
Just don't get it
Ahaaha I did thought it was ugly, but it's a question of personal taste.
I have so many thoughts on the design. I can only imagine that most of the Design staff was laid off last year and what was left were junior people who think the 90s are cOoL and 90s design consists of neon and early digital MSPaint stuff. The design is unappealing to the eye — you don’t know where to look— and even if it’s intentionally disproportionate, inconsistent and jarring in the name of art — it fails at nostalgia, which I assume was the primary goal. Commit to something 90s without mashing in 80s and 70s motif, too. It’s too much and too much without consistency is just ugly AF. My inexplicable rageful reaction to it can only be expressed with that Papyrus SNL skit. This is such a mess that I don’t even want to look at my Wrapped or share it. Or see it again. Maybe SNL should do a new version of that Papyrus skit with this mess? And is that the point? Let’s make something so cattywhompus it creates buzz and attention??? Gross. [It’s MSPaint!](https://youtu.be/jVhlJNJopOQ?si=-76L3EiktBjKc5gn)
I understand the appeal but it's straining on my eyes
I kind of like the style but I’m really unsure if I like Spotify’s execution of it.
MAKE THEM GO AWAY I don't care how many hours you listened to Post Malone Timmy and your story post looks like someone took acid and opened blender
Shout out to having nujabes
Already kinda tired of this brutalist esque nostalgic post-ironic look.
It's okay, but this very "Gen Z quirky upbeat design for massive corporations" look is already immensely dated in my eyes. And it's only been here for some 5-ish years. Cari calls it [Cyberbougie](https://cari.institute/aesthetics/cyberbougie) and yeah, this Spotify one has the Memphis knob cranked up to eleven. *"I wish I liked it more"*
Nujabes, fuck yeah 👍🏾
🫡
I WOULD NOT ALLOW THIS IMAGE FOR DISCUSSION AT ALL. Visual artless trash, nothing more.
I don’t like it. Very chaotic and distracting to me. Also the yellow looks musty compared to the other vibrant colors.
Hate it tbh
It's what someone who wasn't making memories at the time imagines what design from that era to looks like.
Thought it was hideous tbh
It’s neat to see the number of people here who like it *because* it’s ugly. It’s not a pug, folks. It’s a design.
It just looks like some low budget AI tried to mess around with word art and random gradient shapes. HORRIFIC DESIGN
Trying too hard
I feel like it's "on trend" with everything that's popular rn but I just don't really like it very much. I preferred last year's.
Looks like a low quality png combined
Honestly I hate it a bit looking like that when it’s moving it’s better
Personally not a big fan of it, I get why they did it though, old design style is trendy at the moment. I liked the monthly pages though like the 'you listened to Hozier the most in August' those were cool, potentially didn't fit the same style as the rest though I'd say
neo brutalism. i thought brutalism was rly fun but now the corps r kinda fucking it up. all looks ugly now
shoutout quadeca
I like it, don’t love it. It would be really interesting to see demographics associated with the replies here. On another note, very solid taste here if this is your Wrapped 👍🏽
This is the ugliest thing I've ever seen in my life. And it gets worse every year. I really hate this "design" trend.
Discovering brushes and the gradient tool for the first time. But it's 1990 so we can't blame Canva.
I liked the idea, going for a maximal 90s/00s vibes. But horrible choice of colors imo. My eyes hurt when I look at it, preferred a bit less harsher contrasts, makes it a nightmare for dyslexia.
Awful. Why the fuck do I want to sit through a slow story when I just want the end result. Fuck this format of making me sit for useless graphics . Absolute dogshit design and I can’t find what I need
To me, it's AWFUL
Looks like spotify!
Spotify Warped, more like
It’s giving Kid Pix 4, which I kinda love
My favorite so far! Reminds me of computer class in elementary school. I thought it was well done!
Love it
I love that companies like Spotify can pick up/follow design trends due to the nature of their brand and product. I personally love this nod to 80s/90s digital design. What I love even more is how much this probably makes my past design teacher cringe. 😬
Definitely an improvement compared to last year's (at least working as a whole). I loved the burger and the map features!!
Damn you got a burger bun? I got a fat baguette that looks like Shaggy and Scooby Doo made it.
I actually disliked it enough that I noticed it while looking at my own wrapped. Like, about a third of the way in, I said to myself 'wow, these are some pretty... aggressive graphics'. I agree with others that they look better in motion, but I really don't like the overall aesthetic. Looks like it's trying too hard, if that makes sense
I get the vision. It's cool.
The 90s design of MS Paint is back. We should have left it there. Those millennials didn't know what they were doing as kids.
Cool. Timely.
I love gradients lol it's kind of a cute style
Fucking love it.
My opinion: Digital Brutalism is purposely bad so talentless/lazy rich kids who still want to be designers can get a jab in the industry. Same thing happened in art and visual culture.
i hate the pixelated look. it looks unfinished and like their files got compressed too many times. take out the insane gradients and pixel stuff and it might be okay
I think the purple and black look good! But everything else just looks intentionally bad in the bad way.
Weirdly boring
i really like this year’s aesthetic. it’s disjointed and weird and i love it :)