Debbie Millman: How symbols and brands shape our humanity | TED

“Branding is the profound manifestation of the human spirit,“ says designer and podcaster Debbie Millman. In a historical odyssey that she illustrated herself, Millman traces the evolution of branding, from cave paintings to flags to beer labels and beyond. She explores the power of symbols to unite people, beginning with prehistoric communities who used them to represent beliefs and identify affiliations to modern companies that adopt logos and trademarks to market their products -- and explains how branding reflects the state of humanity. Debbie hosts the TED Audio Collective podcast Design Matters with Debbie Millman--one of the world’s very first podcasts about how incredibly creative people design the arc of their lives. Listen to Design Matters with Debbie Millman wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe to the TED Audio Collective: Visit to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized Talk recommendations and