I used to think the whole 'ugly design' trend was just lazy work.

A client in Austin specifically asked for a messy, clashing look for their cafe menu, which went against everything I learned. After seeing how it actually drew more attention and felt more honest than a clean layout, I had to admit it worked. Has anyone else had a project that made them change their mind about a design rule?

3 comments

3 Comments

nathan_lopez691mo ago

Wasn't there a whole thing about how the messy, crowded design of those early 2000s band websites actually made them feel more real and underground? I read an article that argued all that broken code and flashing text wasn't just bad skill, it was a style choice that matched the music's energy. It makes sense that a cafe menu doing something similar would feel more honest and less corporate than a perfect, clean template. Sometimes breaking the rules just fits the vibe better, even if it looks intentionally "ugly" at first glance.

terryw671mo ago

Remember my friend's band site from like 2004, it had a black background with bright green text that was honestly hard to read. But it felt like their shows, loud and kinda chaotic. I mean, a clean site would have felt wrong for them, idk. That messy vibe just fit the music.

taylor121mo ago

MySpace had over 100 million users at its peak, all dealing with that chaotic code. Nathan_lopez69 is right that it felt authentic, but calling it a style choice is a huge stretch. Most of those pages were just a mess because nobody knew how to build a site properly.