How CAD And Computing Changed Modern Design
- thefelttipfaerie
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
From cartoons to cars, the computer has had an undeniable impact on the visual design industry since the invention of CAD (Computer-Aided Design). Computers not only shape design, but also inspire designers and artists. One feeds the other.
TL;DR
Computers and CAD completely changed modern design. From cars and architecture to graphic art and AI-generated images, the tools designers use directly influence how things look and are created. Technological limitations and the desire to "look futuristic" pushed designers towards sharp, geometric designs. Now AI tools again now shaping design in new ways. Technology does not just help designers work faster, it actively changes the outcome of design itself.
First Noticeable Computers (And CAD) Changing Design
CAD was first developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s for the aerospace industry. The automotive industry, specifically Renault, was among the early adopters of CAD.
By the mid 1980s, almost all cars were designed using CAD. Place a car designed in the 1950s side by side with one from the late 1970s, and it is easy to note the influence of computer technology and CAD software on car design.
But It Wasn’t Just CAD That Influenced Design!
There are always multiple influences on design trends; manufacturing technologies, current events and even politics. However, if you look at other contemporary products, art and architecture, you see that computer technology in general had an undeniable influence on design.
In the 1980s and 1990s, computers and technology inspired designers. Sharp corners and angular lines were used to give products a “futuristic” and “luxury” feel.
There are two reasons computers influenced design:
The desire to make things look “computer-generated”
Technological limitations of CAD and computers at the time
A Design Thought Experiment
Take two identical people, in an identical environment. Both are given the task of designing a building. The first is given spaghetti and marshmallows and the second, cardboard and tape. It is almost certain that these two people would arrive at a different solution to the problem. For this reason, I argue that using a computer in place of an analogue tool will influence the outcome of a design.
This sentiment is reflected by Canadian philosopher Marshall McLuhan, who argued that the medium influences society more than the content created.
Technological Limitations
Additionally, there were (and still are) limitations as to how geometry could be created and manipulated on a computer. In the early days of CAD, screens were limited; they had low-resolution and monotone colours. Additionally, computers had extremely limited memory and processing power. As such, complex geometry took a long time to calculate, and the task of using a computer as part of the design process was slow and cumbersome, which had an inevitable impact on design.
Modern Influence of AI/Generative Artwork On Design
In recent years, a similar pattern has emerged within AI-generated art and graphics.
Generative models allow anyone to create artwork at a rapid pace, with limited training or prior skill. However, this is resulting in a large quantity of increasingly generic artwork, in a limited and somewhat predictable range of styles. This is, in part, due to the technological limitations of generative AI; it tries to predict the next most probable outcome.
Should We Push Back Against Computing And Its Influence On Our Lives?
Fear of new technology and its impact on learning and development is nothing new. However, computers are impacting every aspect of our lives. They increase access to data and analysis, and expand creative possibilities in ways that were not previously possible, causing many people to ask:
“How can we fight against computers' impact on design?”
To that I ask, “Should we fight?”.
The Future Of Technology And Its Impact On Design
Whilst AI has not been fully realised as a tool for product or industrial design, I believe its impact on how our world is designed is inevitable. How AI training and the subsequent algorithms for generating art evolve will ultimately influence how our world looks. I, for one, am excited to see how I can be part of this.
Can you think of any examples of how AI has impacted design?
Was it for better or worse?
Let me know!
Further Reading
Bézier, P.E. (1971) A discussion on computer aids in mechanical engineering design and manufacture. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series A, Mathematical and Physical Sciences, 321(1545), pp. 207–218. Available at: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/rspa/article-abstract/321/1545/207/13264 (Accessed: 28 January 2026).
Greenaway, J. (2023) Fundamentals for self-taught programmers. Birmingham: Packt Publishing.
McLuhan, M., 1964. Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Nonkin, L.J. (1988) ‘Driving style: Built for comfort—the “baby benz” / The ultimate care accessories’, Vogue, 178, pp. 238–240. Available at: https://www.proquest.com/magazines/driving-style-built-comfort-baby-benz-ultimate/docview/879281559 (Accessed: 28 January 2026).
Picano, H. (2024) Generating creative images with DALL-E 3: Create accurate images with effective prompting for real-world applications. 1st edn. Birmingham: Packt Publishing. Available at: https://learning.oreilly.com/library/view/generating-creative-images/9781835087718/B21185_08.xhtml (Accessed: 28 January 2026).
Ramos, M.J. (1999) On the embedment of classical models of dichotomy in modern anthropology: the case of literacy studies. Trabalhos de Antropologia e Etnologia, 39(3–4), pp. 61–80. Available at: https://ojs.letras.up.pt/index.php/tae/article/view/9702/8899 (Accessed: 20 February 2026).
Radzuan, F.S., Kamarudin, N., Khambari, M.N.M. and Arsad, N.M. (2021) Impact of scientific calculators in mathematics among low-achieving students in a secondary school in Kajang, Selangor. Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 29(S1), pp. 199–214. Available at: http://www.pertanika.upm.edu.my/resources/files/Pertanika%20PAPERS/JSSH%20Vol.%2029%20(S1)%202021/11%20JSSH(S)-1497-2021.pdf (Accessed: 20 February 2026).
Sachs, J. (2024) Between research and responsibility: the invention of dynamite. Substantia, 8(2), pp. 33–43. doi:10.36253/Substantia-2536.
Singh, G. (2011) ‘The IBM PC: The Silicon Story’, Computer, 44(8), pp. 40–45. Available at: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/5936049 (Accessed: 28 January 2026).
Wolf, S. (2010) Meaning in life and why it matters. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Worden, S. (1994) ‘Designing the future: The computer transformation of reality’, Journal of Design History, 7(4), pp. 308–310. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1316073 (Accessed: 28 January 2026).
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