Corporate Memphis (also known as Alegria) is a flat, geometric illustration and design style that became the dominant visual language of major technology companies from 2017 through the early 2020s. Originated by design agency Buck for Facebook’s “Alegria” design system, it is characterized by flat vector illustrations of disproportionate human figures with elongated, rubbery limbs, non-representational skin tones, and high-contrast solid color palettes. The style prioritizes scalability, mass-reproducibility, and a sense of cheerful universality across digital interfaces.
Corporate Memphis relies on a limited palette of high-contrast solid primary colors or soft pastels. The palette avoids dynamic shading or gradients entirely, maintaining a flat, sleek appearance.
| Role | Colors | Hex (suggested) |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Blue | Bright medium blue, sky blue | #4A90D9, #5B9BD5 |
| Primary Purple | Vivid violet, soft lavender | #7B61FF, #C8B4FF |
| Primary Pink / Coral | Warm pink, salmon | #F48196, #FF6B8A |
| Primary Green / Teal | Caribbean green, teal | #14C88C, #2ECDA7 |
| Primary Yellow | Warm amber, golden yellow | #FAD141, #FBD15A |
| Accent Orange | Warm tangerine | #FF8C42, #FFA552 |
| Skin Tone: Blue | Soft blue, powder blue | #86CCCA, #78C8C8 |
| Skin Tone: Purple | Muted lavender | #C9AECF, #B4A0D0 |
| Skin Tone: Green | Soft sage, mint | #7DD1A0, #82D993 |
| Skin Tone: Pink | Warm blush | #F0A0B0, #FAD6DA |
| Background (Light) | Near-white, soft cream | #FAFBFC, #F5F6FA |
| Background (Dark) | Deep navy, charcoal | #1A1A2E, #141414 |
| Text (Dark) | Near-black | #1D1D1F, #2C2C2E |
| Text (Light) | Soft off-white | #F1F1F1, #EDEFEC |
:root {
/* Primary palette */
--cm-blue: #4a90d9;
--cm-purple: #7b61ff;
--cm-pink: #f48196;
--cm-green: #14c88c;
--cm-yellow: #fad141;
--cm-orange: #ff8c42;
--cm-teal: #78c8c8;
/* Soft / pastel variants */
--cm-blue-soft: #b4dcdc;
--cm-purple-soft: #c8b4ff;
--cm-pink-soft: #fad6da;
--cm-green-soft: #a8e6cf;
--cm-yellow-soft: #fef3c7;
/* Non-representational skin tones */
--cm-skin-blue: #86ccca;
--cm-skin-purple: #c9aecf;
--cm-skin-green: #7dd1a0;
--cm-skin-pink: #f0a0b0;
--cm-skin-yellow: #f5d76e;
/* Backgrounds */
--cm-bg-light: #fafbfc;
--cm-bg-cream: #f5f6fa;
--cm-bg-dark: #1a1a2e;
/* Text */
--cm-text-dark: #1d1d1f;
--cm-text-medium: #6e6e73;
--cm-text-light: #f1f1f1;
/* Decorative blobs */
--cm-blob-1: #c8b4f0;
--cm-blob-2: #b4dcdc;
--cm-blob-3: #fad6da;
}
Corporate Memphis typography should be:
| Font | Style | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Poppins | Geometric sans, rounded corners | Headlines, body text (the quintessential Corporate Memphis font) |
| Nunito | Rounded sans-serif, soft terminals | Headlines, body text, UI labels |
| Nunito Sans | Clean companion to Nunito | Body text, smaller copy |
| DM Sans | Clean geometric sans | Body text, UI elements |
| Inter | Neutral geometric sans | Body text, data-heavy layouts |
| Quicksand | Rounded geometric sans | Display headings, feature titles |
| Rubik | Slightly rounded geometric | Headlines, buttons, all-purpose |
| Manrope | Modern geometric grotesk | Headlines, body text |
| Plus Jakarta Sans | Contemporary geometric sans | Headlines, body (modern Corporate Memphis) |
/* Import fonts */
@import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Poppins:wght@400;500;600;700&family=Nunito+Sans:wght@400;600&display=swap');
/* Headlines */
h1, h2, h3 {
font-family: 'Poppins', 'Nunito', sans-serif;
font-weight: 600;
color: var(--cm-text-dark);
line-height: 1.2;
letter-spacing: -0.01em;
}
/* Display / Hero text */
.cm-display {
font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif;
font-size: clamp(2.5rem, 5vw, 4.5rem);
font-weight: 700;
