Makers

Why wait for someone else to create what you need when you can make it yourself? The Maker Movement is reinventing how we think about production.

1. The rise of the Maker Movement

The Maker Movement is empowering individuals to create and share their own products, just as they did in the DIY culture of earlier decades. However, this time, it's driven by computers and digital tools. Makers utilize digital design files and technologies like 3D printers to manufacture items themselves. The shift represents a growing independence from big corporations.

The author shares a personal story: when his daughters needed dollhouse furniture, the traditional market didn’t have what they wanted. Using an online design repository, the author downloaded files for furniture patterns, custom-sized them, and printed them using a 3D printer. This act of making furniture on demand captures the spirit of the Maker Movement.

This movement thrives on the culture of sharing, born from open-source software and online communities. Similar to how programmers have collaborated on open-source projects, Makers share their product designs for others to use and improve. This enables the creation of items that meet specific demands, from doll furniture to unique LEGO accessories.

Examples

• Using digital tools to create custom-designed doll furniture.
• Online communities where Makers share and refine design files.
• The rise of businesses like BrickArms, creating specialized LEGO weapons.

2. Affordable technology increases accessibility

Technology becomes both cheaper and more advanced over time, opening up new opportunities for individuals and businesses. This trend, known as Moore’s Law, has consistently driven innovation in many fields, including manufacturing. As the costs drop, more people can experiment with technologies that were once exclusively for professionals.

For instance, early desktop laser printers were novel and costly. Apple’s first LaserWriter in 1985 was groundbreaking, but far from affordable. Fast forward 30 years, and high-quality printers are household items. Similarly, 3D printing is now at its infancy in terms of widespread affordability but will soon become as commonplace as today’s printers.

However, just like early desktop publishing required getting familiar with fonts and layouts, digital manufacturing demands learning new skills. People need to understand formats like G-code or 3D modeling. Tools like 3D printers may seem intimidating and niche today, but they are on the brink of becoming universal.

Examples

• Apple’s LaserWriter revolutionized printing despite its cost.
• Today’s $100 laser printers show how quickly technology becomes accessible.
• 3D printing provides affordable ways to experiment at home or in workshops.

3. Crowdfunding is transforming product innovation

Crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter bridge the gap between ideas and execution. These platforms make it easier for start-ups and inventors to raise money without relying on large investors or banks. Instead of traditional loans, they use platforms to secure "presales" – funds from customers who pay upfront for early access to products.

This method generates not only funding but also builds a supportive community. When people back a crowdfunding project, they’re not just contributors; they’re advocates. These early adopters help projects go viral. For example, Pebble, a smartwatch start-up, raised $100,000 in just two hours via Kickstarter and $10 million within three weeks.

Crowdfunding also minimizes financial risks by serving as a form of market research. If a project fails to gain enough backers, it’s a sign to revisit the idea before spending money on production. Creators can use feedback from potential backers to refine their concepts before trying again.

Examples

• Kickstarter helps transform customer payments into presales for prototypes.
• Pebble Smartwatch’s crowdfunding success earned $10 million in three weeks.
• Crowdfunding serves as a low-risk way to test market interest.

4. Automation reshapes global manufacturing

Automation is causing a shift in global manufacturing patterns. As robots and tech-driven processes replace human labor, tasks that once justified outsourcing to cheap labor markets, like China, are being re-localized. Automation reduces production costs and increases efficiency.

Several American companies, like Wham-O and NCR, are already relocating their production from China back to the U.S. Wham-O cut its reliance on foreign labor by automating production lines. This change helps companies respond more quickly to customer needs, avoid delays caused by overseas shipping, and save on transport costs.

Additionally, rising wages in developing countries have made offshore manufacturing less attractive. High salaries in places like Guangdong and Shenzhen have closed the cost gap, prompting Western companies to reconsider outsourcing. Add unpredictable factors like political instability or natural disasters, and the appeal of manufacturing overseas diminishes even further.

