Frutiger Metro Aesthetic

Frutiger Metro, also known as Flat Frutiger Aero, Vector Metro, or Vector Vomit, is an expansive design aesthetic that encapsulates the "Frutiger" vector-based graphic designs of the 2000s. It features glossy textures, abstract flourishes, humanism, nature-inspired elements, gradient blocks, and bloom effects. Frutiger Metro combines flat, minimalist graphics with a maximalist design philosophy, often appealing to a pre-teen and teenage demographic. While sharing many similarities with Frutiger Aero and other aesthetics of the era, Frutiger Metro distinguishes itself by its focus on flat, 2D designs, in contrast to Frutiger Aero's emphasis on detailed, glossy 3D elements.

The name "Frutiger Metro" is derived from its cousin-aesthetic, "Frutiger" Aero, which it closely resembles. The "Metro" part of the name comes from the Metro design language developed by Microsoft, which was prominently featured in Windows 8, one of the most notable examples of Frutiger Metro in use. This naming convention is similar to Frutiger Aero, which takes its name from Windows Aero, a design language used in Windows 7. Although initially classified as a subgenre of Frutiger Aero, Frutiger Metro's increasingly broad nature has established it as a standalone aesthetic.

The Evolution of Frutiger Metro

Origins (c. Early/Mid-2000s)

The lifespan of Frutiger Metro extended from the mid-2000s (circa 2004) to the early 2010s (around 2013, with some influence lasting until 2015), largely coinciding with the popularity of Frutiger Aero. Frutiger Metro found widespread appeal in corporate design and internet culture, giving rise to numerous variations and sub-aesthetics due to its broadness and versatility.

Peak Popularity (c. Mid-2000s/Early-2010s)

The prime of Frutiger Metro occurred in the late 2000s when the Frutiger Family of aesthetics reached their cultural zenith. During this period, Frutiger Metro experienced immense popularity alongside Frutiger Aero, finding application in various aspects of popular culture, everyday life, internet culture, media, and corporate branding.

Decline (c. 2012-2017)

The most defining and notable use of Frutiger Metro was in Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system, released in 2012. This iteration of Frutiger Metro, known as Flat Metro, featured a streamlined, less detailed version of the aesthetic, signaling the beginning of the end for the "Frutiger" era and a transition to design philosophies such as Flat Design. By 2017, with the full establishment of Flat Design and the emergence of Corporate Memphis, Frutiger Metro and the Frutiger Family as a whole had lost their mainstream appeal.

Neo-Metro/Aero Revival (2022-present)

Since 2022, Frutiger Metro has experienced a minor resurgence through TikTok videos, mirroring the Y2K revival. It is plausible that a "Neo-Metro/Aero" movement is currently underway or will emerge in the near future, exemplifying the "20-year nostalgia cycle" as Frutiger Metro and Frutiger Aero begin to trigger mass nostalgia approximately 18 years after their initial rise to prominence.

The Visual Language of Frutiger Metro

Similar to Frutiger Aero, Frutiger Metro incorporates glossy textures, "humanism," nature-inspired elements, Skeuomorphism, bokeh effects, and vibrant colors. However, Frutiger Metro distinguishes itself through its heavy reliance on bloom elements, such as flowers, flourishes, gradient blocks, and occasional animal motifs, echoing the naturist and humanist themes of Frutiger Aero. These bloom elements are created using digital graphic tools, allowing designers to manipulate images and forms to create intricate, blooming patterns reminiscent of Vectorbloom. Frutiger Metro also employs color palettes and design elements similar to Funky Seasons (a subgenre of Frutiger Aero and Superflat Pop), using saturated hues to evoke a sense of vibrancy. Splats, speakers, and music-related elements are also prevalent in Frutiger Metro designs.

Related Aesthetics and Subgenres of Frutiger Metro

Related Aesthetics

Frutiger Aero

Frutiger Aero, also known as Web 2.0 Gloss, is a design style and aesthetic prevalent in advertising, stock imagery, and technology from roughly 2004 to 2013. It emerged following the end of the Y2K era and overlapped with the McBling, Surf Crush, Frutiger Metro, and ElectroPop 08 aesthetics. Frutiger Aero and Frutiger Metro share many similarities, incorporating the same themes and rising to popularity around the same time. The primary distinction between the two is that Frutiger Aero commonly employs 3D, depth-filled graphic designs, while Frutiger Metro relies on 2D, flat, vector-based patterns and graphics.

Vectorbloom

Vectorbloom is a sub-aesthetic of Vectorflourish that gained popularity during the early 2000s and maintained its appeal into the early 2010s. It coexisted alongside contemporary aesthetics such as Frutiger Aero and Frutiger Metro, sharing common characteristics like the use of flowers, flourishes, and occasional animal motifs on flat, yet maximalist patterns featuring solid colors and gradients. Vectorbloom draws inspiration from 1960s psychedelic graphic designs and early Art Nouveau styles.

Subgenres

Vectorgarden

Vectorgarden, formerly known as Floral Metro, is a subgenre of Vectorflourish, Frutiger Aero, and Frutiger Metro. It is characterized by minimalist abstract flourish patterns, flowers, auroras, butterflies, bubbles, and the heavy use of gradients, transparency, and glossy textures. Vectorgarden was popular between the mid-2000s and early 2010s, sharing significant overlap with Frutiger Aero due to their shared visual motifs, such as humanism, nature, auroras, and glossy textures. Frutiger Metro embodies many of these motifs and shares one of Vectorgarden's core characteristics: the use of exclusively flat, maximalist styles.

Funky Metro

Funky Metro is one of the most common sub-aesthetics of Frutiger Metro. Music and partying are the defining themes of this sub-aesthetic, with musical instruments, speakers, DJ mixers, headphones, microphones, and human silhouettes serving as prominent characteristics. It also shares similarities and overlap with Superflat Pop and Funky Seasons, particularly in the use of vivid and vibrant colors.

Rave Metro

Rave Metro features elements associated with raves, disco, and rock music, including large speakers, electric guitars, DJ mixers, microphones, headphones, music notes, electric auroras, zebra print, and stars. Rave Metro can sometimes overlap with Funky Metro and Grunge Metro, serving as a middle ground between the two. Rave Metro tends to lean towards a more feminine aesthetic, which is why hot pink is a common motif.

Grungy Metro

Grungy Metro focuses on the grungy elements of Frutiger Metro, often associated with the Emo, Scene, and UrBling aesthetics. Splats, overlapping vector patterns, and the heavy use of the color black are the main visual motifs seen in this style.

Musica Metro

Musica Metro is an aesthetic that primarily focuses on soft music rather than loud and vibrant elements. It revolves around music, with its most common motifs being music notes and bar lines. Due to its heavy focus on music and fairly broad visuals, this aesthetic can often overlap with other Frutiger Metro sub-genres, such as Funky Metro and Rave Metro. However, Musica Metro distinguishes itself through its heavy use of pastels and a much softer visual style, more closely resembling Vectorgarden.

Flat Metro

Flat Metro emerged in the early 2010s, near the end of the "Frutiger" era. As a result, it bears a strong resemblance to and pioneers elements of Flat Design (the aesthetic that succeeded Frutiger Aero)^[1]. It was commonly used in UI/UX designs, pioneered by Microsoft's Metro UI design language in Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and early Windows Phones. Flat Metro is characterized by blocks of flat color, contrasted by monochromatic backgrounds, simple vector-based patterns, and organic or geometric shapes. Frutiger Metro, specifically Flat Metro, served as a transition from Frutiger Aero to Flat Design during the early to mid-2010s.