Made It Myself
Want a cool new shirt, pair of shoes or bag -- but don't want the same thing that everyone else is carrying? You can design the version you want on a number of different websites that let each customer choose options to make the finished product unique.
In business parlance, this is called "mass customization," and it's a growing trend. Any company that has an assembly process has the option of allowing customers to have it their way. Printed circuit board makers and software companies have always offered a degree of customization to their customers, but it took some imagination and the growth of the social web to have everyone -- apparel makers, granola companies and chocolate manufacturers -- diving into the game.
What makes a good design-it-yourself site? It should be fast, easy and fun to design the piece; the company should respond quickly when you notify them of glitches in the system; the price can be higher, but not too much higher than standard, pre-made goods; and you should be able to return the custom product if you don't like it.
The Made It Myself list:
- {{{2}}} (visit) Design your own Converse shoes in canvas or leather, choosing from different colors, linings, laces and even grommet and sole-edge treatments.
- Crumpler or Timbuktu?
- {{{2}}} (visit) You can't add bacon crumbles. But that's about all you can't add to a chocolate bar on this site. Design your own fair-trade chocolate bar, choosing from a huge range of normal (almonds, peanuts, ground coffee bits, blueberries) and abnormal (curried cashews, dried flowers, gummy bears) additions. More than 10 billion possible combinations, according to the site's boast.
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