letter-spacing: -0.02em;
line-height: 1.1;
}
/* Body text */
body {
font-family: 'Nunito Sans', 'Poppins', sans-serif;
font-weight: 400;
font-size: 1rem;
line-height: 1.7;
color: var(--cm-text-dark);
}
/* UI labels and buttons */
.cm-label {
font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif;
font-weight: 600;
font-size: 0.9rem;
letter-spacing: 0.02em;
text-transform: none; /* avoid uppercase -- too corporate/rigid */
}
/* Subtext / captions */
.cm-caption {
font-family: 'Nunito Sans', sans-serif;
font-weight: 400;
font-size: 0.85rem;
color: var(--cm-text-medium);
line-height: 1.5;
}
clamp() or viewport units.cm-card {
background: #ffffff;
border-radius: 16px;
padding: 32px;
/* No box-shadow -- this is flat design */
/* Separation comes from background contrast */
}
/* On a colored background, cards stand out via color alone */
.cm-section--blue {
background: var(--cm-blue);
}
.cm-section--blue .cm-card {
background: #ffffff;
color: var(--cm-text-dark);
}
.cm-button {
display: inline-flex;
align-items: center;
justify-content: center;
background: var(--cm-blue);
color: #ffffff;
border: none;
border-radius: 50px; /* fully rounded pill shape */
padding: 14px 36px;
font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif;
font-weight: 600;
font-size: 1rem;
cursor: pointer;
transition: background 0.2s ease, transform 0.15s ease;
/* No box-shadow -- strictly flat */
}
.cm-button:hover {
background: var(--cm-purple);
transform: translateY(-1px);
}
.cm-button:active {
transform: translateY(0);
}
/* Secondary / outline variant */
.cm-button--outline {
background: transparent;
color: var(--cm-blue);
border: 2px solid var(--cm-blue);
}
.cm-button--outline:hover {
background: var(--cm-blue);
color: #ffffff;
}
.cm-hero {
display: flex;
align-items: center;
justify-content: space-between;
max-width: 1200px;
margin: 0 auto;
padding: 80px 40px;
gap: 60px;
}
.cm-hero__content {
flex: 1;
max-width: 500px;
}
.cm-hero__illustration {
flex: 1;
display: flex;
justify-content: center;
align-items: center;
}
.cm-hero__illustration svg,
.cm-hero__illustration img {
width: 100%;
max-width: 550px;
height: auto;
}
.cm-hero h1 {
font-size: clamp(2.5rem, 5vw, 4rem);
font-weight: 700;
margin-bottom: 1rem;
line-height: 1.15;
}
.cm-hero p {
font-size: 1.15rem;
color: var(--cm-text-medium);
margin-bottom: 2rem;
line-height: 1.7;
}
@media (max-width: 768px) {
.cm-hero {
flex-direction: column-reverse;
text-align: center;
padding: 40px 20px;
}
}
.cm-features {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fit, minmax(280px, 1fr));
gap: 40px;
max-width: 1200px;
margin: 0 auto;
padding: 80px 40px;
}
.cm-feature {
text-align: center;
padding: 24px;
}
.cm-feature__icon {
width: 80px;
height: 80px;
margin: 0 auto 20px;
}
.cm-feature h3 {
font-size: 1.25rem;
margin-bottom: 0.75rem;
}
.cm-feature p {
font-size: 0.95rem;
color: var(--cm-text-medium);
line-height: 1.6;
}
.cm-row {
display: flex;
align-items: center;
gap: 60px;
max-width: 1200px;
margin: 0 auto;
padding: 80px 40px;
}
.cm-row:nth-child(even) {
flex-direction: row-reverse;
}
.cm-row__text {
flex: 1;
}
.cm-row__image {
flex: 1;
}
.cm-row__image img,
.cm-row__image svg {
width: 100%;
max-width: 500px;
height: auto;
}
@media (max-width: 768px) {
.cm-row,
.cm-row:nth-child(even) {
flex-direction: column;
gap: 30px;
padding: 40px 20px;
}
}
.cm-section {
padding: 80px 0;
}
.cm-section--white {
background: var(--cm-bg-light);
}
.cm-section--blue {
background: var(--cm-blue);
color: #ffffff;
}
.cm-section--purple {
background: var(--cm-purple);
color: #ffffff;
}
.cm-section--cream {
background: var(--cm-bg-cream);
}
.cm-section--dark {
background: var(--cm-bg-dark);
color: var(--cm-text-light);
}
A hallmark of Corporate Memphis is decorative geometric shapes floating in the background.
