steelcase blog

Mass AND Customization…

… why is that ‘AND’ stuck in the middle of a fairly common business term ‘mass customization’ (coined by Stan Davis in his book Future Perfect)…?  Because it is the key to the concept, and often overlooked.  But that’s not usually the case.  A firm tends to be more ‘mass’ (greater efficiency) or more ‘customization’ (greater individuality),… but a few have optimized for both.  Take for example GNC, the vitamin company.  They package and ship a Vitapak just for you.  More green vegetables, they can do it,… help for allergies, no problem.  And a combination of Vitapaks or specific other pills can be built into a personal profile called ‘my regimen’,… and remind you when it is time to reorder.  What makes it work is that they have developed and produced a number of different vitamin modules,… that can be combined in many different ways to match the demands of any one consumer.  Any company that has componentized the various elements of their offering in a way that reduces cost and waste (mass), and then tailors the final packaging and/or assembly based on a particular customer order only after the order is placed (customization),… earns the ‘mass customization’ badge of honor.

The above has huge implications for experience design.  Customizing a good creates a service opportunity,… customizing a service makes for a compelling experience.  If you get exactly the same good or the same service the previous customer got, where’s the positive impression, where’s the memorable encounter…?!  There is none.  Companies that don’t take the time to engage  each customer to identify what they value, and instead focus on making a good or providing a service at the lowest possible cost,… have actually sown the seeds of the own demise.  Due to their lack of tailoring, what they offer will be based on price alone.  And the next time they buy, the customer will expect to pay less.  It’s a never ending downward spiral to commoditization,… and the opportunity for profits spirals down as well.  Commoditization or customization...?

The Missing Piece…

...or stated otherwise, what isn’t there can often trump what is.  I’m about halfway through a very enlightening book titled In Pursuit of Elegance by Matthew May,… that gives example-after-example of this basic principal.  Try this.  Recall something you have labeled ‘elegant’ in the past,… and see if you can state why…?  I bet you use words like special, endearing, inspirational, unique.  But when pressed, you likely would say it evoked this reaction in good part because of its simplicity.  And it is this trait, simplicity, that has burned it into your memory.  I believe this not only applies to things but to services and especially experiences s well.  How can you remove all the clutter in your offering to make sure the essence of satisfaction remains…?

I think the answer is not in trying to design a solution that includes everything that anyone might want,… but instead, design a solution that removes all things except that which you believe is universally desired by all.  One example that I found fascinating was a description of the work of Hans Monderman, a Dutch traffic engineer.  He theorized, and evidence later proved,… that the removal of traffic signals actually made for a safer intersection.  This is seen in his design of Laweiplein, in the seventeenth-century town of Drachten in northern Holland.  A busy intersection made of red brick and no signals whatsoever.  Instead of focusing on the traffic lights/signs, everyone looked out for each other, which is what most everyone wants anyway - to feel connected to others.

As you work on creating memorable experiences keep in mind the goal, which is to achieve the greatest impact with the least amount of input,… in other words, be extremely thoughtful about what you do include.  The power of the missing piece is strengthened by one’s response to what is there.  It’s counterintuitive but so true,… you engage people’s imaginations by leaving out the right things.  If done well, your design invites them to join you in the experience.  In or out…?