As I was reading through this week's assignments and lectures, one thing stood out to me that still resonates in today's culture: the transition from cheaply made products to fine, high quality, hand crafted products. At the end of the Victorian Period, transitioning into the early part of the Modernist movement, there was a high focus on quality products.
I feel that not too long ago, our markets were flooded with cheap products; products that were designed, and assembled in mass, and designed to serve one purpose quickly, without the possibility of longevity or repeated this. This drove the cost of products down, as well as the quality and reliability.
However, there seems to have been a evolution of products and quality. Apple computers seems (again) to be a strong example of this. Their products shun the notion of quick and cheap, and focus on quality and design, even if it drives prices up. Consumers seem not to worry about price, however, as Apple's products continue to be at the top of their respective markets. Consumer focus is no longer on cheap and expendable; it's now on quality and design.
Today, Apple released their newest product: the iPad Air. Hours after the announcement, Apple's stock prices dropped by 2%. Whereas many analysts expected their stock to climb, consumers decided otherwise. Perhaps Apple has set the of design and quality so high, that even their own products can no longer meet. Quality is now a premium that is in high demand.
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