Why Corporate Art Sucks (& How Creative Brands are Opting Out)

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve stumbled upon the infamous art style known as Corporate Memphis. Whether you’re buying a service online, opening a ‘reset password’ email, or logging into Hinge (yes, even Hinge), you’re bound to come across the quirky outfits and misshapen limbs of Corporate Memphis characters. The art style has been used by renowned brands like Airbnb, YouTube, Slack, and countless others. It’s the water we swim in, so you might not have given it much thought until now. 

So why is everyone using these designs, and why has the internet erupted in a flurry of criticism toward it?

It’s not really that the art is awful. It’s that it’s everywhere, and the more something is copied and regurgitated, the more meaningless it becomes. What was once a simple, friendly art style that emphasized inclusion, positivity, and tech innovation is now a symbol of… everything we hate.

So how did Corporate Memphis cross into the territory of cringe? And what can businesses do to ensure they’re not being snickered at for using bland, outdated designs?

When Good Art Goes Bad

Corporate Memphis has dominated the business world since the late 2010s. Wikipedia describes it as, “flat art developed out of the rise of vector graphic programs, and a nostalgia for mid-century modern illustration.”

One of the basic commandments of good branding is to make sense – don’t confuse your audience. An innocent, family-friendly brand shouldn’t have scandalous design assets. An edge clothing company shouldn’t have a logo that looks like it belongs to a bank. Your designs should tell a coherent story that is relevant to the times. 

This is part of the reason why Corporate Memphis has gone sour. In the midst of things like global wars, pandemics, data privacy concerns, and AI, people are less trusting (and more paranoid) than ever. Today’s world is rife with complex challenges and ethical dilemmas – a stark contrast from the idealistic, one-dimensional figures featured in Corporate Memphis designs.

Corporate Memphis screams utopia, and thus comes off as completely tone deaf. 

We’re not living in an artsy technological utopia. And while brands aren’t required to make deep statements with their graphics, they are required to be relevant and tuned into their customer base. This is where Corporate Memphis falls flat (no pun intended).

Everyone knows good branding is crucial, but good branding requires awareness – both self-awareness and awareness of the customer’s needs, expectations, and perspective. Maybe Corporate Memphis perfectly matched the enthusiasm of the earlier internet age, but nowadays, it just doesn’t fit.

Big companies haven’t caught onto this, and they’re still running with designs that are long past their prime. Artists know that when you copy what’s ‘safe’ and popular, it becomes contrived. Even worse, you hide whatever and whoever you are behind a generic façade. When brands do this, it makes consumers even more cynical and distrusting of corporate culture.

When a business fails to identify and showcase its identity, its designs become purposeless. This is when generic, thrown-together-at-the-last-minute art takes over.

No one expects a Picasso from brands like Amazon, Walmart, and Microsoft. They’re not here to make you question the vastness of the universe. They’re here to sell you things. Still, quality design has become essential to running a successful business, especially an online-only business. Design is the driver of brand recognition, and it massively contributes to a company’s reputation.

How Modern Brands are Breaking the Mold

Fortunately, the growing importance of design has spawned some new avenues for getting decent business graphics. Companies are learning they don’t have to stay ‘inside the box,’ and maybe even that staying in the box is watering down their reputation.

Unique Styles

Design firms and freelancers are experimenting with a number of alternative illustration styles. And while they won’t all be right for every brand, it’s good to glean inspiration and remember the variety that is possible.

By Nando Storalic
An illustration style that adds thoughtful dimension and depth

By Samira Hrustic
Line drawings are simple but can convey significant emotionality

By Cam Giang
Custom isometric designs can provide a breath of fresh air

Unlimited Design

What do you do when your team is overworked and you don’t have the budget for a full-time designer? Or when you’re tired of hiring amateurs who are unreliable?

Enter: unlimited graphic design. It’s a service that gives you the power of a design team for a flat monthly fee. There’s no hiring process and no need to vet freelancers or settle for generic designs. Marketers and entrepreneurs can simply log in and start making requests from professionals with different specialties. You can upload your brand guidelines, show examples of what you want, and get revisions on illustrations, logos, email templates, landing pages, ads, etc. 

Over the past 5 years, unlimited design subscriptions have exploded with companies like Penji and Flocksy leading the pack. For brands with occasional design needs, unlimited graphic design won’t be worth the subscription price. But for others, it can be a gamechanger that streamlines the creative process  and saves time and money. It all depends on the size of the company and its specific design needs.

AI Art

AI is all the rage, and many are experimenting with using it for graphic design. Platforms like Canva and Kittl are beginning to implement AI, making it easier for companies to get everything they need in one place (eg. DIY design templates, AI designs, AI copywriting, etc).

AI algorithms can copy just about any art style you can describe in a prompt. The potential problem is that you can end up falling into the trap mentioned above – creating contrived, unoriginal designs. In that case, you might as well just stick with Corporate Memphis.

Some get lucky with AI and are able to create stunning and usable designs. But getting them to look ‘on-brand’ and without any errors (eg. 6 fingered-humans) is challenging. There’s also the potential legal repercussions that could come down the line as more AI cases are brought to court. Some brands will be happy to take the risk, while others will decide to steer clear of AI art.