The topic of design has generated a lot of buzz lately--so much, in fact, that some suggest that the renewed interest in all things creative is a passing fad. Not exactly. If we let history be our guide, we'll see that there's a cycle at work here, and in my view we are presently half way through it. Let's call it the Design Cycle. Case in point: JC Penney. Not many people remember that not so long ago, a design job at this now undistinguished department store was a coveted position for a designer. JC Penney had its own design staff and was promoting design. Sure, it was '70s design, but design none the less. JC Penney was today's Target.

There's no doubt that we are in a tough economy, but while the current recession may be more severe than some earlier ones it, too, is part of a cycle. Since 1854 there have been 33 periods of economic contraction and expansion. That's 33 tough economies of various duration, and there are sure to be more. The same is true of the current interest in design. Design cycles in a robust way, with what appears to be about a 20-year sweet spot. JC Penney's rise and fall in the design world really boils down to survival of the fittest in the marketplace.

Let's take a look at design's boom-and-bust cycle:

• Late 1920s to mid-1940s:
  In the late '20s early '30s, with the move to an industrial age from an agricultural age, design rose to prominence with celebrated architects and designers such as Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright, and the formation of the Bauhaus. Then the Depression hit and design stayed in a slump until the end of World War II.

• 1960s to 1970s:
  The mid-century to the early seventies brought another revival of interest. Herman Miller embraced Charles Eames, Braun was the era's Apple-equivalent, and JC Penney was the retail world's Target. Then, things such as finance and distribution became more important. Enter Wal-Mart, exit design.
• Late 1990s to today:
  Fast forward to the late '90s, with a new surge of interest in design, and here we are now, 10 years in. It is great to be able to name all kinds of wonderful design successes of the last ten years: the Kindle, Pom Wonderful, and the Mini, among them...and anticipate those of the next ten. Brands and companies that really want to get on board should invest now because 2018 just isn't that far away.

A quick peek under the kimono of the companies where design has always been great offers an additional perspective. At Bang & Olufsen and Sony, design not only defines the brand, but is built into the fabric of a company as a core business strategy. These firms are organizations with long term staying power when it comes to creativity and innovation, and design will always be a critical element to their success and longevity.

As the next ten years play out, the next new thing will surely appear. My money's on social networking and Internet retailing diminishing the relevance of design for some. When it comes to investing in design, whether you're in it for either the short or long term, now is the moment, because I think I see the top of the hill.

Read more of Mark Dziersk's Design Finds You blog

Mark Dziersk is the VP Design at Brandimage-Desgrippes & Laga, one of the world's largest design and branding firms. At brandimage, Dziersk has worked on projects for clients ranging from Dove to Banana Republic to a pop-up store for Henri Bendel. Dziersk joined brandimage in 2007, after 13 years at the Chicago product design firm Herbst Lazar Bell, where he and his teams won dozens of awards for products as diverse as the Motorola NFL Coaches' Headset, to the first-ever single use camera for Kodak. Dziersk, himself, holds over 100 patents.

Dziersk gives back to his larger professional community as well, having served on the board of the Industrial Designers Society of America and as president of the Society in 1998. He also acted as executive editor of IDSA's premier publication, Innovation, introducing new design elements and recruiting authors from outside the design field. Mark's course, "Essentials of Industrial Design," in Northwestern University’s Master of Product Development program, helps left-brained types get comfy with their inner tattooed design side.

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