Why Silent Planet's Creators Found Their Muse in 1990s Grit

June 7, 2026 - 04:58

Creative director James Alex Santoro is pushing back against the polished, sterile aesthetic that dominates much of modern design. In a recent deep dive into the studio's philosophy, Santoro explained what "retro-inspired" actually means for Silent Planet, and it has little to do with nostalgia for its own sake.

For Santoro and his team, the 1990s represent a tactile, raw energy that is increasingly rare in today's digital landscape. He points to the era's reliance on physical media, hand-drawn textures, and the visible imperfections of low-resolution technology. "We are not trying to copy the 90s," Santoro said. "We are trying to capture the feeling of making something when you had limited tools and had to be scrappy."

That scrappiness, he argues, forced creators to be more inventive. The grit of VHS tape, the noise of a CRT monitor, the rough edges of zine culture all inform Silent Planet's visual language. Santoro sees this as a direct counter to the "smooth, infinite undo" of modern software, where every pixel can be perfected into blandness.

The team actively seeks out the "happy accidents" that come from analog processes. They scan old paper stock, photograph dirty surfaces, and deliberately introduce chromatic aberration and grain into their digital work. It is not about making things look old, but about making them feel lived-in and human.

Santoro believes the 90s grit provides a sense of grounding. In an era of AI-generated imagery and hyper-slick interfaces, the imperfect, tactile quality of that decade offers something audiences crave: authenticity. It is a reminder that great design does not need to be flawless, just honest.