The Most Popular Tech Products by Generation

Technology is constantly improving. What exactly does that look like, though? Designers pay close attention to how form dictates function, and while our gadgets have gotten smaller over the years, the real triumph is how much more intuitive the interfaces have become for the user. We came up with the 33 best examples of how good designs lead to widely popular products, based on Time magazine’s “100 Greatest Gadgets of All-Time” list.
We morphed each of these gadgets from one to the next to create a mesmerizing animation of over 100 years of innovation. Check it out below!

Take a trip down memory lane and take a moment to think about how how each of these gadgets were used. Notice how a simple design can be revolutionary!

Full Infographic Text Transcription:
The 33 Most Popular Tech Products

• Swiss Army knife model – 1908–1908
• Black & Decker electric power drill – 1917
• Modern-day can opener – 1925
• Bell System rotary phone – 1926
• Home radio – 1927
• Electric razor – 1931
• Zippo lighter – 1933
• Dirt Devil hand vac – 1937
• Black and white TV – 1939
• In-window air conditioner – 1945
• Clock radio – 1946
• American Express credit card – 1950
• RCA color TV – 1954
• Zenith Space Command “Clicker” – 1956
• Velcro – 1958
• Olympus Zuiko Pearlcorder tape recorder – 1969
• Polaroid SX-70 camera – 1972
• MITS Altair 8800 – 1974
• Motorola Pageboy pager – 1974
• Mattel Electronics Football game – 1977
• Motorola DynaTAC 8000x cell phone – 1983
• Sony Discman D-50 – 1984
• The Clapper – 1985
• Modern-day keyboard – 1985
• Nintendo Game Boy – 1989
• Palm Pilot – 1996
• TiVo – 1999
• Apple iPod – 2001
• iRobot Roomba – 2002
• Motorola Razr cell phone – 2004
• Apple iPad – 2010
• Samsung Galaxy S5 – 2014
• Google Glass – 2014