Why customize

Customization works well under the assumption that users know best what their goals and needs are. On the other hand, personalization is based on artificial intelligence about a user or a group of users gathered by the system over time.

It can work well if users do not know exactly what they need and must filter through a large information space. Customization imposes higher interaction cost : users must take the time to configure the site in a way that is optimal for them. On the other hand, with personalization, all the work is done by the system.

Designers often have many good ideas for things that can be provided to users, from ideation , feature requests, and other sources. Personalization and customization should enhance an already good experience, rather than try to fix a poor one. They should be used thoughtfully, with a clear purpose. Consider that both customization and personalization require work and maintenance over time.

Personalization requires regular reviews to make sure the right content is going to the right profiles, and customization needs to allow users to make changes as interests or preferences change. Amy Schade works with clients large and small in a variety of industries such as telecommunications, e-commerce, government, travel, automotive, music, publishing, banking, non-profit and education, including extensive work on corporate intranets.

She has conducted worldwide user research, including longitudinal studies, remote studies and eyetracking research, running studies in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia. The latest articles about interface usability, website design, and UX research from the Nielsen Norman Group.

Subscribe to the weekly newsletter to get notified about future articles. Watch Personalization versus Customization , 2 minute video with Lexie Kane :. Bricks and mortar retail businesses are beginning to offer the same experience, where shoppers can buy products customised especially for them.

Here are some more reasons why product personalisation is taking over. This indicates a shift in consumer mentality away from monetary cost, and towards inherent value. This means that while their personalised product is being created, customers have more time to browse and possibly even generate more sales.

Before it was possible to quickly create custom products, businesses would stockpile products in bulk from a third-party manufacturer.

That they might not sell was a risk that they just had to take. If you have a desktop UV LED printer , you can print very short runs of personalised items without the steep overheads of outsourcing the work. Picture the scene: a town has two clothes stores, both of which sell t-shirts. In the first, you can choose a design from a catalogue of different images and patterns, all beautifully designed by talented graphic designers.

Given the choice, most people will choose to shop at store 2 and get their dream t-shirt, safe in the knowledge that nobody else has the same one. With a little ingenuity, you can customise the same items you already sell, simply by adding a special little touch. For example, if you sell leather handbags, you could use a UV LED printer to print directly onto the leather , or you could use a desktop impact engraver to personalise stitch-on metal plates.

The site offers the ability to add a graphic of choice on the side, and edit anything from the engine type to the color and graphics used. Source: Formula Boats. Of course, there is an upcharge for changing different elements, but the consumer can still customize and buy the exact product they want, creating the changes through the site's online portal. Millennials make up a huge portion of the buying public, and with them coming of age recently, they will be consumers of goods and services for many years to come.

About 55 percent of millennials indicate they like personalized experiences, especially those associated with a good cause.

Imagine if you could tap into the huge market of baby boomers. Just picture how many sales that would equal and how your business would grow. Did you know the millennial generation is even larger than the baby boomers? Those aged 18 to 34 in made up If the manufacturer starts selling online, the retailers they work with may feel they are being undercut and grow angry.

Big-box retailers may even stop carrying the product, which can hurt your bottom line. Source: Nike. Their products were already in retailers all over the world, but they wanted to break into the online retail market. Their solution was to offer the ability to buy custom shoes with their site.

As the prices of 3D printers, laser etchers, and other tools that once cost tens of thousands of dollars continue to drop, more and more customization options will be available to consumers. By offering customized options now, you are doing market research that will allow you to easily reach your target demographic when other competitors finally jump on board.

This step will put you ahead of the competition.