The Prosumer

Expanding on the previous posts that discussed Individualized Status Stories garnered from Custom Mass Manufacturing, this article introduces a new term, the Prosumer:

Coined by futurist author Alvin Toffler in his 1991 book Third Wave, the term prosumer refers to a 22- to 42-year-old consumer activist. Specifically, a prosumer is a consumer who becomes involved in the design and manufacture of products and services so they can be made to individual specification. This term reveals that consumers are no longer a passive market upon which industry can dump consumer goods, but a viable part of the creative process.
Prosumers revel in options, and want to feel they are doing the smart thing. What's smart depends on the context and the individual, but typically means being well informed, knowing what's available and checking out the opinions of others. When it comes to consumption, prosumers regard low prices as smart, unless they're trumped by better value for a higher price, where value includes elements such as customer service, design and brand.

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