You are missing the point. Words are the backbone of any deliverable content. You said it yourself, in your own words: "...people would rather READ the Economis

You are missing the point. Words are the backbone of any deliverable content. You said it yourself, in your own words: "...people would rather READ the Economist in color than b & w...," which I agree with. And you can sell plenty with just words. I'm not harking on design. I think design is just important as anything else is. What I am saying is that words are like vital to life itself. Just like air, water, and food is.