Frutiger Aero

Frutiger Aero, also called Web 2.0 Gloss, is a user interface design and Internet aesthetic based on Windows Aero. The name of the design derives from the name of Adrian Frutiger, a Swiss typeface designer who was responsible for many of the humanist typefaces that were often used in older computing interfaces. The design is characterized by its heavy use of shiny and glossy skeuomorphic features along with computer generated renderings of nature, air and water shown alongside modern technologies. The design was popular in the 2000s because its skeuomorphic nature was intended to make it more accessible to consumers, but fell out of use in the 2010s due to a shift towards minimalism in user interface designs.

Characteristics
Frutiger Aero typically features bright colors, skeuomorphism, glossy textures, and bokeh photography. Common design motifs include blue skies, grass, water, shiny globules, and tropical fish. The design philosophy of Frutiger Aero has been described as "retro-futuristic" and representing a time of "technological optimism", and the aesthetic itself has been called "playful" and "maximalist".

Amanda Brennan said of Frutiger Aero that "there's a lot of hopefulness in this aesthetic that Y2K doesn't have".

History
While the style was popular from the mid 2000s to the early 2010s, the term "Frutiger Aero" entered common usage much later, being coined in 2017 by Sofi Lee from the Consumer Aesthetics Research Institute to describe an aesthetic popular roughly from 2005 to 2013. During this period, touch-screen devices began to enter the mainstream, and skeuomorphic and friendly designs were used to acclimate new consumers to touch-based technology. Popular products incorporating what would later be called Frutiger Aero include technology such as the first generation iPhone, the Samsung Galaxy S, and Windows Vista, as well as video games such as The Sims 3 and Fruit Ninja. In addition, the popularity of the aesthetic spread beyond technology, and the design language can be found in other products of the time period, such as air conditioners, laundry detergent, and furniture.

The aesthetic has since seen a revival among the online community, with videos analyzing a variety of interfaces being posted on TikTok and YouTube under the #frutigeraero hashtag in 2023. Additionally, a subreddit, r/frutigeraero, has been established to discuss this particular style of design. The aesthetic gained popularity among Generation Z in part due to nostalgia, and because it serves as a maximalist alternative to modern minimalist corporate styles such as Corporate Memphis. In addition, Amanda Brennan stated that the modern interest may arise from Frutiger Aero's nature-focused imagery and optimism due to concerns about climate change among Generation Z.