About Memphis (Sottsass 1981)
The Memphis Group exploded onto the design scene in 1981, rejecting the austere rationalism of modernism with clashing colors, kitsch laminate patterns, and gleeful asymmetry. Founded by Ettore Sottsass in Milan, the collective turned "bad taste" into a manifesto — every piece a deliberate provocation against harmony.
Their influence radiates through decades of playful branding, from 1980s music videos to today's Slack illustrations. Memphis proves that joy, irreverence, and visual noise can be a design philosophy, not a design crime.
- Origin
- Milan, Italy
- Era
- 1981–1987; influence persists to present
- Key figures
- Ettore Sottsass · Michele de Lucchi · Nathalie du Pasquier · George Sowden
- Movements
- Postmodernism · Anti-Bauhaus · Pop Art
Memphis (Sottsass 1981) design spec
Colors
Typography
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Sign up nowStyles similar to Memphis (Sottsass 1981)
Also inspired by design movements, with a close feel.
Atompunk / Raygun GothicTomorrow shines loud. Tangerine marquee type cuts through turquoise chrome geometry.
UK Acid House (1989)Euphoria on paper. Acid yellow, Bungee type, and cyan-magenta misregistration crowd the frame.
Googie / Space Age (1960s)Tomorrow pulls in grinning. Atomic orange, space turquoise, tilted signs and starbursts.
Memphis Web Pattern RevivalLoud is the point. Confetti dots, zigzags and Bacterio squiggles in hot magenta on near-black plum.