Merchandise

Bored with the products I've see in stores lately. 

Thoughts today:  It just so happens I've been looking at products in other places that are essentially one-color or 4-color low-res stuff and wondering how the manufacturers can expect consumers to purchase things not much better than they can make themselves on an inkjet printer. 

I want to see more things printed on durable acid-free stock and in rich spot inks and metallics that don't fall apart or dissolve when wet. I want to see, when appropriate, foil stamping. I love the delicacy of laser-cut papers on special keepsakes. Even if it is a novelty gift product, why would anyone pay for something they could do themselves? But good design & typesetting (with proper punctuation), printed well, on quality materials seems worth the investment even in small things. 

IMHO: Flyers, gift wrap, and direct-mail advertising are very ephemeral things that usually end up immediately in the trash and are perfectly fine to print cheaply as possible. The manufacturers of those make their money entirely on distribution and advertisements but anything lasting more than a week should be given more care. I look a card shops and craft stores and see too much bad design or one-color pieces that do not look special and have no recognizable style to them. I guess, as a consumer and as a designer, I want to see better options for those who want to buy something to save as a keepsake or something better than they could make themselves.