The Big Design History
A century of international creative revolutions
A Century of Creative Revolutions
From the Constructivist revolution to design thinking algorithms, the history of international design reveals humanity’s extraordinary capacity to perpetually reinvent our daily environment. Each movement is born from a vision of the world, a social utopia, a technical innovation that transforms our relationship with objects and spaces.
In every curve of an Eames chair, every line of an iPhone, every pixel of an interface, resonate the dreams of generations of visionary creators. From Bauhaus to Silicon Valley studios, from Japanese minimalism to postmodern exuberance, design forges our collective identity and draws the contours of the future.
“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” — Steve Jobs
From Art Nouveau and the Wiener Werkstätte to De Stijl (1917) and the Bauhaus (1919–1933), the avant-gardes laid the foundations of Modernism: the alliance of arts and industry, standardization, and honesty of materials. The 1925 Exposition launched Art Deco, which spread its geometric lines and rational luxury into the 1930s.
A decade of war and post-war years: constraints, rationing, and reconstruction directed design toward the utilitarian, the economical, and the dismantlable. In the United Kingdom, the Utility Furniture program set sober standards; in the United States, research into molded plywood (Eames splints 1942–45) prepared the way for the iconic chairs of the 1950s. In France, Jean Prouvé developed structures in bent sheet metal, easy to assemble. Streamline Moderne extended its fluid forms into consumer goods.
The triumph of International Modernism and Mid-Century: Eames, Prouvé, Jacobsen, Castiglioni. Plastics, molded plywood, aluminum, and mass production provided rationalized comfort and a clear aesthetic. Design entered everyday life and shaped an accessible art of living.
Postmodern reactions and plurality: Memphis (1981) challenged conventions, High-Tech exposed structures, and Minimalism (Japan/Italy) distilled forms. Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and the first 3D renderings transformed the way objects were conceived and produced.
Digital convergence: hardware-software ecosystems, UX/UI, and services. Additive manufacturing, parametric design, and advanced materials; the rise of circular design and sustainability. Smartphones, and later AI, redefined our habits and the entire design process.
Constructivism
The Russian revolutionary avant-garde
Born in the revolutionary fervor of Russia, Constructivism revolutionizes art and design by advocating for the social function of creation. Vladimir Tatlin, Alexander Rodchenko and El Lissitzky envision an art serving the people and socialist construction.
- Philosophy: Utilitarian art serving society, rejection of art for art’s sake
- Aesthetics: Pure geometry, dynamic asymmetry, industrial materials
- Legacy: Major influence on Bauhaus and modern design
De Stijl
Dutch geometric abstraction
Piet Mondrian, Theo van Doesburg and Gerrit Rietveld establish a radical movement based on pure abstraction. De Stijl revolutionizes art, architecture and design through an aesthetic of straight lines, right angles and primary colors.
- Colors: Primary red, blue, yellow + black, white, gray
- Forms: Straight lines exclusively, right angles, balanced asymmetry
- Furniture: Rietveld’s Red and Blue Chair (1918), architectural furniture
Bauhaus
The German modern revolution
Walter Gropius founds the revolutionary school that reconciles art, craftsmanship and industry. Marcel Breuer, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and their collaborators create the foundations of modern design: functionalism, simplicity, democratic mass production.
- Pedagogy: “Form follows function,” total art-technique learning
- Furniture: Wassily Chair, Barcelona Chair, tubular furniture
- Philosophy: Democratic design, accessible beauty, rationality
Art Déco
Global geometric elegance
The 1925 International Exhibition in Paris establishes a movement of luxury and elegance. Art Déco reconciles modernity and tradition, geometry and ornament, in an aesthetic of prosperity that conquers the entire world.
- Motifs: Stylized geometry, sunbursts, zigzags, fountains
- Materials: Precious metals, lacquers, art marquetry, exotic materials
- Influence: Architecture, furniture, jewelry, fashion, graphic arts
Streamline Moderne
American aerodynamism
Born in the United States, Streamline Moderne translates the American obsession with speed and modernity. Raymond Loewy, Henry Dreyfuss and Norman Bel Geddes revolutionize industrial design with aerodynamic forms inspired by aviation and automobiles.
