Someone designs everything that is not made by nature.

It sounds obvious. Of course, everything is designed by someone. Someone had to have the idea for the item. Someone had to create the object. Someone had to make it. But when you think about it, the sheer impact of the statement hits. Everything, I mean EVERYTHING, was once a design concept in someone’s head. Toothpicks. Toilet paper. Cotton balls. EVERYTHING.

The most exciting thing about design is how it evolves throughout time. The colors, the shapes, the lines, and the patterns. The print quality. These elements can give insight into the period the design was created. For example, the 1920s introduced art deco, which included the heavy use of geometric shapes, sleek/stylized forms, and curved ornamental elements. The 1960s experimented with asymmetrical styles, ultra-bright colors, and fluid patterns. I can go on and on.

A great way to see the changes in design elements throughout history is to look at how brand logos have changed throughout their existence. For example, Pepsi-Cola’s logo has gone from a stylized typing of its name in 1898 to the straightforward, modern design they employ today. This trend of logos going from very detailed and stylized to modern and simple is seen across many long-established brands such as IBM and Walmart.

It is also interesting to note that some logos have barely changed. But, as Chip Kidd notes in his book, A Kid’s Guide to Graphic Design, the Coco-Cola logo has not changed much since 1900.

Even brands that have not been around for that long have made multiple changes to their logos. Instagram has changed its logo four times since its launch in 2010. The same also goes for Twitter and Snapchat. Even TikTok has changed its logo twice, even though the app only launched in 2016. Design is constantly evolving, and designers are with it.