Blur as a design style uses Gaussian blur, frosted glass effects, and depth-of-field treatments to create atmosphere and layered depth. These sites often employ backdrop-filter to produce translucent panels that float above blurred backgrounds, lending a polished, modern feel.
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Blur works best to establish depth hierarchy — a frosted glass panel over a background image, or a blurred backdrop behind a modal. It draws attention to foreground content while keeping the underlying context partially visible, creating a sense of spatial layering.
Yes, backdrop-filter and heavy blur() values can tax the GPU, particularly on mobile devices and older browsers. Using will-change hints, limiting the blur area, and testing on real hardware helps ensure the effect remains smooth.
