# How symbols and brands shape our humanity

- Institution: TED
- Department: TEDWomen 2019
- Speaker: Debbie Millman
- Year: 2019
- Level: For everyone
- Language: English
- Subjects: Business and management, Society and politics, History, Art, architecture and design
- Source: [TED](https://www.ted.com/talks/debbie_millman_how_symbols_and_brands_shape_our_humanity)
- Licence: [CC BY-NC-ND 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) (Non-commercial use only, and no changed versions.)
- Who can watch: Teens profiles and older (sources give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the source's own words)

"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.

## Lectures

1. [How symbols and brands shape our humanity](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/ted/debbie_millman_how_symbols_and_brands_shape_our_humanity/5e9965658c01), 14 min (TED's player)