The term "frutiger aero" has started to become a popular phrase recently, mostly due to nostalgia toward this style. Frutiger aero used skeumorphism, glossy textures, and life-like objects to create this strange, futuristic style that made you think "wow, I'm living in the future". Of course, nostalgia could be the cause of me loving this style so much, and the same could be said for everyone else. I enjoy examining the history of lifestyles and how things were branded.
It is unfortunate that I get a better sense of futurism through older technology than I do with the technology of today. Things are no longer vibrant, but industrialized. Things now look professional, even outside of the scope of websites or technology itself. The way things are branded today are meant to be more simplistic and, to put it bluntly, really damn boring. Having creative expression is now looked down upon in terms of how things should be branded for a wider audience. We need to make everything as relatable as possible for the entire world, which means that nothing can be fun.
The world is built around taking the safest opportunities possible. Content creators need to base their content around trends to reach a wider audience. Rather than creating what they want, they need to follow what everyone else is doing so they can gain viewership. Majority of companies competing in the technology space intentionally make websites that look simplistic to the point where it is just text on a blank background, with some images thrown in there if they feel like it (or just using a bootstrap template).
When visiting sites with the "older" feel, and taking in every single detail of them, I get this weird feeling in me. It feels like butterflies in my stomach? But it feels comfortable. When I visit older sites, I feel very comfortable. It's hard to describe what I am feeling specifically, but I just know that it feels good. I enjoy visiting sites that have creativity pouring out of it. I like it when people slap whatever they want together, whether or not I understand the meaning of it. Technology is meant to express ourselves with no restrictions, and yet we seem to be restricted by society itself.
When old technology gives off that "you're living in the future" vibe, I consider it the "retro future". I'd consider frutiger aero and the early website designs retro futuristic. Maybe it was the future that we will always continue to long for.