With
mass customization,
creation takes many forms,
manufacturing is for everyone,
sellers have new platforms,
and
buyers are also creators.
1:
traditional manufacturers
physically get a product made, including coordinating suppliers
an individual or company can complete the design of a product internally, possibly with ideas from an open innovation platform (ex. ideaconnection) or, designs might be sourced from
creator marketplaces, places where creators can go to bid on projects and offer their talents (ex. 99designs)
traditional brick and mortar,
pop-up store, 3rd party distributor, and direct b2b are still options for custom sales, but online stores with
when design is finalized, the product moves to one of three main types of manufacturing
2:
creator-made is when the
designer physically makes the product or sources production locally in his/her community, or abroad (ex. alibaba)
suppliers provide materials / parts to specification (ex. local shops)
community curated.
accomplished via voting on ideas or designs, (ex. quirky, threadless) or via crowdfunding of projects (ex. kickstarter).
custom product specifiers are the most popular
it is important to note, some companies now offer custom api generators which are services that build and embed
custom product specifiers
alternatively, technology now allows designs to be
these are places where creators submit ideas to a larger community for validation before production
both traditional and new options exist for selling custom products
3:
manufacturing coordinators
coordinate the entire process with local suppliers and fabricators to maximize efficiency (ex. ponoko, cloudfab, custommade)
lines are blurred between creator and consumer with mass-customization, and buyers are enabled with:
custom product specifiers these web configurators allow for personalization or small-scale customization of a product (ex. NikeID)
physical scanning and
body molding is on the near horizon (ex. Kinect)
on a company’s website
for individual and small creators, several seller marketplaces exist for creators to sell direct to end users (ex. etsy, quirky). of course, buyers search for custom products or someone to help create them on the previously mentioned creator and seller marketplaces
fabricators use 3D
printing, laser cutting, CNC routing, etc. to make parts to specificiation
This concept map is Š 2011 Carissa L. Carter Profile: about.me/carissacarter Project flow: snowflyzone.com
A landscape of
mass customization:
creation platforms,
manufacturing services,
selling-buying-(creating) tools and methods.
individual or company
Traditional Manufacturers
Traditional Methods
Open Innovation
Creator-made
Custom Product Specifiers Web Configurators
Brightidea spigit OpenIDEO 12inno P&G Connect innovation.ed.gov GE brightidea ideaConnection
Creator Marketplaces CustomMade 99designs Shapeways CollabFinder Brandstack themeforest crowdspring appbackr Cofundos
Community Curated Validation-Voting quirky threadless Pepsi Refresh Social Designer Minted
Validation-Crowdfunding Kickstarter 33needs appbackr Cofundos peerbackers MicroVentures Pozible profounder RocketHub PubSlush Press Indie GoGo
self-coordination of suppliers/fabricators
Manufacturing Coordinators Ponoko CustomMade Shapeways Cloudfab
Suppliers
local shops Artaic custom mosaics fabric on demand Spoonflower Alibaba
Fabricators
local shops MakerBot i.materialise eMachineShop Shapeways fluid-forms Cloudfab Alibaba
Home Inmod Bedding Cedreo interactive roomsbyyou
Footwear Vans NikeiD Puma Mongolian Shoe BBQ selve Clothing Louis Vuitton IamMyDesigner Neighborhoodies Blank Label mens dress shirts indi custom - jeans ThreadTradition Food m&m Candy Cube Isotonix neutroceuiticals chocri custom chocolate bars CocaCola - physical machines Tesco
API generators Cloudfab Ponoko Archetype
Seller Marketplaces Shapeways i.materialize etsy quirky Zazzle
Other LEGO DesignByMe GelaSkins MyKleenexTissue SJC Custom Drums tinyprints stationary Pageflakes iGoogle Pandora Radio Apple Dell fluid-forms Zazzle Volkswagon SouthPak TOMS eyewear
Physical Scanning / Molding Kinect Music Fuze custom earphones Ultimate Ears ear monitors