"We have invented nothing."
Some argue that prehistoric cave paintings, dating back to around 40,000 BC, are the earliest forms of design.
It's easy to debate that these were acts of art, not design. While the intent to express may be true for some, others were illustrations intended for communication.
These ancient visuals demonstrate a basic grasp of:
Visual symbolism, such as images depicting humans and animals, which were used to convey meaning through basic forms.
Storytelling, such as figures of humans hunting animals with spears, which holds instructional value.
Intentional longevity through the choice of using long-lasting pigments and stone surfaces.
The next closest thing to Neanderthal illustrations that humans have made was in 1977 with Voyager. The Golden Records were meant to outlive their creators, filled with diagrams and sounds representing Earth and human culture to communicate that we are here, just as our ancestors did.
And after that, the next closest thing may be everything else we do. There's no evidence that Picasso visited a cave like Lascaux or Altamira and famously declared, "we have invented nothing." But fiction doesn't need to subtract meaning from an interesting point.
Core principles of visual communication have remained since humans figured out how to make a durable mark.
