Inverse design in nanophotonics has become a key area of research, offering new ways to design photonic structures with complex functionalities. This review outlines recent developments in inverse design, highlighting its applications in nonlinear, topological, near-field, and integrated optics. Traditional nanophotonic design relied on intuition-based approaches, where device features were optimized by tuning a small set of parameters. However, as nanophotonics expands to include broadband, multi-frequency, and nonlinear applications, this approach becomes increasingly complex. Inverse design, which uses computational methods to optimize device parameters, offers a more systematic and efficient way to achieve desired performance. Inverse design methods, such as level-set and topology optimization, allow for the exploration of a vast design space, enabling the creation of structures with complex geometries and functionalities. These methods have been applied to a wide range of photonic devices, including resonators, waveguides, and metasurfaces, leading to significant improvements in performance. For example, inverse design has been used to enhance nonlinear interactions, improve light confinement, and achieve high-quality factor structures. Additionally, inverse design has been applied to create exceptional points in photonic systems, which can lead to enhanced optical properties such as directional transport and enhanced sensor detection. The review also discusses the challenges and limitations of inverse design, including the computational cost of high-fidelity simulations and the need for fabrication-compatible designs. Despite these challenges, inverse design has shown great promise in enabling the development of new photonic devices with improved performance and functionality. The integration of inverse design with other emerging technologies, such as transformation optics and metasurfaces, is expected to further expand the capabilities of nanophotonics. Overall, inverse design is a powerful tool that is reshaping the landscape of nanophotonics, enabling the creation of complex photonic structures with unprecedented performance.Inverse design in nanophotonics has become a key area of research, offering new ways to design photonic structures with complex functionalities. This review outlines recent developments in inverse design, highlighting its applications in nonlinear, topological, near-field, and integrated optics. Traditional nanophotonic design relied on intuition-based approaches, where device features were optimized by tuning a small set of parameters. However, as nanophotonics expands to include broadband, multi-frequency, and nonlinear applications, this approach becomes increasingly complex. Inverse design, which uses computational methods to optimize device parameters, offers a more systematic and efficient way to achieve desired performance. Inverse design methods, such as level-set and topology optimization, allow for the exploration of a vast design space, enabling the creation of structures with complex geometries and functionalities. These methods have been applied to a wide range of photonic devices, including resonators, waveguides, and metasurfaces, leading to significant improvements in performance. For example, inverse design has been used to enhance nonlinear interactions, improve light confinement, and achieve high-quality factor structures. Additionally, inverse design has been applied to create exceptional points in photonic systems, which can lead to enhanced optical properties such as directional transport and enhanced sensor detection. The review also discusses the challenges and limitations of inverse design, including the computational cost of high-fidelity simulations and the need for fabrication-compatible designs. Despite these challenges, inverse design has shown great promise in enabling the development of new photonic devices with improved performance and functionality. The integration of inverse design with other emerging technologies, such as transformation optics and metasurfaces, is expected to further expand the capabilities of nanophotonics. Overall, inverse design is a powerful tool that is reshaping the landscape of nanophotonics, enabling the creation of complex photonic structures with unprecedented performance.