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What would a mass customization future look like?
The end user, or purchaser of goods, would be included at the inception phase of an object. A consumer’s specific personal demands will instigate production. The designer would listen to the wants, needs and desires of the consumer and then articulate the design to the manufacturer. The designer’s skills add value to the concept and leads to realization. A manufacturer adds value by processing raw materials into finished goods. Raw goods can remain in a state of flexibility and are only processed on demand, reducing waste and redundant overhead costs.
The ability to exchange large quantities of information efficiently and quickly through technology allows these processes to take place and reduce the traditional barriers of entry into the marketplace. Additionally, Bruce Sterling and Scott Klinker have envisioned a future where technology can tracks objects called “spimes” from birth to recycling to re-birth, or cradle-to-cradle, production. View this video online.
