The document discusses a web application called the Kwyjibos Lab that allows users to design and order their own plush creatures. The goal of the customization process is to inspire users to create meaningful objects they feel personally connected to. It explores how to enable mass customization while maintaining aesthetic concerns and the user experience of comfort, familiarity, playfulness and nostalgia. It also looks at fostering user-generated narratives through ownership of the customized object. While the Kwyjibos Lab achieves the goal of user-generated narratives, there is room to explore deeper connections and the influence of the designer's own aesthetic on the customized creatures.

1. Katherine
Lee
MFADT
Candidate
2010
May
4,
2010

3. In
a
world
where
customization
is
increasingly
used
as
a
weapon
to
combat
lack
of
uniqueness
in
mass-­‐produced
products,
customized
items
themselves
risk
losing
personal
meaning
and
becoming
indistinguishable
from
one
another.

4. The
Kwyjibos
Lab
is
a
web
application
that
allows
users
to
design
and
order
their
own
plush
creatures
(
).
This
project
is
an
exploration
into
how
the
customization
process
can
be
designed
to
inspire
users
to
create
meaningful
objects
they
have
a
personal
connection
with.

5. How
can
I
enable
mass
customization
while
maintaining
the
aesthetic
concerns
of
the
co-­‐
designers
at
each
step?

6. user
experience
[
comfort
+
familiarity
+
playfulness
+
nostalgia
]
ownership
of
customized
object
[
user-­‐generated
narrative
]

9. The
Kwyjibos
Lab
achieves
the
goal
of
fostering
user-­‐generated
narrative,
but
there
is
room
to
explore
more
deeply
The
designer
toy
consumer
depends
on
aesthetic
of
designer/artist
who
creates
it
How
much
does
my
own
aesthetic
factor
into
kwyjibos?

10. Thanks!