FWIW,

I'm working with a fitter right now who 'prescribed' the shortest and shallowest bars on the market for me...based solely on my measurements etc. while in each of the three main positions. I mention this because the current "trend" might well be the industry taking a closer look at proper bike fit across the board and adapting options to fill a need. Not everyone may belong on a short and shallow bar, but it's good to have the bases covered for those who require it in order to fully utilize and properly fit their bikes.

Another thing to consider. If you design shallow bars without shortening them also, you might end up with clearance problems between the top curve (between the tops and hoods) and your wrists when riding out of the saddle in the drops. There are lots of shapes out there though, and maybe going for a cyclocross handlebar with a little bit of flare to address that problem ( http://salsacycles.com/components/cowbell_3 ). Salsa has lots of other shapes of bars as well, and you may find what you're looking for on their site.

-Jeremy