Today we are looking at a 2022 website trend called “Memphis Design”. This design trend is characterized by vibrant colours, geometric shapes, and bold patterns. Most importantly, this style is often associated with the Memphis Group, a group of Italian designers who were active in the 1980s.
What is the Memphis Design Group?
The Memphis Design Groups is a a group of Italian designers that was formed in the 1980’s. While the Memphis Group is no longer active, their influence can still be seen in many modern designs. This trend is particularly popular in web design, as it is used to create a fun and energetic website.
The Memphis Group was founded in 1981 by a group of designers who were looking to break away from the traditional design style of the time. However, they wanted to create something new and exciting, and that’s exactly what they did. The Memphis Design movement quickly gained popularity, and is still popular today.
The Memphis Group was known for their use of bright colours, geometric shapes, and bold patterns. This style is still used today, and is seen in many modern designs. If you’re looking to create a fun and energetic website, then memphis design is the perfect style for you.
How Can I add Memphis Design Elements to my Design?
Above all, if you are looking to add a touch of Memphis to your website, there are a few things you should keep in mind. Firstly, use bright and bold colours. Secondly, make sure your geometric shapes are well-defined. And thirdly, don’t be afraid to use patterns! Similarly, drawing inspiration from the pop art movement of the 1950s, this design style incorporates similar elements to create a unique and captivating aesthetic.
Keeping these things in mind, you’ll be on your way to creating a Memphis-style website!
5 steps to understand memphis design style and create a website or design:
- Use bright and bold colours
- Create well-defined geometric shapes
- Use patterns liberally
- Pattern Spacing and Repetitivity
- Keep things fun and energetic!
Use Bright and Bold Colours
Firstly, choose bright and bold colours. Also importantly, Memphis Group designers typically used a lot of black, white, and bright colours in their work. When choosing colours for your website, don’t be afraid to experiment and go outside of the traditional colour palette. These colours will make your website stand out and give it a Memphis-style look. This look is all about being bold, so don’t be afraid to experiment!
Some colour palettes include:
- Black, white, and bright colours
- Vibrant blues and greens
- Neon pinks and oranges
A Deeper Look into Memphis Design Colour Palettes
For our look at colour pallette variations, we used coolors.co to help us identify the main colours in some different design inspirations. Then the designs are collected from Pinterest and we added them to a Pinterest board.
Memphis Design Colour Palette Example #1
The first colour combination we are going to examine includes white, green, pink and purple as the main colours. The colours in this pallette are somewhat muted but the shapes are bold and scattered, giving us the classic Memphis group look. Pictured below is the original design from pinterest and the main colour palette used in the design.
The hex codes and names for the colours used in this memphis style design are: #86CCCA (middle blue green), #EDEFEC (cultured), #F48196 (pink sherbert), #FAD6DA (pale pink), #C9AECF (pink lavender) and #6A7BB4 (glaucous). A great website to find out more about these colours is called “colorabout.com“. On that website you can see the different combination of colour harmonies at the bottom. Similarly, this combination appears to take inspiration from the “Rectangle / Tetradic” pattern style. Lastly, The Memphis Group was known for their use of bright colours and this combination really takes from that style.
Memphis Design Colour Palette Example #2
The second colour palette is taken from a memphis design pattern on Pinterest as well. This one is lighter and includes a more muted combination of colours. This palette would be perfect for a website that is bold and but wants to use a simple combination of shades.
The hex codes and names for the colours used in this design are: #FBFBFB (white), #070707 (rich black FOGRA 39), #E9E9E9 (platinum), #FCC9C4 (baby pink), #FBD15A (orange yellow crayola) and #CADEFF (periwinkle crayola). Looking at the colour harmonies, this style does not follow any sort of pattern like the first palette. In other words, it focuses on bringing a muted style with a splash of colour to the design.
