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Yes, I not only know this, we have both worked off and on in graphic design (which used to be called commercial art) and illustration.We come from the era of lightboards, drafting and Lucys and have learned some computer graphic techniques.

One of my Internet hobbies is to surf the trend/design sites. There is interesting work that only exists on paper, as a thesis, usually, but never made it to production.

I do not agree that the design in the marketplace is of any higher quality than it was in the 70s-80s. One of the trends I find mildly amusing is that of wood cases for iPods/cell phones/computers. Quite retro, but not what I would term innovative.

Clothing, at the moment, is quite late Sixties/early Seventies, with the inclusion of some *shock* items in the lines, like male short-shorts. Jewelry seems to range from Industrial to bead stringing, with the perennial high price point stone/gold/platinum still prevalent....but none of it evinces any higher degree of craftsmanship or any innovative technique. I like the work of Jeff Wise (lots of odd-shaped precious/semi-precious stones in high karat gold...very challenging bezel work), but he is of our era and is a mature craftsman.

I do not find most consumer items particularly well designed, although some interesting approaches are evident in high-end kitchen appliances and bathroom fixtures. Packaging is primarily about security, visibility and pallet stacking, IMO, and there is way too much of it per item. There are some clever labels, but today, with computer graphics, they are fairly simple to produce and the emphasis is, from my experience, on having to fit in all the legally required information, sometimes in multiple languages, than on arresting graphics. For example, it is difficult for freelance American graphic artists to ever land work for a product that will be sold in the EU, as their labeling requirements are just a horror show of mandated information/size/language. And then there are the UPC and RFID elements the designer must incorporate. Not creative work.

I disagree that marketing is design. Marketing is a plan and a process. Merchandising is what I believe you mean, which is the presentation of product at the point of sale, be it wholesale to the trade or final retail destination.

My observations are just that, even with all the high-end graphics/art/design courses being offered and the studio crafts majors that were unheard of until the mid-late Eighties, the improvement/innovation/technical considerations of art, craft and commercial design has not been improved markedly, if at all. Where there is excellent design or innovation, IMO, too much “value” has been added to the price, considering the actual worth of the final product. As an example, the popular vessel sinks, which range from several hundred to a thousand dollars and for which a vintage or antique stoneware bread bowl or a porcelain bowl from an old washing set for $25-$125 at an antique store with a drain hole cut in by a competent plumber for under $50 and a drain assembly for relatively little cost can not only substitute, but give a room a very unique appeal. What I see, as a craftsperson, is a lot of corner cutting in materials and technique. I have seen items that are designed to leave out a few fractions of cent worth of washers or which have substituted inferior plastics for composites or photo textured contact paper for veneer in order to reduce the cost, but not the price. Look at the prevalence of bamboo in flooring and furniture and the hype about how *renewable* it is. It is attractive, but it is not a hardwood and overtime, the surface degrades and stains. It is *cheaper*; it is not even comparable to the other materials available.

Art school, per se, is only the beginning. Only so many graduates are going to work for Kohler or Siemens or other large manufacturers. Given the prevalence of graphic design courses, I wonder just how many of the graduates ever find employment in their field and how many are successful as entrepreneurs.I know younger (40s) designers who are not working full time, even if they did get a single commission from a large manufacturer or public space right out of the Chicago Art Institute. Designers/artists/craftsmen are now a drug on a buyers market.

Then, there is a whole other discussion about "familiarity breeds contempt". I think that we are all so innundated with mediocre design and so overexposed to marketing and so bombarded with ads that we have become a bit numb. I call this the "more of the same" syndrome. Lots of retro and fusion and very little innovation or real value added. It adds up, again, IMO, to a consumer base that is quite blase and a market situation that is not advantageous to any designer who is really a passionate talent.