I'm talking about architecture, package designs (i.e. tea or soap cases), cars, advertisements, book covers, etc. Are there economic reasons or is it just a change in aesthetics or preference for more minimalism/functionality or other reasons?
I'm aware that taste is subjective, but I think it's a fair point to say that there was generally more love for detail and "beauty" in older designs. Maybe these two pictures will get my point across: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c4/Tea_box_Ocean_Queen.jpg/220px-Tea_box_Ocean_Queen.jpg vs. http://allahabad.cheershopping.com/productimage/large/21047lipton-green-tea-bag.png
PS: I tried this on AskReddit, but the feedback wasn't overwhelming. Couldn't find anything on this subject by way of Google either. I tried my best to abide by the rules of this subreddit - if there's anything wrong with it, let me know and I'll edit my post.
This is definitely an issue of tastes simply changing over time. Aesthetic preferences vary depending on the world and the particular time and place. That's the reason that if you look at a picture from the 70s it may look dated now; our preferences have simply changed. In the 19th century, romanticism brought preferences for more ornate/delicate decorations. Now we are very into modernism/post-modernism and prefer simplistic designs and clean lines much of the time. There's really no major historical reason behind this, but "why do our aesthetic preferences change as a society" is rather a good question for a philosopher who focuses on art.
