{"id":5763,"date":"2022-01-31T09:19:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-31T09:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wendyzhou.se\/blog\/?p=5763"},"modified":"2025-10-14T15:43:34","modified_gmt":"2025-10-14T15:43:34","slug":"cyberpunk-aesthetic-what-is-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wendyzhou.se\/blog\/cyberpunk-aesthetic-what-is-it\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Cyberpunk Aesthetic?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is cyberpunk aesthetic? In this article, I explain what cyberpunk is, and the common features and distinct characteristics of cyberpunk aesthetics<\/strong>: the environmental settings, color palettes, clothing, fashion, and GUIs.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I especially hope that this article can work as a guideline or cheat-sheet for those of us who enjoy thinking about different aesthetics and cultural concepts, or for those of us who enjoy creating visual arts and graphics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related: <\/strong>Neon-Noir Aesthetic: What It is?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Cyberpunk?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Photo by Francois Hoang<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Cyberpunk is not just<\/em> a visual aesthetic of neon light and megacities. It is also, if not primarily, a science fiction genre of high tech, low life<\/em>, made popular by authors such as Philip K. Dick, Harlan Ellison, William Gibson (Neuromancer), and many more. Today it is also commonly known for movies such as The Matrix, Blade Runner, Black Mirror, Altered Carbon, Ghost in Shell, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are also many other sibling-genres to cyberpunk, such as steampunk or solarpunk (utopia instead of dystopia). But they have their own characteristics and ideologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related: <\/strong>6 Best Futuristic Movies on Netflix<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does “high tech, low life” mean?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the main recognizable quotations surrounding cyberpunk is \u201dHigh tech, low life\u201d. But what does it mean?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

High Tech <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With high tech<\/em>, one means things associated with advanced technology such as artificial intelligence, transhumanism, hyper-futuristic cityscapes, hacker culture, and other technological advancements in for example architecture, weapons, and gadgets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Low Life <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With low life, one means things associated with those who are having it rougher in life: drug use and culture, sexual exploitation or sexual revolution, slums, gang warfare, criminality, anarchy, class uprising, and criticism against corporate corruption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Naturally, this leads to the highlight of differences between different social classes and how capitalism and corporate-greed affect ordinary people’s lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“There is usually a sense of emptiness and\/or hopelessness, despite advances in technology that were supposed to help society. Usually only the wealthy can afford the best technology and therefore the best quality of life.”<\/p>\ncmbel2005 on Reddit<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Philosophy and social criticism <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Cyberpunk literature and other media often feature a specific philosophy and critical outlook on society, technology, and modern urban life. The main characters in stories and movies often hold anti-establishment and anti-corporate views, as well as an attitude of defying norms and thinking for themselves. I guess that’s the “punk” part of the cyberpunk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Music & fashion<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Cyberpunk can also be associated with certain genres of music or sounds. Mostly electronic music made with synthesizers, techno, or other industrial genres. Or, it can be ambient types of music. More here: Cyberpunk Dystopian Music \u2013 Playlists & Recommendations<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It can also be associated with certain types of clothing and fashion such as Techwear, or uber-futuristic clothing with shiny materials and embedded technology. Read about Techwear here: Women\u2019s Techwear Clothing \u2013 Inspiration & Clothing<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, there’s no denying that one of the most distinctive features of the concept of cyberpunk is the strong visual cyberpunk aesthetic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Cyberpunk Aesthetic?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If we bypass the fictional world-building and the philosophical aspects of cyberpunk, then cyberpunk aesthetic can be closely related to Neo-Noir aesthetics<\/a>. Here comes a couple of lists of things that almost always are included in cyberpunk graphics: environmental settings, color palette, clothing and fashion, as well as GUIs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Yiran Ding<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Environmental setting<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The environmental setting is important to achieve a cyberpunk aesthetic. Part of the entire idea of a cyberpunk world includes mega-corporations and thus also big skyscrapers with massive advertisements and ads in all types of forms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s also supposed to be high-tech<\/em>, so such elements should be included as well. In addition, we have the other part of the cyberpunk idea, the low-life<\/em>. Low-life can be portrayed with slums, dirty apartments and industrial settings (but with technology incorporated). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is a list of common cyberpunk aesthetic features in the environment: <\/p>\n\n\n\n