In design, as in life, the past often serves as raw material for the present. Over the last century, designers have reckoned with sea changes to their crafts as technologies advanced exponentially; social and political shifts brought about revolutions, wars, and changes in thinking; and humans came to understand ever more clearly our impact on the planet. Styles and motifs have responded in kind, evolving as popular tastes shifted, but also as designers aimed to make a lasting mark on the wider culture.
At a moment when reconciling our past is more important than ever, we revisit five of the most influential eras in global design. Although by no means an exhaustive list, the following movements can teach us volumes about design today. History is never as cut and dried as textbooks and timelines would have us believe, but understanding where we’ve been is perhaps the surest path toward designing a better, brighter future.
