![]() ![]() The ’90s also present the most recent, pre-internet time-as in this was the era in which people began welcoming the internet into their homes, but it wasn’t yet commonplace. The resurgence of ’90s design is therefore particularly popular with millennials, as it represents their ‘coming of age’ period. Nostalgia marketing taps into and innovates upon audiences’ fond memories (and therefore positive associations) of events or features from decades past to create fresh, contemporary concepts. It’s common for trends to repeat themselves in cycles of 20-30 years, but with the fast-growing rise of TikTok and design experts reporting on micro aesthetics, we’re seeing a slew of niche ’90s looks reappearing. This was a time when everyone was looking towards the future, celebrating the turn of the millennium and wanting to reflect excitement by wearing shiny clothes and silver eyeshadow. With the rise of the internet and the overarching sci-fi themes of the millennium, graphic design and fashion became more futuristic and borderline cyberpunk. In the summer of 1999, everyone was seemingly preoccupied with 3 things the total eclipse, The Millenium Bug and box office hit The Matrix. Nirvana album covers via Shutterstock Y2K aesthetic Play Station 1 and the Y2K aesthetic via Cari Institute The rough textures and unconventional layouts of this iconic grunge look were infamously referenced by designer David Carson in 1990s alternative rock magazine Ray Gun. Grunge and punk musicians looking to promote their DIY gigs would often use xerox copy machines to cheaply mass print handmade posters they’d made themselves. This laid-back and carefree outlook translated directly into graphic design, most notably on the album covers of these bands. Bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam had people all over the world wearing thrifted flannel shirts and copious amounts of eyeliner. In moody contrast to the acid colors of Rave, the trend for Grunge surpassed its roots in the Seattle music scene and became a worldwide aesthetic. Grunge Grunge style Ray Gun Magazine via The Mill at Ju The ’90s raves have been described as totally lawless, which is portrayed in many of the posters and flyers, where promoters would rip off well-known brands and artists like Keith Haring, Marmite and Salvador Dali. To reflect the loved-up atmosphere of the underground raves, party promoters would create eye-catching neon flyers depicting drug-inspired smiley designs and unconventional typography layouts. Whether you were in Berlin, Detroit or Manchester, the clubbing culture of the ’90s otherwise known as the second summer of love, resulted visually in abstract and garish neon flyers and posters to a like-minded crowd. Britpop style Spice Girls ticket from 1998 via Shutterstock Rave culture Birmingham rave poster from 1992 via Digital Arts Online ![]() In 1997, the world looked on as Geri Halliwell wore her infamous union jack dress at the Brit awards, a timely pastiche of the Brit Pop trend of that moment, which was informed by the 1960s mod aesthetic. ![]() We can’t discuss ’90s design without mentioning the music genres that dominated and informed all aspects of popular culture including graphic design and fashion. ’90s Groovival via Cari Institute Britpop The bright and garish contrasting color palettes and fun squiggly graphic shapes of the Memphis design trend carried on through the early ’90s, infamously used in the various iterations of the Seinfeld logo, as well as Saved by the Bell. Founded by architect Ettore Sottsass, Memphis was a wildly exciting and creative reaction to Sottsass’s boredom with modernist design. The early ’90s saw a significant hangover from the hugely popular Memphis design movement that dominated the 1980’s. Beanie Babies and Comic Sans via Love my Beanies ’80s hangover The rise of the internet and digital design translated into futuristic design aesthetics focused on technology. Photoshop 1.0 was created exclusively for Macintosh, which revolutionized the move from analog to digital design and MSN messenger was released towards the end of ’90s. Whilst the pilot episode of Friends aired in 1994, in this same year Comic Sans was released. The 1990s was simultaneously a rich time for pop culture moments and one of the most garish and playful eras in graphic design history. ’90s interiors via Refinery20 A brief history of ’90s design trends The Spice Girls are on every radio station on repeat, and you’re blissfully unaware that in a quarter of a century, all of these nuanced talismans of the ’90s will be referenced and repeated in a ’90s design trend. It’s 1997, you’re sitting on your blow-up armchair watching Ross and Rachel take a break. ![]()
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