Kill the artifact. Focus those resources into regular ability updates.

One of my favorite things about Destiny is the space magic. Unfortunately, it feels like our core ability kits go unchanged for long stretches of time, and when are they updated, the changes are typically underwhelming. The seasonal artifact aims to routinely mix things up, to varying degrees of success, but these changes come and go as our core kits largely remain the same.

Instead of making a new artifact every few months, wouldn't it be better to funnel those resources into making evergreen updates with new (or overhauled) abilities, fragments, or aspects?

I'd argue you could get rid of the artifact altogether and simply have "always on" champion mods for the given season. I think not having to fuss around with an artifact would be preferable for veterans and new players alike. The artifact is especially cumbersome now, with tonics being required to get the full effects of some artifact perks. Frankly, fiddling with stuff like the artifact is what sucks the fun out of the game for me. Get me out of these menus and back to shooting aliens and slinging magic, please. As a live service, Destiny should be a game that's constantly evolving with real meaningful changes—and that includes our characters' abilities.