Neubrutalism is taking over the web? • Hacker News Board

Re: Neubrutalism is taking over the web?

#61

Post by soco » Thu, Apr 21, 2022, 10:03 AM UTC

rakoo wrote: post #53

mark_and_sweep wrote: post #18

> People simply get bored with how their apps and websites look after six to seven years. They need a change. Is there any research that supports this claim? If I use an app for 6 years, why would I suddenly need a change? I'm still ocassionally using a 10 y/o version of Photoshop. In fact, I'm very happy that it does not change. I wouldn't want to spend time on re-learning the UI. The same is true for many apps that…

Maybe you're happy with your 10 y/o Photoshop specifically because it's a change from all the other modern apps and OSes and websites. I feel people want change more than newness, and that's why 80's music and 90's clothes make a come back: it's different. Same with 10y/o software

It might look like a change now, but 10 years ago it wasn't a change. Nor 9 years ago, nor 8, 7, 6, last year. It just kept on working as it was, using the same habits and reflexes for the same user productivity.

Re: Neubrutalism is taking over the web?

#62

Post by illwrks » Thu, Apr 21, 2022, 10:05 AM UTC

bobthepanda wrote: post #46

ciphol wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

More like: Designers won't have jobs if web sites never need to be changed. So they create work for themselves by inventing the necessity of a redesign.

Designers mostly don't initiate these kinds of things. Some Jony Ive-like rockstar designer is fairly rare. If you want the source of most redesign initiatives, look at the middle management and executive levels. At the end of the day, if they want a redesign and a designer says "no" they'll just be replaced.

Seconded. It's generally management and junior talent who see things in that way.

Re: Neubrutalism is taking over the web?

#63

Post by FerretFred » Thu, Apr 21, 2022, 10:06 AM UTC

> People simply get bored with how their apps and websites look after six to seven years. They need a change.

I designed my website to be clear, ad-free and hopefully visitors can focus on the content rather than animation and eye-candy. I modelled this on The Book: usually black text on white paper, with the page number and the occasional curlicue as decoration. I don't hear many complaints from people who read books about the text being "too black" so that's the way I made it. Brutalism is good.

Re: Neubrutalism is taking over the web?

#64

Post by PedroBatista » Thu, Apr 21, 2022, 10:07 AM UTC

bobthepanda wrote: post #46

ciphol wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

More like: Designers won't have jobs if web sites never need to be changed. So they create work for themselves by inventing the necessity of a redesign.

Designers mostly don't initiate these kinds of things. Some Jony Ive-like rockstar designer is fairly rare. If you want the source of most redesign initiatives, look at the middle management and executive levels. At the end of the day, if they want a redesign and a designer says "no" they'll just be replaced.

While designers are to blame for a lot of awful things and same for developers, you are absolutely correct.

For most of the companies, it’s somewhere from middle management to the top that someone sees a “cool” website late at night and the next morning says “I think it’s time for a much needed re-design”

Re: Neubrutalism is taking over the web?

#65

Post by webscout » Thu, Apr 21, 2022, 10:08 AM UTC

yawnxyz wrote: post #48

> Brutalism is a 1950’s architectural trend that was abandoning all decorations, and creating brutally simple buildings made from concrete. They often weren’t even painted to emphasize their brutal nature. So big, brutal blocks of concrete. The word "brut" came from French "Béton brut" which means "raw concrete" — has nothing with how "brutal" we perceive it to be. There's lots of architecture articles covering this…

Upvote from a Champagne drinker ;)

Re: Neubrutalism is taking over the web?

#66

Post by WA » Thu, Apr 21, 2022, 10:10 AM UTC

soco wrote: post #58

spiderfarmer wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Designers don't want their product to look dated. Once there's enough evidence that a new trend is taking over, they feel an urge to redesign. Like programmers feel a project need a an overhaul, even though the end user thinks everything is okay.

However the article claims the users require change. Designers are not users, although oh so often they (and developers or...) claim to represent user wishes. And often as you said users are unhappy with the redesign but who's closer to the decision makers?

Existing users are unhappy, because they have habits. New users might consider a competitor with a "fresher" design.

Re: Neubrutalism is taking over the web?

#67

Post by muzani » Thu, Apr 21, 2022, 10:12 AM UTC

mark_and_sweep wrote: post #18

> People simply get bored with how their apps and websites look after six to seven years. They need a change. Is there any research that supports this claim? If I use an app for 6 years, why would I suddenly need a change? I'm still ocassionally using a 10 y/o version of Photoshop. In fact, I'm very happy that it does not change. I wouldn't want to spend time on re-learning the UI. The same is true for many apps that…

I'm still annoyed at Facebook and Slack changing their designs. YouTube and Google have gone well with the times though.

Re: Neubrutalism is taking over the web?

#68

Post by _dain_ » Thu, Apr 21, 2022, 10:12 AM UTC

yawnxyz wrote: post #48

> Brutalism is a 1950’s architectural trend that was abandoning all decorations, and creating brutally simple buildings made from concrete. They often weren’t even painted to emphasize their brutal nature. So big, brutal blocks of concrete. The word "brut" came from French "Béton brut" which means "raw concrete" — has nothing with how "brutal" we perceive it to be. There's lots of architecture articles covering this…

I'm sick of hearing this, it was obviously a double meaning from the start. They revelled in how brutal it was.

Re: Neubrutalism is taking over the web?

#69

Post by ulzeraj » Thu, Apr 21, 2022, 10:13 AM UTC

I think Brutalism had some futuristic views behind it. At least people who built those monstrous concrete structures were envisioning a future world and rejecting the past specially for architecture found in the Soviet Union or Yugoslavia.

I personally dislike it, but it had substance.

On the other hand what the post suggest is just souless corporate memphis - which personally I think it should go away. There is nothing Brutalist there and they should stop trying to force this comparison.

Re: Neubrutalism is taking over the web?

#70

Post by yann63 » Thu, Apr 21, 2022, 10:21 AM UTC

mark_and_sweep wrote: post #18

> People simply get bored with how their apps and websites look after six to seven years. They need a change. Is there any research that supports this claim? If I use an app for 6 years, why would I suddenly need a change? I'm still ocassionally using a 10 y/o version of Photoshop. In fact, I'm very happy that it does not change. I wouldn't want to spend time on re-learning the UI. The same is true for many apps that…

Maybe there are 2 faces to this: current users and acquiring new users.

First one has been discussed in other comments: current users do not want to relearn the UI of the software. And I second that.

Second one: new users may turn away quick when seeing an old UI when trying an app or web site for a first time. So moving the UI from old to new, from time to time, may be a way for an app / website to just survive, otherwise the user base may be eroding.

Thoughts?