The Michael Graves/Target partneship began in early 1998 when Target approached Michael Graves to design scaffolding for the millennium restoration of the Washington Monument. It was during that project that Target discovered the firm’s extensive experience with and interest in product design. This inspired Target to suggest a design partnership for its stores that now, ten years later, has been described as the defining moment in “the democratization of design” movement. For the past decade, working with Target, MGDG has brought to market over 1,800 consumer products in nearly every consumer product category in the store with the exception of apparel. For the initial Target lines, dynamic themes were used to create “product families,” an idea that began with Graves’ work for Alessi. The product designs frequently employ a similar look and color and a related design language. Inspirations for the collections come from Graves’ interest in all things cultural: architecture, design, fine art, music, and literature.