- Forms: Fluid lines, aerodynamic profiles, rounded angles
- Materials: Stainless steel, chrome, bakelite, new plastics
- Applications: Trains, automobiles, appliances, commercial architecture
Cranbrook Academy
The American laboratory
Eliel Saarinen establishes this revolutionary school in 1932 that trains America’s design elite. Charles and Ray Eames, Eero Saarinen, Florence Knoll revolutionize design approach through experimentation, interdisciplinary collaboration and technical innovation.
- Pedagogy: Learning by doing, artist-industry collaboration, experimental research
- Innovations: Molded plywood, fiberglass, organic furniture
- Figures: Eames, Saarinen, Knoll, Bertoia, Nelson
Mid-Century Modern
The American golden age
Post-war America sees the birth of optimistic and innovative design. Richard Neutra, Joseph Eichler in architecture, George Nelson, Charles Eames in furniture create the aesthetic of American prosperity: clean lines, modern materials, indoor-outdoor integration.
- Architecture: Flat-roof houses, curtain walls, openness to nature
- Furniture: Tapered legs, biomorphic forms, bold colors
- Materials: Teak, fiberglass, aluminum, new plastics
Good Design Movement
Democratic aesthetics
Edgar Kaufmann Jr. at MoMA launches this movement to democratize “good design.” Dieter Rams at Braun, the Castiglioni brothers in Italy define quality design criteria: simplicity, functionality, durability, economic accessibility.
- Criteria: “Less but better” (Rams), pure functionality, simple elegance
- Objects: Braun SK4 radio, Herman Miller furniture, Olivetti appliances
- Impact: Major influence on the 80s, graphic design, fashion
Italian Design
Creative dolce vita
Post-war Italy revolutionizes design through its sensual and poetic approach. Gio Ponti, Achille Castiglioni, Ettore Sottsass create a unique language blending artisanal know-how, technical innovation and Mediterranean hedonism. Milan becomes the world capital of design.
- Brands: Cassina, B&B Italia, Kartell, Artemide, Alessi
- Aesthetics: Sculptural forms, bold colors, noble materials
- Approach: Emotional design, constant research, art craftsmanship
Ulm School
Bauhaus’s heir
Max Bill and Otl Aicher establish this revolutionary school that rethinks design in the industrial era. More scientific than Bauhaus, Ulm develops a rigorous methodology based on cybernetics, semiotics and systematic research. Dieter Rams draws his minimalist approach from it.
- Method: Scientific approach, systemic analysis, design thinking avant la lettre
- Achievements: Lufthansa identity, Braun design, modular furniture
- Legacy: Modern graphic design, UX design, project methodology
Pop Design
The colorful revolution
The sixties explode in colors! Joe Colombo, Verner Panton, the Castiglioni brothers revolutionize design through the use of plastic, psychedelic colors and playful forms. Design becomes pop, democratic and hedonistic, reflecting the spirit of liberation of the 60s.
- Materials: ABS plastic, polyurethane, vinyl, new polymers
- Colors: Orange, shocking pink, lemon yellow, apple green
- Icons: Panton Chair, Ball chair, Arco lamp, inflatable furniture
Radical Design
Italian anti-design
Ettore Sottsass, Gaetano Pesce and the Archizoom, Superstudio groups contest functionalism through conceptual and provocative design. Italian Radical Design questions consumer society and explores new ways of living through experimental and critical creations.
- Philosophy: Critique of consumerism, conceptual design, social experimentation
- Creations: Zanotta’s Sacco, inflatable furniture, utopian architectures
- Impact: Renewal of design thinking, contemporary critical design
High-Tech Design
The technological era
Norman Foster, Renzo Piano in architecture, Mario Bellini, Richard Sapper in industrial design celebrate the beauty of technology. High-Tech reveals structures, values industrial materials and makes technical performance an innovative aesthetic language.
