Can Social Media change production models too?
There is no doubt that all we read and discuss in class is helping us understand how much we are changing the way we communicate as a society. But last year, as I was researching UGC (user generated content) I starting to observe that some physical goods manufacturers are adopting a form of user-generated content/social media. They allow consumers to create their own goods for them to purchase and also, they give them the option to sell them in a virtual marketplace. All these manufacturers do is provide the platform for this to happen.
So instead of having factories produce mass articles determined by a few producers, as it’s been since the industrial revolution, could factories become on-demand production houses based on the individual designs of their customers? Can social media change the way we produce goods? Can you imagine producing & designing your own car
Trendwatching.com calls this trend MIY “make it yourself”, where users can design their own furniture, jewelry, and other goods, while the business serves as the production center, converting the digital information to actual products. An interesting example of this is Ponoko.com , an online factory in New Zealand, where you can design your own furniture among other goods. This one goes beyond the standard t-shirt and mug design shops like cafepress.com
posted by Adri
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading ...
Subscribe to Comments
Follow us on Twitter
Get email updates
4 Comments, Comment or Ping
Rebekah Peterson
Wow, interesting site. In the “How to make” section of the Pokono site they note that their customers may be familiar with design software, but not necessarily with crafting tools. I like how they recognize potential customer limitations (woodworking skills and tools) and meet this need while still letting the customer be the designer and creator.
It reminds me of the Flickr story we read in Shirky. Flickr didn’t hire photographers to capture specific events, just like Ponoko doesn’t have a team of designers. They both just provide the tools (software or hardware) and the user provides the content or design.
Providing a platform for users may be one of the answers to the question – Where is all of this (social media) headed and what does it mean for business?
Apr 14th, 2008
Ivan Sydorenko
This is a really interesting situation.
Looks like the demand for MIY goods is growing. That means the smaller smart business will find the cheaper ways to produce custom articles and more and more customers would be willing to buy these. As of right now, the production costs of custom build on-demand articles is still really high comparing with the mass-produced goods.
Thus, in a future, it could create a necessity to transform the model of running business.
Apr 15th, 2008
Sarah Funk
I really like this idea.
Lately, I have been really worried about the future of individuality. If we all continue to shop at IKEA and move into those gentrified condos scaling East Lake – will we be able to stop mass homogenization?
Perhaps I am being a little paranoid, but I feel a sense of relief that social media tools enable us to nurture creativity and promote innovation.
Apr 15th, 2008
southcb
It’s an interesting trend that, I believe, has legs. Heinze lets you create your own label. Xbox 360 invites you to design your own game. Nike iD allows customers to create the perfect, personalized shoe.
If corporations can make it cost effective, the trend may find a foothold in our Reduce, Reuse and Recycle world. We live in a society that produces too much “stuff” stuff that many times goes unused (or barely used). The world is a finite environment. Customized products, priced to reflect the real cost of creating them, may be part of the solution.
Customized items will undoubtedly cost more making them difficult, on an economical level, to throw out; and, they are personalized and reflect who we are, which makes them more difficult emotionally to replace.
Apr 15th, 2008
Reply to “Can Social Media change production models too?”