Frutiger Family Aesthetics

The Frutiger Family, also known as the Frutiger Umbrella, is a diverse group of aesthetics that draw inspiration from or are closely related to Frutiger Aero.

The Frutiger era encapsulated the zeitgeist from the mid-2000s (2004) to the early 2010s (2013). During this period, Frutiger Aero and its associated aesthetics and subgenres dominated various aspects of visual culture, including advertising, stock imagery, technology, web design, branding, and media. The Frutiger era followed the Y2K era and preceded the Flat Design era, often considered a transitional phase between the two.

As Frutiger Aero has become increasingly broad, the internet has begun assigning subgenres to better understand and categorize its intricacies. In addition to Frutiger Aero subgenres, this category also includes related aesthetics that contributed to the existence of these subgenres or gained popularity alongside them.

Understanding the Terminology

Defining Subgenres

A Frutiger Aero subgenre is an aesthetic that owes its existence to Frutiger Aero. These aesthetics generally align with both the historical timeline of Frutiger Aero (emerging in the mid-2000s and declining during the early 2010s) and its overall visual language. Examples of subgenres include Helvetica Aqua Aero, Frutiger Eco, Dark Aero, and Frutiger Aurora.

Identifying Related Aesthetics

Several aesthetics are related to Frutiger Aero but do not directly owe their entire existence to it. These aesthetics typically gained popularity during the same era as Frutiger Aero (circa 2004-2013) and sometimes overlap with it visually, but they are distinct enough in their history and visual language to be considered separate aesthetics. Examples of related aesthetics include Frutiger Metro, McBling, Vectorflourish, Surfcrush, and High Cleancore.