User Designed 54#
Within user manufacturing, a customer is both the manufacturer and the consumer. As an example, an online platform provides the customer with the necessary support in order to design and merchandise the product, e.g., product design software, manufacturing services, or an online shop to sell the product. Thus, the company only supports the customers in their undertakings and benefits from their creativity. The customer benefits from the potential to realize entrepreneurial ideas without having to provide the required infrastructure. Revenue is then generated as part of the actual sales.
Examples: Iconic Cases
How they do it: The AppStore is open to all independent users and developers, meaning every private or commercial developer can publish its own app to the store. After certification and approval from Apple, all other users can then access the apps.
Learn more about Apple iPhone/AppStore →
How they do it: Using the Lego Digital Designer (LDD) people could design their own 3-D virtual model, and submit it for purchase using the shop-at-home division. Factory was also designed to enable users to view and purchase other users custom creations, you could add or remove bricks from creations at will, and then purchase for yourself. Factory sets arrived in custom packaging that showed a users model and name, and included all of the LEGO elements needed to build the virtual design in physical form.
Learn more about Lego Factory →
How they do it: Frequently, McDonald’s organizes contests where customers are able to design their own burger. This is done via an online tool on the McDonald’s website. In a next step all visitors can vote for their favorite creation, and the most popular creation actually gets produced and sold in the restaurants. This enables them to connect with their customers and test burgers for their restaurants.
Learn more about McDonald's →
How they do it: Pepsi MAX, the low-calorie, sugar-free cola brand, leveraged user generated content to craft a new brand image. The company created a campaign urging customers to share reasons they prefer Pepsi MAX to Coke Zero, asking customers to share pictures on Instagram and other social networks, as well as a mini-site that was specific to the promotion. The best entries were eligible for numerous prizes, including a year’s supply of free Pepsi MAX. Unsurprisingly, the campaign turned out to be very popular.
Learn more about Pepsi →
How they do it: Next to its standard collections Nike started a program called ”Nike ID”. This allows customers to individualize their products such as shoes and shirts. Individualization can include choice of colors or sticking a personal message.
Learn more about Nike →
Below, the top industries for the pattern "User Designed" are displayed, in order to get insights into how this pattern is applied across different industries. We've collected data from 5 firms using this pattern.
Top Industries
12% of firms using pattern
6% of firms using pattern
6% of firms using pattern
All Industries
Below, the pattern "User Designed" is analyzed based on co-occurrence, in order to get insights into how this business model pattern is applied in combination with other patterns within the firms we studied.
Top Co-Occurrences
3 pattern co-occurrences
3 pattern co-occurrences
3 pattern co-occurrences