I was born in 1995 right as the birth of the millennial generation was coming to end and Gen Z was about to rise. I saw first hand as the internet and online culture became ubiquitous and mainstream. I know meme culture existed in the early days of the internet, but for me, it was the classic white text format of the early 2010s that truly introduced me to digital humor. I remember vividly my first “success kid” and “bad luck brian” memes. Looking back it’s easy to physically cringe at the simplistic humour that would have us in stitches the “Dad Jokes” that constituted peak internet humour at the time. 

Just as we thought internet humour had reached its apex, in the depths of reddit forums a new internet language was emerging, the “GIF”. Social media comments and tumblr forums were now flooded with clips of Michael Jackson eating popcorn or Orson Welles delivering a slow sarcastic clap. Things were evolving and a new way to communicate emotions and thoughts without words was born.

The Golden Era of the GIF

GIFs can be traced all the way back to 1987. It was a product of technical limitations. The “Graphics Interchange Format” was created  by Steve Wilhite at CompuServe. In an era where every byte mattered, the GIF format was a way to display colorful images when dial up modem speeds struggled to hit 2,400 bytes per second. It allowed images to be compressed without losing their quality. I am sure if you asked Steve back in 1987 he would not have predicted just what the GIF would become. 

As mentioned the GIF was gaining significant traction on Reddit back in 2007, but it was 2013s launch of Giphy often referred to as the “Google of GIFs” that launched them into the mainstream. Tumblr was the first platform where GIFs became currency. By 2015, Facebook Messenger had GIF search and by  2016, so did Twitter. Almost every top comment of social media posts were “Crying Michael Jordan” or “Barack Obama’s Mic drop”, GIFs were the language of a generation. 

The Death of the GIF

The 2020 pandemic initially saw a 33% increase in GIF use. A sign that maybe the GIF was immune from the swift cyclical nature of internet trends. However it was this very spike that was the nail in the coffin for the GIF. The increase was from those of the “boomer” generation. Parents and grandparents were discovering the wonders of GIFs for the first time. You might remember your family WhatsApp group suddenly being inundated with Gifs from your Mom or uncle. 

The unfortunate reality is once your parents are using it it’s just not cool. It is a tale as old as time and something I myself am starting to experience as I approach 30 and the zeitgeist of internet slang and humour starts passing me.

The court of Gen Z and Gen Alpha had spoken, GIFs were for aging millennials and boomers. TikTok videos were now the way to express yourself online.     

Rising Like a Phoenix in Design 

Yet just as GIFs were being dismissed as equivalent to your dad’s Facebook posts, they were quietly experiencing an unexpected renaissance in an entirely different realm. Professional designers were rediscovering the format’s original strengths—not as a way to express humour online, but as sophisticated tools for brand communication and user experience.

In 2025, Portfolio Animations are becoming the go to for website design, bringing static works to life with subtle, seamless motion effects, using animation to enhance storytelling in project case studies and create entertaining, interactive experiences.

The Modern GIF Aesthetic

Today’s professional GIFs bear little resemblance to their 2010s predecessors. Gone are the pixelated reaction clips and crude loops—replaced by minimalist designs with purposeful animation, brand-consistent color palettes and typography, seamless loops that feel natural and unforced, and optimised file sizes for instant loading across devices. The key principle remains: strategic placement rather than overwhelming decoration.

Technical Evolution and Tools

Adobe After Effects handles complex animations, while Photoshop manages simple loops and optimisations. AI-powered generators now automate content creation, and the format’s original advantages—lossless compression and transparency support—make GIFs ideal for overlaying on other design elements.

Strategic Applications in 2025

In brand communication, GIFs offer dynamic ways to engage audiences concisely—a hiking gear website might feature a GIF of a climber scaling a peak as users scroll. For portfolios, professional designers use subtle animations to showcase their work in visually captivating ways that static images simply cannot match.

The Eternal Loop

It seems the humble GIF is going nowhere due to its strength, its fundamental simplicity: it moves, it loops, it captures the eye. In our modern landscape where attention spans are short and competition across the Internet and  multimedia platforms is fierce, grabbing and keeping eyeballs has never been more difficult. Sometimes the oldest solution is still the best one. In my humble opinion the GIF is not a design trend, it’s only getting started.