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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?
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nathan_lopez696mo 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.
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terryw676mo 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.
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taylor126mo 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.
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