22 Reasons Why Design Was More Awesome In The ’80s

They may have been way more advanced back then. Disclaimer: if you don’t love unicorns and rainbows, you might be inclined to disagree. posted on July 9, 2012 at 10:42am EDT

Peggy Wang BuzzFeed Staff posted about 10 months ago

I know, right? Now tell your friends!

22 Reasons Why Design Was More Awesome In ...

Peggy Wang

1. They put the “computer” in computer graphics.

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Source: palmandlaser.tumblr.com

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Source: 80s-touch.tumblr.com

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Source: palmandlaser.tumblr.com

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Source: 80s-touch.tumblr.com

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Source: 80s-touch.tumblr.com

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Source: 80s-touch.tumblr.com

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Source: palmandlaser.tumblr.com

2. They really knew how to portray the human body in fantastical ways.

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Source: palmandlaser.tumblr.com

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Source: palmandlaser.tumblr.com

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Source: Tumblr.com

3. “Sprinkle Explosion” was an actual motif.

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Source: palmandlaser.tumblr.com

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Source: palmandlaser.tumblr.com

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Source: 80s-touch.tumblr.com

4. The logo design was cooler.

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Source: palmandlaser.tumblr.com

5. They knew how to combine the randomest shit in the awesomest of ways.

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Source:

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Source: palmandlaser.tumblr.com

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Source: 50watts.com

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Source: 80s-touch.tumblr.com

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Source: vhscrystalsecrets.tumblr.com

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Source: 80s-touch.tumblr.com

6. The girls were hot.

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Source: palmandlaser.tumblr.com

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Source: 80s-touch.tumblr.com

7. The cars were really bad-ass.

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Source: palmandlaser.tumblr.com

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Source: 80s-touch.tumblr.com

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Source: collect.tumblr.com

8. Sean Penn.

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Source: palmandlaser.tumblr.com

9. Music was a totally psychadelic experience.

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Source: 80s-touch.tumblr.com

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Source:

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Source: 80s-touch.tumblr.com

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Source: 80s-touch.tumblr.com

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Source: 80s-touch.tumblr.com

10. The ads were awesome.

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Source: shaneharrison.com

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11. The sweaters were better back then.

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Source: collect.tumblr.com

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Source: 80s-touch.tumblr.com

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12. The stickers were better.

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Source: collect.tumblr.com

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Source: passionforthepast.tumblr.com

13. They had a disturbing, dystopian view of the future.

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Source: 50watts.com

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Source: 80s-touch.tumblr.com

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Source:

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Source: 80s-touch.tumblr.com

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Source: 80s-touch.tumblr.com

14. The magazine covers were amazing.

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Source:

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Source: Tumblr.com

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15. These patterned shirts.

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16. Televisions seemed like a portal into the future.

22 Reasons Why Design Was More Awesome In The '80s

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Source: 80s-touch.tumblr.com

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Source: 80s-touch.tumblr.com

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Source: 80s-touch.tumblr.com

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Source: palmandlaser.tumblr.com

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Source: palmandlaser.tumblr.com

17. They had better movie posters.

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Source: 80s-touch.tumblr.com

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Source: 80s-touch.tumblr.com

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18. The album covers were better.

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Source: 80s-touch.tumblr.com

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19. They really understood the complexity of the human brain.

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Source: 80s-touch.tumblr.com

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Source: palmandlaser.tumblr.com

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Source: 80s-touch.tumblr.com

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Source: theyank.tumblr.com

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Source: 80s-touch.tumblr.com

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Source: theyank.tumblr.com

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Source: 80s-touch.tumblr.com

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20. They were experts on surrealism.

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What does this mean??

Source: 80s-touch.tumblr.com

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Source: theyank.tumblr.com

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Source: theyank.tumblr.com

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Source: theyank.tumblr.com

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What?

Source: 80s-touch.tumblr.com

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Source: 80s-touch.tumblr.com

21. This furniture.

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Memphis Designs.

Source: thebplot.files.wordpress.com

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Source: 3.bp.blogspot.com

22. They incorporated a lot of rainbows.

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Source: eightiesart.tumblr.com

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Source: 80s-touch.tumblr.com

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Source: 80s-touch.tumblr.com

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Source: 80s-touch.tumblr.com

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bananarama 22 Reasons Why Design Was More Awesom... about a month ago ×
RogueAi a month ago

Those ones that are retro-futuristic designs would make great techno album art.
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prairiehunter thinks 22 Reasons Why Design Was More Awesom... is about 9 months ago ×
wuwuwut 9 months ago

Best article on this whole website! I love this cheesy 80’s stuff.
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nicolea18 thinks 22 Reasons Why Design Was More Awesom... is Win about 10 months ago ×
Smfu McCann 10 months ago

Having lived thru the ’80s as a 20-something, and being involved in publishing, I can tell you that almost all of the artwork you show above would’ve been considered cheesy back then by anyone with good taste. You can find plenty of untalented examples today too, although the software tools now are so much better and can make almost anyone look better (if not actually good).
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Delia 10 months ago

Everything looks like it was done in color pencil. And WTF is wrong with the dog in #9? His eyes look like grapes!
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UNIVERSAL CORPORATION INC. 10 months ago

I saw the armour in the first furniture pic in a museum a couple days ago. Henceforth, Peggy Wang is right about everything.
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therblig 10 months ago

i made a lot of neighborhood association meeting flyers in the 80’s using sprinkle explosion and the like, but with photocopiers not computers. ooh, i should totally post that in the “Like a Man” thread.
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benjaminc5 10 months ago

it’s the last decade where hand drawn illustration counted for something in advertising culture.
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MARSHALL FOX 10 months ago

The Ate-ies got him.
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Happysquid 10 months ago

Basically, everything was so awesome you were trapped in a world of virtual reality TV awesomeness.
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Doubleplus 10 months ago

I wanted those sheets so very painfully. I never got them.
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occ 10 months ago

I prefer Adam Scott’s graphic adventures to Scott Adam’s.
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Dorsey Shaw 10 months ago

Just this.
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thebeff 10 months ago

ISITDOOMS.TUMBLR.COM
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Traci H. 10 months ago

The first picture on number 13 accurately predicted the Internet today.
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Bill C. 10 months ago

Damn! I had those sheets pictured in Item 3. Everybody did. They were the product of an Italian design team called the Memphis Group, led by Ettore Sottsass. Memphis ruled the early 80s, as you’ve shown in this great collection of pictures.
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Mrfrunzi 10 months ago

I played the shit out of this game!
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eventi 10 months ago

#17 THE DICKIES!!!!!
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tonym12 10 months ago

@#4, I like my pizza the way I like my heroin: intravenously!
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Mike Imantado 10 months ago

so basically every designer were high
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1. They put the “computer” in computer graphics.

2. They really knew how to portray the human body in fantastical ways.

3. “Sprinkle Explosion” was an actual motif.

4. The logo design was cooler.

5. They knew how to combine the randomest shit in the awesomest of ways.

6. The girls were hot.

7. The cars were really bad-ass.

8. Sean Penn.

9. Music was a totally psychadelic experience.

10. The ads were awesome.

11. The sweaters were better back then.

12. The stickers were better.

13. They had a disturbing, dystopian view of the future.

14. The magazine covers were amazing.

15. These patterned shirts.

16. Televisions seemed like a portal into the future.

17. They had better movie posters.

18. The album covers were better.

19. They really understood the complexity of the human brain.

20. They were experts on surrealism.

21. This furniture.

22. They incorporated a lot of rainbows.

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