.cm-blobs {
position: relative;
overflow: hidden;
}
.cm-blob {
position: absolute;
border-radius: 50%;
opacity: 0.15;
z-index: 0;
}
.cm-blob--1 {
width: 300px;
height: 300px;
background: var(--cm-purple-soft);
top: -100px;
right: -80px;
}
.cm-blob--2 {
width: 200px;
height: 200px;
background: var(--cm-pink-soft);
bottom: -60px;
left: -40px;
}
.cm-blob--3 {
width: 150px;
height: 150px;
background: var(--cm-green-soft);
top: 40%;
left: 10%;
}
/* Style guide for inline SVG illustrations */
.cm-illustration svg {
/* Flat fills, no strokes */
fill-rule: evenodd;
}
.cm-illustration .figure-body {
fill: var(--cm-skin-blue);
}
.cm-illustration .figure-hair {
fill: var(--cm-purple);
}
.cm-illustration .figure-clothing {
fill: var(--cm-pink);
}
.cm-illustration .background-shape {
fill: var(--cm-yellow-soft);
opacity: 0.4;
}
/* Simple hover animation for interactive illustrations */
.cm-illustration:hover svg {
transform: scale(1.02);
transition: transform 0.3s ease;
}
.cm-nav {
display: flex;
align-items: center;
justify-content: space-between;
max-width: 1200px;
margin: 0 auto;
padding: 20px 40px;
/* No borders, no shadows -- flat */
}
.cm-nav__logo {
font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif;
font-weight: 700;
font-size: 1.4rem;
color: var(--cm-text-dark);
text-decoration: none;
}
.cm-nav__links {
display: flex;
gap: 32px;
list-style: none;
}
.cm-nav__links a {
font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif;
font-weight: 500;
font-size: 0.95rem;
color: var(--cm-text-medium);
text-decoration: none;
transition: color 0.2s ease;
}
.cm-nav__links a:hover {
color: var(--cm-blue);
}
Corporate Memphis illustrations are constructed from basic geometric primitives:
| Body Part | Shape | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Small circle or oval | Disproportionately small relative to body |
| Torso | Large rounded rectangle or trapezoid | Oversized, dominant element |
| Arms | Long, curved paths (no joints) | Extremely elongated, rubbery, boneless |
| Legs | Long, tapered paths | Elongated, bendy, often in dynamic poses |
| Hands | Simple circles or mitten shapes | Minimal detail |
| Feet | Rounded rectangles | Simple, block-like |
| Hair | Solid colored shape overlaid on head | Abstract, single-color block |
| Face | Minimal: dot eyes, simple curve mouth | Often no face at all |
| Company / Product | Notes |
|---|---|
| Facebook / Meta | Originated the Alegria system (2017) with agency Buck |
| Adopted similar flat illustration systems across products | |
| Slack | Flat, colorful character illustrations throughout the app |
| Airbnb | Flat illustrations with non-representational figures |
| Lyft | Geometric flat illustrations for rider/driver experience |
| Duolingo | Flat character system (Duo and friends) |
| Headspace | Simplified flat meditation illustrations |
| Discord | Flat character illustrations (Wumpus and human figures) |
| YouTube | Flat explainer and error page illustrations |
| Aesthetic | Relationship to Corporate Memphis |
|---|---|
| Flat Design | Parent category; Corporate Memphis is a specialized subset of flat design focused on illustration systems |
| Memphis Design | 1980s Italian design movement (Memphis Group); namesake reference for bright colors, geometric shapes, and playful patterns |
| Claymorphism | 3D successor trend; gives flat elements a puffy, clay-like depth that Corporate Memphis explicitly avoids |
| Glassmorphism | Contemporary alternative; uses transparency, blur, and glass effects vs. Corporate Memphis’s opaque flatness |