Memphis Design Colour Palette Example #3
The third colour palette below is a memphis design wallpaper on Pinterest. This one is very bright and includes a wide variety of colours. For instance, this would be perfect for a website that wants to use a muted colours and simple patterns in their design.
The hex codes and names for the colours used in this memphis style design are: #FFFFFF (white), #EC9309 (carrot orange), #00A59A (persian green), #9B9F97 (spanish gray) and #4E5B5B (feldgrau). These colours are very bright and would be perfect for a website that wants to use a lot of colour in their design. The colour harmonies for this palette look as if they were inspired by a “triad” and “monochromatic” harmony. Triad colour scheme means that the colours are evenly spaced out on the colour wheel and monochromatic just means that the colours are all different shades of the same hue.
Memphis Design Colour Palette Example #4
Finally, this colour palette we are exploring is inspired by a memphis design poster on Pinterest. This one is the most colourful of all the variations we have looked at. It includes a wide variety of colours and would be perfect for a website that wants to use a lot of colour in their design.
The hex codes and names for the colours used in this memphis style design are: #FFFEF6 (baby powder), #FAE498 (buff), #A3D9E5 (non-photo blue), #68C6E7 (sky blue), #EF6E9C (cyclamen) and #FEB6DC (cotton candy). These colours are very bright and remind us of colours used to represent the holiday Easter. These might be used in a website that is bold and traditional- because of Easter connotations. The colour harmonies used in this design represent similar to a “triad” and “pentagram” colour scheme. A pentagram colour scheme is when five colours used are evenly spaced out on the colour wheel.
These are just a few examples of colour palettes that can be used in a memphis style pop art design. As you can see, there is a lot of variation in the colours that are displayed. When looking at inspiration for a new palette, choose swatches that are triadic and pentatonic on the colour wheel and tweak them to a pastel shade. Always use some sort of light or dark focus such as black or white in the design. Following these guidelines will get you closer to finding out a palette that is unique to your style.
Create Defined Geometric Shapes
The second step is to create well-defined geometric shapes. Memphis Group designs often featured bold, geometric patterns. When creating shapes for your website, make sure they are clean and well-defined. When we say “well-defined,” we mean that the shapes’ lines are distinct and accurate. This will allow your shapes to stand out and give your website a Memphis-style look.
Popular geometric shapes used in the memphis design movement include:
- Rectangles
- Squares
- Circles
- Lines
- Dots
- Wavy lines
You can use these shapes to create patterns or as standalone elements on your website. For example, you could use a series of squares to create a background pattern or use a circle to highlight an important piece of content.
Memphis-Style Geometric Shapes Example #1
The first example includes many different shapes. Some shapes have fills are some are left as outlines.
Here is a list of shapes in this design:
- Square
- Square with thick outline
- Row of many squares
- Grid with no border
- Diamond shape with a thick outline
- Filled circles
- Filled 3/4 circles
- Small circle with a thick outline
- Filled in wavy lines
- Sprinkle like dots.
We have noticed that the filled in shapes in this design always overlap with another shape. The filled in shapes also are a contrasting colour to the overlapping shape. Not all shapes are the same style but are often repeated in different colours.
Memphis-Style Geometric Shapes Example #2
Memphis Design-Style #2
The second example is different to the first. It only uses four colours and there are more varying shapes.
Shapes in this design include:
- A wavy line with sharp corners
- Triangle with a thick outline
- Clusters of dots in a rectangle shape
- Cluster of lines in a circular shape
- Circle with a thick outline
- Clusters of dots in a circular shape
- Square with a thick outline
- Rows of waves in a square shape
- Lines arranged in x’s
- Filled circle and squares.
- Macaroni noodle shape
- Cube
There are more unique shapes in this design such as the macaroni noodle shape and the cube shape in the bottom right. The shapes in this design do not repeat as much but still look as if they belong together.
Memphis-Style Geometric Shapes Example #3
Memphis Design-Style #3
Thirdly, this example of memphis design is more modernized. The shapes used in this design are more simple it contains more muted colours.
