Digital Design, technology and the Internet have been around for decades, and their evolution has significantly impacted how visuals are created today. We will explore the history, discussing its key moments and defining the characteristics that have made it so influential.

The origins of digital design date back to the 1960s, when computers began to be used to create images. Alan Kay, an American computer scientist, was one of the pioneers of this type of design. Allan developed the first user-friendly graphical user interface for computers and created the “Smalltalk” computer language. This language allowed users to create graphic designs that could be manipulated on the computer. This significant breakthrough allowed visual elements to be made without the need to understand complex computer programming languages.

The 80s.

The 1980s saw the introduction of the Apple Macintosh computer, revolutionizing graphic design by enabling designers to use software capable of quickly creating a professional-looking digital design. This new technology, combined with the growing demand for creative content such as logos, advertisements and packaging designs, led to a boom in the graphic design industry. Designers experimented with new techniques, such as incorporating typography and manipulating colours and digital typefaces on a large scale.

Similarly, the introduction of desktop publishing software allowed designers to achieve professional results that were previously done manually and in a limited way. The software allowed the manipulation of typefaces and added special effects, such as shadows, retouching and colour gradients that had not been seen before. This revolutionized the way graphic design was done and greatly influenced the industry’s growth.

The late 1980s saw the advent of vector graphics, allowing designers to manipulate and resize artwork easily. This ushered in a new era of vector-based design, which could be used to create logos, icons and other graphics, revolutionizing how visual elements were created and allowing designers to create professional images with greater precision and creativity.