What is Dark Aero?Dark Aero Aesthetic
Dark Aero, also known as Mata Nero or Frutiger Ego, is a subgenre of Frutiger Aero that was popular from 2006 to 2015. In contrast to Frutiger Aero's bright, colorful designs, Dark Aero uses a dark, mostly black color scheme, resulting in a sleeker, more refined look. This simplicity helped Dark Aero remain popular even after Frutiger Aero's popularity declined. Another key feature of this subgenre is the use of aero glass, which contributes to its modern appearance. Dark Aero combines elements of Frutiger Aero and Skeuomorphism, using Frutiger Aero-inspired visuals with Skeuomorphism's color palette. While Frutiger Aero was commonly used for consumer and commercial products, Dark Aero was often used in high-end and business-focused products and services, as well as modern devices like computers, smartphones, TVs, and cars.
History
Early Years (2001-2006)
Dark Aero first appeared in the early 2000s as an alternative to the Frutiger Aero aesthetic. It debuted in Windows Longhorn, an early version of Windows Vista, during the transition from Y2K to Frutiger Aero. While keeping some futuristic elements of Frutiger Aero, Dark Aero focused more on an electronics-inspired approach to design, moving away from nature-inspired elements. Initially, Dark Aero was overshadowed by the popularity of Frutiger Aero. However, as the late 2000s and early 2010s progressed, its appeal began to grow among designers, coinciding with the gradual decline of Frutiger Aero's popularity.
Peak Popularity (2006-2015)
From 2006 to 2015, Dark Aero reached its peak popularity. During this time, the aesthetic became closely associated with electronics, futurism, neon lights, electronic music, light effects, and holographic elements. While Dark Aero was used in the corporate world, it was particularly popular among younger generations and online communities, especially gamers, DJs, and tech enthusiasts.
Decline (Post-2015)
After 2015, Dark Aero's popularity began to decline. The mid-2010s marked a shift, as Flat Design started to dominate the digital landscape, signaling the end of an era for both Frutiger Aero and its subgenres. However, Dark Aero continued to be used in some apps, websites, and Linux distributions. This new version of the aesthetic adopted a more polished and refined look, shedding some of its glossy and futuristic elements while incorporating humanistic design principles. This evolution led to the development of the Post-Morphism aesthetic.
Visual Characteristics
Dark Aero's visual landscape is characterized by a mix of elegance and mystery. Compared to the lively and dynamic Frutiger Aero, Dark Aero takes a more refined and minimalist approach, using a carefully chosen color palette that avoids clutter. The aesthetic's signature elements include the bokeh effect, aurora borealis inspired visuals, glossy aero glass, and futuristic designs inspired by electronics, waves, spectrums, lasers, and digital motifs. Dark Aero explores a wide range of backgrounds and textures, including graphite, obsidian, dark cement, metal, and various other dark textures.
Related Aesthetics
Frutiger Aurora
Frutiger Aurora, a subgenre of Frutiger Aero, shares a connection with Dark Aero through their mutual use of aurora inspired visuals. The aurora motif is a common element in both aesthetics, creating a link between the two.
Holo
Holo, also known as Dark Skeuomorphism, is a device theme and subgenre of Skeuomorphism that has similarities with Dark Aero. Developed by Google for Android versions 3.0 to 4.4 between 2011 and 2014, Holo was used in Honeycomb (2011), Ice Cream Sandwich (2011), Jelly Bean (2012), and KitKat (2013). As a descendant of Skeuomorphism, Holo uses depth, texture, shading, and pseudo-3D imagery that mimics real-world objects, but in a simpler and more minimalist way. Holo and Dark Aero share similarities in their use of dark, minimalist color palettes and their presence in UI/UX design.
Post-Morphism
Post-Morphism, also known as Skeuoflatism, Flat Skeuomorphism, or Matte Design, emerged during the decline of Skeuomorphism. This aesthetic combines elements of Skeuomorphism and Flat Design, creating a blend that embraces a more refined version of Skeuomorphism, moving away from realistic textures in favor of glossy shadows, subtle reflections, gradients, and the interplay of light and shadow. Both Dark Aero and Post-Morphism share a connection in their preference for sleeker, more minimalist interpretations of their parent aesthetics.