| Minimalism | Shares the reductive philosophy but Corporate Memphis adds warmth through color and illustration |
| Neubrutalism | Reactionary counter-movement; embraces raw, unpolished, high-contrast aesthetics as an antidote to Corporate Memphis’s polish |
| Material Design | Google’s design system; shares flat principles but adds elevation/shadow layers that Corporate Memphis rejects |
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<title>Corporate Memphis Page</title>
<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Poppins:wght@400;500;600;700&family=Nunito+Sans:wght@400;600&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">
<style>
:root {
--cm-blue: #4a90d9;
--cm-purple: #7b61ff;
--cm-pink: #f48196;
--cm-green: #14c88c;
--cm-yellow: #fad141;
--cm-bg: #fafbfc;
--cm-text: #1d1d1f;
--cm-text-muted: #6e6e73;
}
* { margin: 0; padding: 0; box-sizing: border-box; }
body {
background: var(--cm-bg);
color: var(--cm-text);
font-family: 'Nunito Sans', 'Poppins', sans-serif;
font-weight: 400;
line-height: 1.7;
}
h1, h2, h3 {
font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif;
font-weight: 600;
line-height: 1.2;
}
/* Navigation */
nav {
display: flex;
align-items: center;
justify-content: space-between;
max-width: 1200px;
margin: 0 auto;
padding: 20px 40px;
}
nav a.logo {
font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif;
font-weight: 700;
font-size: 1.3rem;
color: var(--cm-text);
text-decoration: none;
}
nav ul {
display: flex;
gap: 28px;
list-style: none;
}
nav ul a {
color: var(--cm-text-muted);
text-decoration: none;
font-weight: 500;
font-size: 0.95rem;
transition: color 0.2s;
}
nav ul a:hover { color: var(--cm-blue); }
/* Hero */
.hero {
display: flex;
align-items: center;
justify-content: space-between;
max-width: 1200px;
margin: 0 auto;
padding: 80px 40px;
gap: 60px;
}
.hero-content { flex: 1; max-width: 520px; }
.hero h1 {
font-size: clamp(2.5rem, 5vw, 4rem);
margin-bottom: 1rem;
}
.hero p {
font-size: 1.15rem;
color: var(--cm-text-muted);
margin-bottom: 2rem;
}
.hero-illustration {
flex: 1;
display: flex;
justify-content: center;
}
/* Flat button */
.btn {
display: inline-block;
background: var(--cm-blue);
color: #fff;
border: none;
border-radius: 50px;
padding: 14px 36px;
font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif;
font-weight: 600;
font-size: 1rem;
cursor: pointer;
text-decoration: none;
transition: background 0.2s, transform 0.15s;
}
.btn:hover {
background: var(--cm-purple);
transform: translateY(-1px);
}
/* Feature section */
.features {
background: #ffffff;
padding: 80px 0;
}
.features-grid {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fit, minmax(280px, 1fr));
gap: 40px;
max-width: 1200px;
margin: 0 auto;
padding: 0 40px;
}
.feature {
text-align: center;
padding: 24px;
}
.feature-icon {
width: 72px;
height: 72px;
border-radius: 50%;
margin: 0 auto 20px;
display: flex;
align-items: center;
justify-content: center;
font-size: 2rem;
}
.feature h3 { margin-bottom: 0.5rem; }
.feature p { color: var(--cm-text-muted); font-size: 0.95rem; }
/* CTA section */
.cta {
background: var(--cm-blue);
color: #ffffff;
text-align: center;
padding: 80px 40px;
}
.cta h2 {
font-size: 2.5rem;
margin-bottom: 1rem;
}
.cta p {
font-size: 1.1rem;
opacity: 0.9;
margin-bottom: 2rem;
}
.cta .btn {
background: #ffffff;
color: var(--cm-blue);
}
.cta .btn:hover {
background: var(--cm-yellow);
color: var(--cm-text);
}
@media (max-width: 768px) {
.hero {
flex-direction: column-reverse;
text-align: center;
padding: 40px 20px;
