Corporate Memphis

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Illustration in Corporate Memphis style from humaaans design library

Corporate Memphis is a term used (often disparagingly) to describe a flat, geometric art style, widely used in Big Tech illustrations in the late 2010s[1] and early 2020s.[2] It is often considered to be uninspired and dystopian.[1]

Common motifs are flat human characters in action, with disproportionate features such as long and bendy limbs,[2] minimal facial features, and bright colors without any blending.

Facebook adopted their own version, called "Alegria", in 2017.[3]

The style has since been criticized for being generic,[4] overused, and attempting to sanitize public perception by presenting human interaction in utopian optimism.[1] Illustrators working in this style refer to it as flat art.[2] It is also known as the Alegria style,[1] Big Tech art style,[5] or Humans of Flat.[1]

The term is a reference to the Memphis Group, an Italian architecture group from the 1980s known for its designs that are often thought to be garish.[2]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e Hawley, Rachel (2019-08-21). "Don't Worry, These Gangly-armed Cartoons Are Here to Protect You From Big Tech". Eye on Design. Retrieved 2021-02-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ a b c d Gabert-Doyon, Josh (2021-01-24). "Why does every advert look the same? Blame Corporate Memphis". Wired UK. ISSN 1357-0978. Retrieved 2021-02-10.
  3. ^ "Facebook Alegria". Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  4. ^ Quito, Anne (October 26, 2019). "Why editorial illustrations look so similar these days". Quartz. Retrieved 2021-02-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ "Corporate Memphis; the design style that quietly took over the internet". shots. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
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