70s, 80s and 90s Design Influenced and Fueled by American Culture
What graphic design styles were popular in the USA in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s that define design today?
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Ah, the 70s, 80s and 90s. There is always so much nostalgia with these decades. From the drive-in movies to weekly roller rink nights to MTV music video releases, it was hard to be bored. Technological evolution was rapid, and the economy was revving up after the wars. Graphic design became huge as the internet began to solidify itself.
Types of graphic design
Many would argue back and forth about how many types of graphic design there are. Some say it’s seven (7), and others argue up until 13. Let’s consider Berkeley College’s list of eight (8):
1. Web Design + 2. UI and Interactive Design
Looking back, the original Google was something primitive. Kids nowadays would be in a conundrum for 48 hours if they saw the sci-fi code and layouts that built the first internet websites in the early 90s. But this was the crucial foundation of web design and the interactivity of users with interfaces.
Soon, commercial webpages started appearing in the second half of the decade, and graphic web design started to take off. Logos are everywhere, and catchy designs are being implemented more. Web design let brands be creative in their brand identity and be something interactive on the internet. If you can recall, two notable companies with webpages were Walmart and JCPenney.
As websites developed more, and apps were being created, User Interface (UI) Design became more and more important with marketing. How people were able to interact with a digital platform became crucial, and nowadays, it is a critical component of graphic design. The layouts and ease of use from the customer’s perspective is key in successful designs.
See a comparison of websites from the 90s to today here.
3. Advertising and Marketing Design
In advertising and marketing, it was evident that the more outgoing your brand was in it’s design, the more fun it had to be. Graphically, it was all about standing out either in simplicity or wildness of designs. Inevitably, this translated to entertaining commercials throughout these three decades.
Get ready for a huge wave of nostalgia!
4. Motion Graphics and Animation
This is a relatively new graphic design field focusing on how text and imagery can independently move and coordinate in designs. Today, using 70s design styles is popular, given the swirly loops and patterns that beg for animation and movement.
5. Packaging Design
Big patterns, colors galore, and edgy packaging defined the design of the late 20th century. Figuring out what attracts a customer’s eye and experimenting with bold design choices was key. For example, Barbie would add or remove the Barbie girl picture, but would always keep the iconic pink somewhere in the packaging.
Star Wars stayed consistent with their slanted bold text in this Kellog’s Cheerios cereal box, C3PO edition.
6. Game Design
The Atari was the monumental game program created just at the end of the 1970s to then soar in the 1980s. Legendary games like Pong, Pac Man, and Dig Dug, as well as arcade games like Frogger and Space Invaders were released.
Games were getting rapidly more complex as game technology was innovated. The computers could handle more graphic heavy programs, such as Super Mario, which released many popular games in the 1990s. Thanks to the efforts in revolutionizing the gaming industry, today game design graphics have intense CGI and animation, and players can be physically immersed using virtual reality (VR).
7. Illustration
Drawing is the foundation of graphic design. Translating your artistic vision from your head through your hands to a computer is the full circle process of a graphic designer. In the 1980s, big bold text, bright colors, and the iconic white glow silhouette define so many illustrations. Take the film posters from ‘Weird Science’ for a spin.
8. Publication and Typographic Design
Even as the internet broke out, there wasn’t a sharp decrease in print in these three decades. Graphically, publication and typography was just as important, or even more important at this time, as it had to compete against the internet.
As the decades progressed, the huge bold letters went down, and the graphic art became more important. Books became little paintings and hence more attractive. Print media saw a decrease in cluttering pages with multiple sized fonts and the typefaces were more congruent and legible.
Please comment, share, and respond with any opinions, tips or experience you have.
Thanks for reading, and good luck with creating.