}
nav { padding: 16px 20px; }
nav ul { gap: 16px; }
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<nav>
<a href="#" class="logo">Acme Co</a>
<ul>
<li><a href="#">Product</a></li>
<li><a href="#">Features</a></li>
<li><a href="#">Pricing</a></li>
<li><a href="#">About</a></li>
</ul>
</nav>
<section class="hero">
<div class="hero-content">
<h1>Build something people love</h1>
<p>Our platform helps teams collaborate, ship faster, and delight their users with less effort and more joy.</p>
<a href="#" class="btn">Get Started Free</a>
</div>
<div class="hero-illustration">
<!-- Replace with Corporate Memphis SVG illustration -->
<svg width="400" height="320" viewBox="0 0 400 320" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
<!-- Background blob -->
<ellipse cx="200" cy="170" rx="180" ry="140" fill="#C8B4FF" opacity="0.2"/>
<!-- Figure body -->
<rect x="160" y="100" width="80" height="100" rx="20" fill="#86CCCA"/>
<!-- Head -->
<circle cx="200" cy="80" r="28" fill="#86CCCA"/>
<!-- Hair -->
<path d="M175 68 Q200 40 225 68" fill="#7B61FF"/>
<!-- Left arm -->
<path d="M160 120 Q100 90 80 140" stroke="#86CCCA" stroke-width="16" stroke-linecap="round" fill="none"/>
<!-- Right arm -->
<path d="M240 120 Q300 90 320 140" stroke="#86CCCA" stroke-width="16" stroke-linecap="round" fill="none"/>
<!-- Left leg -->
<path d="M180 200 Q170 260 150 290" stroke="#86CCCA" stroke-width="16" stroke-linecap="round" fill="none"/>
<!-- Right leg -->
<path d="M220 200 Q230 260 250 290" stroke="#86CCCA" stroke-width="16" stroke-linecap="round" fill="none"/>
<!-- Clothing -->
<rect x="165" y="130" width="70" height="50" rx="10" fill="#F48196"/>
<!-- Simple face -->
<circle cx="190" cy="78" r="3" fill="#1D1D1F"/>
<circle cx="210" cy="78" r="3" fill="#1D1D1F"/>
<path d="M192 88 Q200 94 208 88" stroke="#1D1D1F" stroke-width="2" fill="none" stroke-linecap="round"/>
<!-- Decorative shapes -->
<circle cx="60" cy="60" r="20" fill="#FAD141" opacity="0.5"/>
<rect x="310" y="200" width="30" height="30" rx="6" fill="#14C88C" opacity="0.4" transform="rotate(15 325 215)"/>
<circle cx="340" cy="80" r="12" fill="#F48196" opacity="0.4"/>
</svg>
</div>
</section>
<section class="features">
<div class="features-grid">
<div class="feature">
<div class="feature-icon" style="background: #C8B4FF30;">
<svg width="36" height="36" viewBox="0 0 36 36"><circle cx="18" cy="18" r="14" fill="#7B61FF"/><rect x="12" y="14" width="12" height="8" rx="2" fill="#fff"/></svg>
</div>
<h3>Easy Collaboration</h3>
<p>Work together in real time with your entire team, no matter where they are.</p>
</div>
<div class="feature">
<div class="feature-icon" style="background: #F4819630;">
<svg width="36" height="36" viewBox="0 0 36 36"><circle cx="18" cy="18" r="14" fill="#F48196"/><polygon points="18,10 22,22 14,22" fill="#fff"/></svg>
</div>
<h3>Ship Faster</h3>
<p>Streamlined workflows and smart automation help you launch in record time.</p>
</div>
<div class="feature">
<div class="feature-icon" style="background: #14C88C30;">
<svg width="36" height="36" viewBox="0 0 36 36"><circle cx="18" cy="18" r="14" fill="#14C88C"/><path d="M12 18 L16 22 L24 14" stroke="#fff" stroke-width="2.5" fill="none" stroke-linecap="round"/></svg>
</div>
<h3>Reliable & Secure</h3>
<p>Enterprise-grade security and 99.9% uptime so you can focus on building.</p>
</div>
</div>
</section>
<section class="cta">
<h2>Ready to get started?</h2>
<p>Join thousands of teams already using our platform.</p>
<a href="#" class="btn">Start Free Trial</a>
</section>
</body>
</html>