Frutiger Metro

## General Information

Frutiger Metro, often referred to as Flat Frutiger Aero, Vector Metro, or Vector Vomit, is a wide design style that includes the 2000s "Frutiger" vector-based graphic designs that make use of gradient blocks, bloom components, glossy textures, humanism, and abstract flourishes. Usually aimed toward pre-teens and teens, it blends maximalist design principles with flat, minimalist images. While Frutiger Metro is flat, it is quite similar to Frutiger Aero and other styles of the era. Frutiger Aero places a lot of emphasis on intricate, glossy 3D motifs.

The term Frutiger Metro comes from its cousin-aesthetic, "Frutiger" Aero, to which it looks quite similar. The second component of the name, "Metro," is called after the Microsoft Metro design language that was used in Windows 8 (the version of the software that features Frutiger Metro the most prominently). This is comparable to the naming of Frutiger Aero after Windows Aero (a feature included in Windows 7). Although it was once considered a subgenre of Frutiger Aero, Frutiger Metro's expanding scope sets it apart and solidifies its identity as a distinct aesthetic.

### History

#### 2000s

Frutiger Metro, which was mostly popular alongside Frutiger Aero, existed from the mid-2000s (about 2004) until the early 2010s (around 2013). Because of its versatility and broad appeal, Frutiger Metro was also well-liked in the field of corporate design and online culture in general, with several sub-aesthetics and modifications.

#### 2000s-2010s

The late 2000s are considered Frutiger Metro's prime because this was the height of the Frutiger Family's cultural influence. Together with Frutiger Aero, Frutiger Metro saw tremendous growth in popularity at this period, appearing in a wide range of mainstream, daily, online, media, and corporate contexts.

#### 2012

The most noteworthy and influential use of Frutiger Metro was in the 2012 release of Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system. This iteration of Frutiger Metro featured a simplified, less detailed look that was later dubbed Flat Metro. The flatter, 2D-like style was a result of the early stages of the "Frutiger" era's demise and the shift to design principles like Flat style. With the establishment of Flat Design and Corporate Memphis by 2017, the widespread appeal of Frutiger Metro and the Frutiger Family as a whole came to an end.

### Appearance

Like Frutiger Aero, Frutiger Metro uses bokeh, vivid and colorful hues, nature, "humanism," glossy textures, and Skeuomorphism. In contrast to Frutiger Aero, Frutiger Metro uses bloom components that are mostly centered upon the usage of flowers, flourishes, gradient blocks, and occasionally animals; these motifs are reminiscent of the naturist and humanist themes seen in Frutiger Aero. Nonetheless, Frutiger Aero's glossy, three-dimensional, and depth-filled designs contrast with the purely flat, maximalist patterns of Frutiger Metro designs. Using digital graphic tools, designers may modify pictures and shapes to create increasingly detailed patterns that resemble growing flowers, such to Vectorbloom. Funky Seasons' color palette and design cues are also used by Frutiger Metro.

### Others

#### Sub

* Vectorgarden
* Funky Metro
	+ Funky Metro, a prevalent sub-aesthetic of Frutiger Metro, is distinguished by its emphasis on music and party elements, featuring vibrant visuals such as musical instruments, speakers, and human silhouettes, sharing thematic similarities with Superflat Pop and Funky Seasons.
* Rave Metro
	+ Rave Metro, a distinctive sub-aesthetic of Frutiger Metro, incorporates elements reminiscent of raves, disco, and rock music, featuring items like large speakers, electric guitars, and zebra prints, often overlapping with Funky Metro and Grunge Metro, while leaning towards a more feminine aesthetic with the prevalent use of hot pink.
* Grungy Metro
	+ Grungy Metro, a sub-aesthetic of Frutiger Metro, highlights grungy elements reminiscent of Emo, Scene, and UrBling aesthetics, characterized by splats, overlapping vector patterns, and a predominant use of the color black.
* Musica Metro
	+ Musica Metro, a music-centric aesthetic within Frutiger Metro, centers around music notes and bar-lines, distinguishing itself with a softer visual style characterized by pastels, setting it apart from other sub-genres like Funky Metro and Rave Metro.
* Flat Metro
	+ Flat Metro, emerging in the early 2010s as part of the post-Frutiger era, particularly in UI/UX designs, notably influenced by Microsoft's Metro UI design language, features blocks of flat color, monochromatic backgrounds, vector-based patterns, and geometric shapes, serving as a transitional aesthetic from Frutiger Aero to Flat Design during the Early/Mid-2010s.

#### Adjacent

* Frutiger Aero
* Vectorbloom