- Materials: Steel, aluminum, glass, composites, industrial finishes
- Principle: Visible structure, celebration of technique, technological minimalism
- Objects: IBM laptop, Artemide lamps, Alias furniture
Postmodernism
Assumed eclecticism
Robert Venturi, Michael Graves, Philippe Starck liberate design from functionalist dictates. Postmodernism celebrates eclecticism, irony, color and storytelling. “Less is a bore” responds to “Less is more”: room for exuberance, emotion and cultural diversity.
- Principle: Stylistic pluralism, distorted historical references, irony
- Aesthetics: Bright colors, hybrid forms, rehabilitated ornament
- Figures: Starck, Graves, Venturi, Gehry, Tschumi
Memphis Group
The postmodern explosion
Ettore Sottsass revolutionizes Milan by founding Memphis: a radical creative laboratory that dynamites all design codes. With Michele De Lucchi, Martine Bedin and George Sowden, Memphis invents an explosive visual language mixing colorful plastic, geometric patterns and pop irony.
- Colors: Saturated primaries, violent contrasts, post-pop patterns
- Forms: Deconstructed geometry, radical asymmetry, learned bricolage
- Impact: Major influence on postmodern design, fashion and 80s pop culture
Minimalism
Less is more global
John Pawson, Tadao Ando, Donald Judd reinvent refinement as a response to postmodern saturation. 90s minimalism draws from Japanese zen, conceptual art and modernist tradition to create an aesthetic of serenity and the essential.
- Principle: Reduction to essentials, purity of lines, creative void
- Materials: Raw concrete, brushed steel, glass, natural wood
- Influence: Contemporary architecture, discreet luxury, digital design
Digital Design
The interface era
Apple, IDEO, Frog Design revolutionize our relationship with objects through interface design. Jonathan Ive, Bill Moggridge, Tim Brown create a new language: UX design, design thinking, interaction design. The screen becomes the new creative territory, usage takes precedence over form.
- New professions: UX/UI design, interaction design, service design
- Methods: Design thinking, rapid prototyping, user testing
- Impact: Transformation of all sectors, digital economy
Resources
Design Fundamentals
History of Design & Decorative Styles
From baroque salons to the radical lines of the 20th century, this chronological timeline highlights the aesthetic revolutions that have marked our daily environment.
Read the article “History of Design & Decorative Styles”
Hart Design Glossary from A to Z
Sabre legs, patina, passementerie, caning… This lexicon gives meaning to the technical and stylistic terms often used in the design world.
Access the Hart Design Glossary
Hart Glossary of Design Icons
This glossary lists all the great names in design and decoration in alphabetical order. Discover the creators who have shaped contemporary living art.
Access the Hart Glossary of Design Icons
Resources
Design Fundamentals
History of Design & Decorative Styles
From baroque salons to the radical lines of the 20th century, this chronological timeline highlights the aesthetic revolutions that have marked our daily environment.
Read the article “History of Design & Decorative Styles”Hart Design Glossary from A to Z
Sabre legs, patina, passementerie, caning… This lexicon gives meaning to the technical and stylistic terms often used in the design world.
Access the Hart Design GlossaryHart Glossary of Design Icons
This glossary lists all the great names in design and decoration in alphabetical order. Discover the creators who have shaped contemporary living art.
Access the Hart Glossary of Design IconsResources
Design Fundamentals
History of Design & Decorative Styles
From baroque salons to the radical lines of the 20th century, this chronological timeline highlights the aesthetic revolutions that have marked our daily environment.
Read the page “History of Design & Decorative Styles”Hart Design Glossary from A to Z
Sabre legs, patina, passementerie, caning… This lexicon gives meaning to the technical and stylistic terms often used in the design world.
Access the Hart Design GlossaryHart Glossary of Design Icons
This glossary lists all the great names in design and decoration in alphabetical order. Discover the creators who have shaped contemporary living art.
Access the Hart Glossary of Design Icons
