Rococo emerged in early 18th-century France as a reaction against the heavy grandeur of Baroque. Where Baroque was monumental and dramatic, Rococo was playful and intimate. It flourished in the salons of Paris and the private apartments of Versailles — spaces designed not to intimidate but to delight. Curved lines replaced straight ones. Pastels replaced deep colors. Asymmetry replaced rigid symmetry.
The name itself may derive from "rocaille" — the shell-and-rock work used in garden grottos. Artists like Boucher and Fragonard painted scenes of aristocratic leisure in soft pinks and blues. Furniture makers carved every surface with scrollwork, flowers, and cherubs. The entire aesthetic was an argument that beauty, pleasure, and decorative excess were worthy pursuits in themselves.
On the web, Rococo translates into layered borders, pastel gradients, gold accents, and ornate typography. It is the opposite of every design trend that values efficiency over beauty. A Rococo page loads not to deliver content as quickly as possible, but to create an experience of visual luxury — to make the visitor feel as though they have stepped into a gilded salon where every surface has been considered, adorned, and adorned again.