At the moment, two key markets related to industrial design have emerged in the world: the market of design items and the market of industrial design services. It should be noted that at the moment a new market is also actively forming in this area - the market of design patents.
The market of various design objects - industrial products with unique technical and aesthetic properties in almost any sphere of human activity (from packaging to premium goods). Here, an important point is the segmentation of this market by the level of consumer income (the econom, mass, mastige, premium and ultra-premium segments are distinguished). At the same time, the main consumer of design items in different price categories is the middle class.
Here, an interesting point is that today the market for design items has begun to compete successfully with the market for contemporary art, as a result of which experts have even become a separate hybrid market direction - Art & Design. So, interior items or furniture from a famous designer today can cost more than paintings by famous artists and can be considered as a way of alternative investments. However, these are mainly items issued in limited editions, within private collections or of historical value.