I came across this collection of Coke bottles this Tuesday, and I can't seem to stop thinking about them. Their transformation speaks volumes about the technology, and even the culture, of each era. From the first bottle, my personal favorite, with cork stopper and extra thick glass walls, to the modern sculpted one with a metal bottle cap and screen printed label. They all tell a story about the age they served. An aside, I was a bit baffled to find that green glass was only used in one generation of the bottles -- my favorite color happens to be coke bottle green, and I was shocked to see that it's not really the prevalent color for the brand, from a historical standpoint.
As a designer, this image gets me thinking about the legacy we leave behind when we create things. I think about how my creations correspond with what came before them, and perhaps how they don't; how they make something new, or how they just tweak what was already there and take it a step closer to perfection; or how they lay the footwork for the next designer to be inspired and say something new, or how it allows them to just say the same thing with a more modern voice. When I look through these bottles I have a very changed perspective about the scope of what designers do. I think that’s why I keep coming back to this image day after day.
Image source: ubersuper.com
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