johnsta

I use illustrators Live trace to create abstract images from multiple auto traces of the same image with variation changes to the settings - the final result is interesting, experimental and never looks like an auto traced image.
 
If I do a sketch and auto trace it I use the line envelope and width tools with maybe the roughen filter set set below .9 to add digital noise to the stoke - auto trace is just a starting point.

I use illustrators Live trace to create abstract images from multiple auto traces of the same image with variation changes to the settings - the final result is interesting, experimental and never looks like an auto traced image.
 
If I do a sketch and auto trace it I use the line envelope and width tools with maybe the roughen filter set set below .9 to add digital noise to the stoke - auto trace is just a starting point.

My suggestion would be create an array tool (its the kind of tool you find in a 3D app) with options like radial array, square array, distribution envelopes affecting things like scale, rotation, distance etc.

One of the oldest illustrator (and Freehand) tools and essential for abstraction and logo development I would say.
 
blending along a path - Awesome - I still see little lights go on in the brains of my degree students when I show them that
 
I can see how it would be overlooked in the age of the super smooth gradients which is what the blend tool was there to do but its a lot more than that.
 
Any chance Designer will get more in the way of vector based filtering, roughen/ rumble pucker bloat etc.?