Back to gallery
Acid House Smiley (1988) — Cover

About Acid House Smiley (1988)

Acid House exploded out of London's disused warehouses in the summer of 1988, when DJs returning from Ibiza fused Chicago house music with MDMA-fueled euphoria and a co-opted yellow smiley face into a full-blown cultural moment. The visual language was pure DIY — photocopied flyers with chunky all-caps type, neon dayglo on black, hand-drawn arrows pointing to secret locations off the M25.

This design system captures that raw warehouse energy: acid yellow radiating on pitch black, pill-shaped buttons, glow effects instead of shadows, and the deliberate roughness of a third-generation photocopy. It's 6am, the bass is rattling the walls, and everyone is your best friend.

Learn more about the Acid House Smiley (1988) style

Origin
London, M25 motorway corridor, Manchester
Era
1987–1989; peak Second Summer of Love 1988; criminalized 1994 Criminal Justice Act
Key figures
Danny Rampling · Paul Oakenfold · Nicky Holloway · Mark Pakenham
Movements
Acid House · Second Summer of Love · UK rave culture

Acid House Smiley (1988) design spec

Colors

Background
Surface
Primary
Secondary
Accent
Text

Typography

AntonHeadings
InterBody
JetBrains MonoMono
Unlock for 1 credit

The other 11 sections — buttons, cards, spacing, motion, techniques and more — open once you unlock. Download the DESIGN.md or send it to your AI in one click. Unlock once, yours forever.

Sign up now
Have an account? Sign in

Styles similar to Acid House Smiley (1988)

Also inspired by pop culture, with a close feel.

Acid House Smiley (1988)1 credit · unlock forever
Sign up now
© 2026 Curio