“People are reaching for work with a little dirt under its nails. Designers are rediscovering soul,” Spencer continues. “You can feel it — this hunger to make things that breathe, that feel lived in. This isn't about rejecting digital — it's about bringing humanity back into it.”

As images of any kind become easier to generate, the designers who stand out are those who can create a sense of cohesiveness and emotion.

As anything scales too effectively - from fashion to restaurants to music - the market opens for more non-scalable alternatives. Once Starbucks opens on every block, many of us crave the artisanal coffee shop. Once our favorite Italian restaurant becomes a chain of three, we grow tired of it. Why? First, so much of what we buy and do is tied up in... See more