The glitch aesthetic is a logical reaction against the fact that the flat design aesthetic is now mainstream and pedestrian. Hence we get things like http://glitche.com/ and http://snorpey.github.io/jpg-glitch/.
It also makes sense culturally speaking. There was a steady flow of sci-fi, rocket, and space themed design after Obama got elected in 2008 as the 20- and 30-somethings all unconsciously believed that finally the future was here, and we’d all grow up to be astronauts after all. Realism, skeuomorphism, and organic, earthy designs were no longer cool, and everybody’s gaze lifted back up to the stars. The flat aesthetic delivered that sleek, futuristic feeling.
But of course now everybody has realized that Obama is just another president. And a US President is a US President. We’re not all going to be astronauts. Many of us aren’t even going to be our 2nd or 3rd choice of what we wanted-to-be-when-we-grew-up. Hell, we don’t even have the space shuttle anymore.
We don’t have flying cars and jobs in space. What we have is an endless supply of new digital devices and constant connectivity. The dream of our future seems like it might be broken. There’s a glitch somewhere. We are unconsciously reminded of MTV’s astronaut on the moon holding the flickering, technicolor flag.
So glitch design is avant-garde, and destined to influence us all.
As a disclaimer… this isn’t really about Obama the person. It is about the cultural symbolism of the Presidency in the US, and the power of the campaign messages that surround it. I wish I could leave his name out of it because I’m not making a partisan point, but I honestly think the presentation of Obama as an icon during the run up to 2008 was significantly influential to young people.
See also: the glitched out sounds of dubstep music.
Disclaimer #2: I am not a cultural theorist, and I have no idea what I’m talking about.
Didn’t that thing once attack the Enterprise?
The dubstep popularity ship sailed like two years ago. If you want something more relevant try looking at Trap.
Also: ugh, iOS only
Right. Because nobody’s listening to dubstep anymore 9_9
Of course it’s only iOS. Guess I’ll just go pixel-sort in Processing some more.
The thing is, Rob, I could instantly recognize you in that picture.
It’s the beard, isn’t it?
Sure, why not? 
More like “the magazines have found out printing the word DUBSTEP in giant letters on the cover doesn’t sell as well as it used to”
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