Introduction
Whoever said art comes from pain might have predicted a design term like “brutalism.”
While the name may not sound like something you want in your classroom, brutalist design isn’t as threatening as you’d expect.
The term comes from the French béton brut or “raw concrete,” and like it’s namesake, the style is stark, honest and captivating. The movement began in the 1950s, and its appeal endures to this day.
What is brutalism?
Brutalism is a utilitarian aesthetic movement that shuns decoration in favour of exposing and celebrating the raw materials used to construct the design. It largely had its popularity in the architecture of the 1950s to 1970s coinciding with an enormous expansion of the public sector, mass construction of social housing (which was largely built in a Brutalist or Brutalist-adjacent style), and a general zeitgeist in favour of the interests of labour and the working class over those of Capital and the private sector.
Brutalism has also recently seen a resurgence in modern digital design.
The reason why brutalism has been able to jump between such wildly different design disciplines is that it tends to describe more of a mindset than visual characteristics.
By exposing materials of construction, brutalism has nothing to hide. Brutalism trades vague ideals of beauty for the cold, hard truth.
(Spomernik Memorials, Yugoslavia)
(Geisel Library, California)
___Implementing Brutalism in design projects___
Students can implement brutalist elements into design projects, here are some approaches that can be encouraged so that students achieve the most BRUTAL outcomes:
•Embrace raw elements: Brutalist design celebrates the inherent beauty of materials, often showcasing them in their unrefined state — e.g., exposed concrete textures, raw wood grains, distressed paper surfaces — to create depth and visual interest.
•Go bold with typography: Brutalist fonts are loud and proud. Experiment with chunky sans-serif typefaces with strong geometric shapes (ditch the delicate serifs), letter spacing, and overlapping to create a dynamic and impactful typographic layout.
•Master the grid and break it: While brutalism often uses grids for structure, it also thrives on breaking free from them. Don't be afraid to play with unconventional layouts, overlapping elements, and asymmetrical compositions.
•Brutalist colour palettes tend to be limited and deliberate. Think monochromatic schemes, muted earth tones, and pops of bold accent colours. Use colour strategically to highlight key elements and create a sense of contrast and hierarchy.
•Use texture: Brutalist design loves texture! Experiment with adding tactile elements like embossing, debossing, or even incorporating real-world materials like fabric or metal into your designs.
•Balance aesthetics and usability: Discuss the importance of maintaining a balance between brutalist aesthetics and functional design — consider how your designs can address issues or provoke thought beyond just looking cool.
•Experiment: The beauty of brutalist design lies in its raw and experimental nature. Don't be afraid to push boundaries, try new things, and embrace the happy accidents that come along the way.
___Modern Brutalism Graphic Design___
___Methodologies___
Digital Poster designs can be made in any photo-editing software, or even powerpoint.
By turning the contrast all the way to eleven and adjusting the brightness to achieve variability, images can be brutalised. Further adjustments can be seen below and youtube tutorials to achieving this effect to a professional standard can be found in the 'Further Resources' section.
Brutalism can also be explored directly as there are numerous Brutalist style buildings in the UK. This opens the doors to students seeing the world around them in a new way, providing unusual subject matters for art projects such as: observational drawing and photography.
Further Resources:
Information:
https://www.ceros.com/inspire/originals/complete-guide-to-brutalist-architecture/ https://99designs.com/blog/design-history-movements/brutalism/
Photoshop:
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