Shapes in this memphis style design include:
- Filled triangles in a line
- Lines in a triangle shape
- Cluster of wavy lines
- Circles that are filled and outlined
- Filled circles that are underneath more complicated shapes
- Overlapping filled circles
- Cluster of circles in a rectangle shape
- X’s in different formations
Memphis-Style Geometric Shapes Example #4
Memphis Design-Style #4
The last example is memphis design with a simple twist. The colours are brighter and the shapes used are minimal memphis shapes.
Shapes in this geometric design include:
- Stripes
- Filled in rectangle
- Square comprised of diagonal lines
- Upside down triangle
- Waves always in a cluster of 2
- Filled and lined circles
- Plus shape
- Cluster of three varying lines
The unique shapes in this design is a plus shape and a cluster of three varying lines. In conclusion, this design seems to shy away from the middle of the graphic and the shapes focused on the outside of the design.
Use Patterns Liberally
Thirdly, use patterns liberally. Patterns are a key element of Memphis design, and they can really make your website pop. When using patterns, make sure they are bold and eye-catching. Try to mix and match different shapes and colours to create a unique look.
Our examples use a variety of patterns. Firstly, this first design uses a series of squares in different colours to create a background pattern. The second design uses a series of circles in different colours to create a foreground pattern. The third design uses a series of triangles in different colours to create a background pattern. And lastly, the forth design uses a series of stripes in different colours to create a foreground pattern.
However, memphis design is all about bold colours, shapes, and patterns. If you want to create a website in this style, above all make sure to use these elements liberally. Lastly, with a little creativity, you can create a truly unique and eye-catching website or design.
Pattern Spacing and Repetitivity
The fourth step is to consider the pattern spacing and repetitivity of the various shapes used in the design. When spacing the patterns, make sure there is enough space between the various shapes so that they are easily distinguishable. However, you don’t want too much space between the shapes, as this can make the design look empty. As for repetitivity, try to use a variety of different shapes so that the design doesn’t look too repetitive.
Design one contains shapes that are more evenly spaced around the canvas. They are often clustered but spaced apart from the other clusters of shapes. Design two is larger and bolder, using shapes that are spaced further apart. Style three crams a lot of shapes into a small space which makes the design feel more busy It also uses more variations and places the shapes in different directions and formations. Design four uses a smaller amount of shapes that are spread apart with a more minimalistic feel.
As you can see, there is a lot of freedom when it comes to the spacing and repetitivity of the shapes. However, it is important to consider these factors when designing in the memphis style so that your website or design has a balanced and eye-catching look.
Keep Things Fun and Energetic!
The fifth and final step is to keep things fun and energetic. Memphis Group designs include fun and vibrant styles. When designing your website, try to keep this in mind and create a website that is fun and engaging. So try to use a variety of colours, shapes, and patterns to create an energetic and exciting look.
All of our examples have a fun and energetic feel to them. Firstly, design one uses a variety of bright colours to create an exciting and fun look. Secondly, style two uses a mix of different shapes and patterns to create a fun and playful look. Moreover, design three uses darker colours and varying patterns to create an energetic and exciting look. Lastly, style four uses a bright colours, shapes, and space to create a fun and playful look.
As you can see, memphis design is all about having fun with colour, shape, and pattern. So, if you want to create a website in this style make sure to keep things fun.
Here are a few ways to keep your design fun and energetic:
- Use bright colours
- Pick at least one neutral colour to use in your design (black, white, grey or cream)
- Use patterns liberally
- Incorporate spacing into your design
- Keep the overall design clean and well-defined
Final Thoughts on The Memphis Group Design Style
In conclusion, the Memphis style is all about bold colours, shapes, patterns and colour palette. If you want to create a website or design in this style, make sure to use these elements liberally. With a little creativity, you can create a truly unique and eye-catching web design. Lastly, If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment below. Happy designing!
