Design for customization

Design for Customization investigates the transition from standardized industrial production to a new design paradigm centered on flexible customization, enabled by emerging digital technologies. Moving beyond the traditional interpretation of customization as a marketing strategy or an extension of mass production, the book positions it as a fundamental transformation in the way products are conceived, designed, and manufactured. The volume first examines the historical evolution from Fordist production models to mass customization, highlighting the cultural, technological, and economic factors that have reshaped consumer expectations toward individuality, participation, and meaningful product experiences. It then explores three key enabling technologies—Additive Manufacturing, Computational Design, and Generative Artificial Intelligence—not simply as production tools, but as new design epistemologies capable of generating adaptive, parametric, and highly flexible design systems. Building upon this theoretical framework, the book presents application scenarios across furniture, consumer products, automotive, and, most extensively, the yacht industry. Through experimental research, it demonstrates how the integration of computational design, large-scale additive manufacturing, composite technologies, and generative AI can overcome the limitations of conventional mold-based production, enabling unprecedented levels of customization while reducing material consumption, production costs, and component weight. Finally, the book discusses the broader implications of this technological transformation, examining the evolving role of designers, the new competencies required by digital workflows, and the changing relationships between production, value creation, and user participation. By framing customization as a systemic design approach rather than a manufacturing option, Design for Customization offers a comprehensive framework for understanding how digital technologies are redefining contemporary design practice and shaping the future of industrial production.