Having an online gift shop put a photo of your family dog on a mug, or making some Teambuilding Exercise shirts for your work’s ‘Fun Run & Jenga Night’ isn’t exactly new, but the world of customizing products and services for the individual is growing – and becoming more specific.
Manufacturing for the many has always focused on mass production of items that are standardized and look the same. The processes are designed to be efficient, to scale, and attempt to make the best use of the supply chain. But many brands are tapping into the zeitgeist of wanting originality and individuality with our purchases. With many people buying a large proportion of their goods online these days, it’s easier for small and artisanal businesses to meet these needs.
Read below about how products from makeup to pharmaceuticals to furniture are satisfying our personal tastes and inner designer.
Skincare& Makeup
The marketplace for cleansers, toners, serums, moisturizers, and all the formulas, colours, textures, and finishes for makeup products is gigantic. The aim is supposedly to meet the specific skincare needs and fashion styles of consumers, but with the lax guidelines of the FDA, many of these products use similar chemicals and only have unique labels slapped on them. And when it comes to makeup, you’re stuck with what shades are currently trendy that season.
For those interested in knowing more about what’s going into their products, or at least getting to select from a list of choices for those formulations, customizable skincare brands are available. Tailor your cleanser or moisturizer to meet your needs, like enlarged pores, dry skin, and acne.
Similarly, with makeup, you can get that perfect shade for your cover-up, eye shadow, or lipstick, which for some, can be frustrating to fine. Simply search for “custom makeup brands” to discover a wide array.
Pharmaceuticals
Prescription medications come in standard doses and formulas that your doctor can attempt to match you with. However, you might be stuck with a dosage that isn’t quite right and that has too many side effects. Pharmaceutical compounding seeks to mitigate this by customizing medications with the right dose, and that come in a variety of formats (pill, liquid, or topical), or flavours to make them more palatable. That last benefit is great for kids and pets who are difficult to medicate. For those taking multiple pills, it’s possible to combine treatments, too.
You can stop by your local pharmacy for professional advice about compounding options. Note that not all pharmacies offer this service, however.
Clothing
Tailoring clothes isn’t exactly new, but that’s altering a pre-existing article of clothing. Slapping a homemade design on a t-shirt is a little closer. Small batch creators and seamsters on sites like Etsy and other niche clothing brands are starting to offer customized clothing that let you choose the style, cut, fit, colour, pattern, texture, and more for your fashions. Closely related, some brands will do relatively small runs of certain designs that only a few hundred people spread out over the nation can sport.
Art
Online printing shops allow you to upload your digital art or photography, and have it printed with professional quality onto a variety of mediums like canvas, acrylic, and metal. You can create beautiful personal pieces like family portraits, stunning landscapes, black and white photography, or digital paintings.
Furniture
Custom furniture has been available for awhile, and woodworkers have long been designing and crafting unique pieces for buyers. But there are some companies adding a bit of a twist. Recycling and repurposing materials for new products, called upcycling, is popular these days to support sustainable living. Scrap wood and drift wood, old doors, tires, plastic bottles, discarded furniture, metal goods, and sustainable materials like bamboo and cork are just some of the trends popping up. You can choose which materials you want and for which design.
Image Credits: Customized Products from hayaletsek/Shutterstock
