Aesthetic monoculture and the ‘sameness’ of modern design

I wasn’t aware that Adobe had podcasts. In this episode, they discuss how modern design leads to “sameness.”

I listened to the episode (there is a player on the site, no download required), and this isn’t something that originated in modern design. I feel like since the earliest days of art, people have copied success, often to the point where it becomes a trend… and later a dead trend… and later still, a revival. I feel like sameness can define an era.

Interesting subject. It’s not always the designer’s fault - a client will have seen something and say “I want something like that”.

But yes, if something is successful it will be copied, leading to a trend which after some time has passed, is seen as ‘old fashioned’ and shunned.
It will subsequently be revered as ‘classic’ and you have a revival. Looking back on this process, the design aesthetic will be seen to have ‘defined the era’.