Corporate Memphis
Corporate Memphis, also known as Alegria, is an art style that features minimalism, flat elements, bright and solid colors, and cartoon-like figures with distorted arms, heads, and torsos. Named after the Memphis Group, an Italian design group, the style became popular after Facebook introduced it in 2017 under the name Alegria. It has since been associated with corporate Big Tech in the late 2010s and early 2020s, having been used by companies such as Google, Slack, and WeTransfer and in the 2020 Aggro Crab video game Going Under. The style has received polarizing reception, with some designers criticizing it due to its small color palette and describing it as lazy, while those who had defended it did it due to art-historical legitimacy.[clarification needed]
History
[edit]The term Corporate Memphis was coined by Mike Merrill.[1] The name originated from the title of an Are.na board that collected early examples, and is a reference to the Memphis Group, a now-defunct 1980s Italian design group known for bright colors, childish patterns, and geometric shapes. The style itself was inspired by a synthesis of elements spanning the 20th century, including the Art Deco style of the 1920s, futurism in interior design from the Atomic Age, and color and patterns from the Pop Art movement.[2]
The style dates back to 2013, when Apple Inc. switched from skeuomorphism to a flat style.[1] However, the modern-day style was created on Facebook in 2017 under the name Alegria (Spanish for joy) by the media agency Buck.[3] The style became popular in the late 2010s and it began to be referred to as "globohomo", Corporate Memphis, or "corporate tech style".[4] It began to trend in editorial illustration and especially the tech industry, which relied on simple, scalable illustrations to fill white space and add character to apps and web pages.[2]
Visual characteristics
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Its minimalist style[3] usually consists of solid colors, cartoon-like figures, and flat elements. Its elements are distorted; arms are long and elastic,[1] while heads are small,[3] and torsos are disproportionate. Its figures are abstract and often use bright colors, such as having purple or blue skin, and are positioned to do many activities, such as high-fiving, watering plants,[4] painting, and running. They can also be seen smiling.[2] There is also a variant that uses isometric projection.[1] Because of its flat elements, the style can be easily recreated, requiring less skill than designing skeuomorphic designs.[3] While exaggerated proportions had been already seen in Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (1907) by Pablo Picasso or The Dance (1910) by Henri Matisse, this style became popular because of Facebook.[4]
Reception and use
[edit]When it was created in 2017, it was reported to be a success for Facebook, positioning itself as the head in modern design. Soon after, many companies aimed to replicate their style.[3] Image websites such as Adobe's art library, Freepik, and UnDraw have allowed users to use the style more easily. The style is used among startups, most likely due to being cheaper to obtain than stock imagery. Smaller companies also use it to present themselves as "established tech companies". It is also present in Big Tech, including property and financial technology companies. Writer Claire L. Evans wrote that the style makes Big Tech companies "look friendly, approachable, and concerned with human-level interaction and community – which is largely the opposite of what they really are". Companies such as Slack, WeTransfer, MoneyFarm, and Trainline used the Corporate Memphis style, as well as the Transport for London authority.[1] Google featured a Corporate Memphis-styled video about Android in 2023.[5] The New Yorker has also used flat art designs by illustrators Malika Favre and Olimpia Zagnoli,[4] including writer Sandra Siemens in her book The Spoon, which featured flat art illustrations by Bea Lozano.[6] Going Under (2020), a video game developed by Aggro Crab, uses the Corporate Memphis art style, featuring minimalist and colorful characters,[7][8] as well as the new Canadian passport adopted in 2023.[9][10]
Wired has reported that the style received criticism from graphic designers. Illustrator Jack Hurley described it as lazy, writing that it contains "simple shapes [and] untextured colours", while designer David Rudnick says that the style shows a universe made up of complementing elements where problems have already been resolved; he also criticized the small color palette and lack of depth.[1] Illustrator Julien Posture argues that criticism of the art style is rooted in larger anxieties about the creative industry under capitalism and neoliberalism.[11] On the other hand, Creative Bloq had described it as "a pretty attractive design style".[12] Fast Company said that some scholars and illustrators liked the style, noting its depth and variety and that it had art-historical legitimacy. Illustrator Julien Posture said that flat art style is often blamed for the issues the art industry has faced, while illustrator Michele Rosenthal, a self-described "flat-art apologist", defended the art style, despite saying that its distorted elements are associated with corporate styles.[4]
By 2022, Fast Company reported that companies returned to 3D-like skeuomorphism.[4] Creative Bloq wrote that by 2023, its popularity had fallen off due to its "uninspired design" and oversaturation and that it began being parodied.[3]
See also
[edit]
- Material design, a Google-derived design language linked to Corporate Memphis
- Frutiger Aero, a prominent design style preceding Corporate Memphis that embraced contrasting skeuomorphism
- Hyperreality
- Postmodern art
- Metamodernism
- Capitalist realism
- Global Village Coffeehouse
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f Gabert-Doyon, Josh (January 24, 2021). "Why does every advert look the same? Blame Corporate Memphis". Wired. Archived from the original on August 22, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ^ a b c Hawley, Rachel (August 21, 2019). "Don't Worry, These Gangly-armed Cartoons Are Here to Protect You From Big Tech". Eye on Design. Archived from the original on May 23, 2026. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f Fear, Natalie (November 7, 2023). "Why I'm glad the Corporate Memphis art style is dead". Creative Bloq. Archived from the original on March 29, 2026. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f Frey, Angelica (January 10, 2022). "Facebook made a certain type of illustration ubiquitous—but it's time to stop knocking it". Fast Company. Archived from the original on January 10, 2022. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ^ Purdy, Kevin (July 27, 2023). "Android phones can now tell you if there's an AirTag following you". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on May 2, 2026. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ^ Stein, Joshua David (November 22, 2024). "Two Picture Books That Set the Table for an Object Lesson". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 3, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ^ Wiener, Anna (April 8, 2022). "What Happens When Twelve Thousand Game Developers Converge?". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on May 24, 2026. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ^ Griffin, Sarah Maria (May 6, 2024). "Another Crab's Treasure: this indie hit has clawed its way into my subconscious". The Guardian. Archived from the original on July 26, 2025. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ^ Routley, Sam (May 16, 2023). "Sam Routley: Bland passport redesign a symptom of a culture in decline". National Post. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ^ Gerson, Jen (May 12, 2023). "Yes, Canada's new passport really is that bad". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on March 9, 2026. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ^ Posture, Julien (January 13, 2022). "What the Think Pieces About "Corporate Memphis" Tell Us About the State of Illustration". Eye on Design. Archived from the original on February 19, 2026. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ^ John, Daniel (February 18, 2021). "Can you spot the difference between these website designs?". Creative Bloq. Archived from the original on March 14, 2026. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
