04/28/2022
The concept of ugly is subjective. In design, it can be a lot more than that: it can be used as a tool to get a conversation going. “Ugly design” sounds like an oxymoron, but it’s not.
Why? Because if you come across something (anything) that is ugly, you have to pause and take notice—and in our fast-paced world of social media, politics, and mass consumerism, it’s important that we stop and reflect once in a while.
So what is “ugly design”? It’s design that purposefully looks bad. That sounds contradictory (”How can something be ugly and good at the same time?”), but think about it this way: When you come across something (anything) that is ugly—and I’m not saying this is true of the example below—you have to pause and take notice.
Consider some of the most famous examples of “ugly design”—the album art for Nirvana’s “Nevermind,” the covers of Black Sabbath albums—or even your favorite album art: There are serious conversations to be had just by looking at them.
When I create a graphic design for social media, there’s always a hidden meaning behind it. I always have a sneaky message that hints at something bigger than just the aesthetic of the design. That’s one of my favorite parts about creating graphics—I get to be artistic and also get to make a statement. As an artist, this is important to me because even if you don’t like how my graphic looks, you might still be able to appreciate my hidden message.
