Historically, design has accompanied sociocultural, political, and technological transformations. Graphic design, in particular, has emerged from humanity’s inherent need for visual communication. Its origins can be traced back to the invention of writing and the earliest pictograms, through the development of alphabetic systems — notably the Latin alphabet, which has played a pivotal role in typographic design — to the intricate ornamentation of illuminated manuscripts in the Middle Ages. A major turning point occurred in the 15th century with Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press, which enabled the mass reproduction of texts and facilitated the broader dissemination of knowledge.

In the centuries that followed, the Industrial Revolution propelled the expansion of graphic production and heightened the demand for effective visual communication in advertising and consumer culture. Aesthetic and functional approaches to design were significantly reshaped by movements such as Arts and Crafts and Modernism. The onset of the digital era further revolutionised the field, as emerging technologies and new media radically altered design practices. The introduction of computers and graphic software liberated the discipline from traditional methods, enabling more agile and dynamic processes in image manipulation and layout creation.

World Design Day, established in 1996 by the International Council of Design, celebrates the importance, relevance, and responsibility of designers as critical and active agents in the cultural construction of society. This day offers an opportunity to reflect on the impact that visual communication and design — as both a discipline and a practice — have as a tool that influences and drives social, political, economic, and sociocultural change.

In the present day, with rapid technological advancements and the growing prevalence of digital platforms, design extends far beyond its aesthetic dimension. It plays an increasingly crucial role in devising solutions that promote inclusion, accessibility, and sustainability. Designers today carry the ethical responsibility to ensure that their work is usable and meaningful to all individuals, regardless of physical, cognitive, or social limitations.

The convergence of technological innovation and social responsibility thus positions design at the core of constructing a more accessible, equitable, and ethical future. In doing so, it reaffirms the discipline’s enduring potential to shape a digital world that is both inclusive and just.