4 ms·

Advanced manufacturing and digital design technologies the very least will increase the range of styles that are economical to implement.

by fsloth 4y ago

brookst 4y ago
Mass customization has been just around the corner for my entire life. And I’m old. I don’t think it’s a production problem. I think the sad reality is that most people don’t want the burden of choice that customization brings. So it will always be niche, and therefore higher cost.
- m463 4y ago
  I think mass customization is present and has been evolving your entire life. Maybe it's half shoe sizes, or barefoot running shoe alternatives, or shoes in a rainbow of color choices. Or custom PC builds. Maybe customization will be the end-run around the "if you want a mansion, you can only get a mcmansion like everyone else" on your street.
  - bombcar 4y ago
    You can get a non-mcmansion today if you want - but you often have to be building on your own land, and not buying a building in a development, etc. And there are additional costs associated with it, but it's not INSANELY more expensive. You go from cookie-cutter to custom design, you're adding an architect at a minimum, probably 20%-50% more expensive (of course, you can go infinitely expensive if you want). Most people don't 'build' - even when they buy new they're buying pre-built, with maybe some decisions on color/appliances, etc.
  - brookst 4y ago
    The term has some meaning in manufacturing -- it's usually taken to mean mass produced, but with each unit customizable for each user's order. Just having more SKUs for color/size isn't really the same thing, though that's also valuable. And of course there are places that will make exactly the shoe you want, using your choices of colors/fabric, all in a manufactured way. But it has not caught on as many expected.
- fsloth 4y ago
  I don’t think customization is the right way to think about this. I was thinking about structures such as facades for multi-storey multitenant buildings. I don’t think consumers will want to 3d print their porches. On the other hand, if economical, architects would love probably to use leas standard shapes even in non-luxury projects.

Advanced manufacturing and digital design technologies the very least will increase the range of styles that are economical to implement.

by fsloth 4y ago

Advanced manufacturing and digital design technologies the very least will increase the range of styles that are economical to implement.

brookst 4y ago

Mass customization has been just around the corner for my entire life. And I’m old. I don’t think it’s a production problem. I think the sad reality is that most people don’t want the burden of choice that customization brings. So it will always be niche, and therefore higher cost.

m463 4y ago
I think mass customization is present and has been evolving your entire life. Maybe it's half shoe sizes, or barefoot running shoe alternatives, or shoes in a rainbow of color choices. Or custom PC builds. Maybe customization will be the end-run around the "if you want a mansion, you can only get a mcmansion like everyone else" on your street.
- bombcar 4y ago
  You can get a non-mcmansion today if you want - but you often have to be building on your own land, and not buying a building in a development, etc. And there are additional costs associated with it, but it's not INSANELY more expensive. You go from cookie-cutter to custom design, you're adding an architect at a minimum, probably 20%-50% more expensive (of course, you can go infinitely expensive if you want). Most people don't 'build' - even when they buy new they're buying pre-built, with maybe some decisions on color/appliances, etc.
- brookst 4y ago
  The term has some meaning in manufacturing -- it's usually taken to mean mass produced, but with each unit customizable for each user's order. Just having more SKUs for color/size isn't really the same thing, though that's also valuable. And of course there are places that will make exactly the shoe you want, using your choices of colors/fabric, all in a manufactured way. But it has not caught on as many expected.
fsloth 4y ago
I don’t think customization is the right way to think about this. I was thinking about structures such as facades for multi-storey multitenant buildings. I don’t think consumers will want to 3d print their porches. On the other hand, if economical, architects would love probably to use leas standard shapes even in non-luxury projects.