I think the reality is simply that we don't design things that some people strongly like anymore, We design out the things that some people don't like.
The end result is that everything is unobjectionable which results in a sense of it just been bland.
The web has likely accelerated a lot of that because everyone takes design cues from everyone else so you end up at a point of smeared averageness.
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The tyranny of "meh".
I think the reality is simply that we don't design things that some people strongly like anymore, We design out the things that some people don't like.
The end result is that everything is unobjectionable which results in a sense of it just been bland.
The web has likely accelerated a lot of that because everyone takes design cues from everyone else so you end up at a point of smeared averageness.