The thing that wouldn’t die: why Gothic endures in visual culture, by Nathania Gilson for It’s Nice That, 2025

Gothic has moved from subcultural spaces into mainstream design practice. What’s causing its resurrection? From album covers and film titles to product branding, book illustrations, and more, we dig into how designers are using darkness to confront what culture can’t say directly (Source: It’s Nice That).


I picked this article because I’m intrigued by how it explores the ongoing resurgence of the gothic aesthetic in contemporary design. Explaining how darkness and subcultural symbols are becoming mainstream visual tools. It shows how graphic communication isn’t just about pretty visuals, but also about cultural moods and collective anxieties.

“Gothic is resurging because it gives shape to anxieties that digital life creates but can’t visualise.” Nathania Gilson

https://www.itsnicethat.com/features/gothic-resurrection-the-thing-that-wouldnt-die-graphic-design-illustration-271025