Enduring and flexible, Mid-Century Modern is a design aesthetic characterized by its smartly minimalistic construction, thoughtful combination of natural and man-made materials, inspired use of bright pops of color that compliment muted palettes, and futuristic introduction of visuals built around geometric and abstract shapes. In this edition of Cliff Notes, we’ll cover its inspiration from the early modernist art movements, how to identify MCM style, what it looks like in the 21st century, and how you could use it for your brand.
What is Mid-Century Modern?
In the early 20th century, there was a new modernist style of art rising to prominence in Europe. The De Stijl movement in the Netherlands, was characterized by pure abstraction, bringing art to the pure form of shape and color. The Constructivism movement in Russia, was characterized by an emphasis on using industrial materials to create art that was avant-garde and austere. These movements influenced the Bauhaus movement in Germany, aimed at uniting art and technology. Characterized by abstract and geometric shapes, bold colors, and very little ornamentation.
After World War 2 art, architecture, and interior design inspired by the early modernist movements became incredibly popular. This style reflected the needs of a post-war society looking for functionality and simplicity. Later termed Mid-Century Modern (MCM), this style was a mainstay of aesthetics until about 1970. And while it never fully disappeared and heavily influenced what came after it, MCM has had a big resurgence in the last 10-15 years.
What Does Mid-Century Modern Look Like?
There are several common identifying factors when looking to define the MCM aesthetic, these style characteristics are usually used in conjunction with each other to fully embody MCM.
Common Mid-Century Modern Style Identifiers
Minimalism: Clean visual, sleek lines, and focus on functionality; MCM style, particularly in architecture, often adopts a simple visual aesthetic to emphasize one focus point.
Natural Elements: Wood, glass, and metal materials are heavily featured to complement man-made materials like vinyl, plastic, and lucite in MCM architecture and interior design. In graphic design, the juxtaposition of photography or natural textures with abstract shapes and bright colors serves the same visual aesthetic.
Muted Colors with Bright Pops: MCM aesthetic is well known for using bright pops of color to compliment muted colors used in its minimalistic aesthetic.
Geometric Shapes: When MCM rose as a design aesthetic the idea of the abstract within fine art was still a relatively new concept; as it took influence from the early modernist art movements, MCM made use of geometric shapes in organic and abstract forms. These shapes, unique and eccentric, nimbly complement the other visual characteristics of MCM style.
What Does Mid-Century Modern look like now and how can I leverage it for my brand?
One of the great benefits of MCM styling is that it has a lot of flexibility for use, because it is minimalistic and has a wide range of stylistic features it can be tailored to complement most brands. Most modern uses of MCM aesthetic take its classic style characteristics and fuse them with complimenting current trends.
MCM styling could be leveraged for a rebrand, using its style characteristics to inspire a new visual identity. It could be used for a specialized offer or promotion, for event branding, or a series of social media graphics. MCM styling has been an enduring aesthetic for many years, and because of this, the opportunities for inspired usage are endless!
Curious about how we could use MCM for your brand specifically?
Research Sources:
- Gardner, Helen, and Fred S. Kleiner. Gardner’s Art through the Ages: A Global History. Thomson/Wadsworth, 2009.
- Meggs, Philip B., and Alston W. Purvis. Meggs’ History of Graphic Design. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2006.