Examples

• Wham-O automated its production to move 50% of manufacturing back to the U.S.
• NCR relocated its operations to Georgia after introducing automation.
• Rising wages and political instability decrease foreign cost advantages.

5. Small-scale manufacturing is the future

The proliferation of 3D printing and digital tools will revolutionize who can manufacture products, allowing small-scale producers to thrive. While large companies will still play a role, their dominance over production is waning. New technology gives smaller enterprises and individuals access to tools that were once limited to industrial giants.

This decentralization has already occurred in other industries. Blogging platforms like Wordpress enable anyone to publish content, and YouTube has allowed many to own media outlets. Likewise, manufacturing is becoming more democratic. Instead of relying on companies like General Motors, small manufacturers—like Local Motors—produce cars in limited numbers using digital tools.

With these tools, custom and limited-run products are now cost-effective. Small businesses and individuals can create personalized or niche-market items for a fraction of traditional manufacturing costs. The emphasis shifts from mass production to localized, specific solutions.

Examples

• Local Motors produces 2,000 cars using digital manufacturing techniques.
• Small-scale 3D workshops can create highly customized products.
• Revolutionary parallels to the democratization seen with YouTube and Wordpress.

6. Sharing accelerates innovation

In the Maker Movement, sharing ideas and designs is essential. Collaboration drives the evolution of products, as different Makers improve and modify items for specific uses. Open-source tools and platforms allow anyone to contribute.

LEGO enthusiasts provide a strong example. While LEGO avoids making modern military weapons, online hobbyists design corresponding parts. These designs are shared, enhanced, and often printed at home. This kind of collective creativity leads to endless possibilities for small-scale innovation.

Manufacturing becomes more dynamic when information is shared rather than restricted. Open sources promote versatility and specialized applications, often inspired by real users’ needs.

Examples

• Sharing LEGO weapon design files for community use.
• Open-source software offering free resources for Makers.
• Collaborative design platforms produce superior results.

7. Supply chains grow shorter and more flexible

Centralized manufacturing depended on long supply chains, but local production through 3D printing drastically shortens those chains. This helps companies respond faster, innovate more easily, and reduce delays associated with global shipping or political turmoil.

Wham-O and NCR, as mentioned, lowered costs and improved delivery times by producing closer to their markets. Shorter supply chains also lower transportation costs and reduce risks from geopolitical instability or environmental crises.

This flexibility allows Makers and businesses to adapt to customer needs quickly, whether addressing complaints or creating something entirely new.

Examples

• Companies avoiding delays caused by international shipping bottlenecks.
• Local manufacturers responding immediately to customer feedback.
• Reduced shipping costs encourage more regional production.

8. Capitalism’s self-evolution benefits consumers

As manufacturing becomes de-centralized, capitalism evolves toward smaller businesses and individual creators. This transition allows consumers to play an active role in shaping products, from design modifications to feedback embedded into production processes.

Chris Anderson paints this shift as a positive consequence of capitalism’s advancement. The tools for creation, once guarded by corporations, now empower ordinary people. The opportunity for more personalized goods enriches the consumer experience and changes traditional relationships.

Rather than destroying capitalist markets, decentralization creates new opportunities while providing more choices for everyone involved.

Examples

• Makers designing objects to match individual customer needs.
• Crowdsourced innovation using platforms backed by enthusiasts.
• Personalized product design eroding mass-production limitations.

9. From mass production to personalized goods

The era of “one-size-fits-all” is transitioning into an age of bespoke goods. 3D printing allows Makers to create single, tailored items cost-effectively. This changes the manufacturing mindset from producing vast quantities of identical items to addressing individual demands.

Smaller production runs save both capital and resources while creating unique market appeal. Imagine ordering a tool perfectly crafted for a specific task or furniture tailored for your space—this level of precision was once unattainable without extensive costs.

As custom design becomes the norm, Makers will offer solutions that are both personal and cost-effective for specific audiences.

Examples

• Creating a single, custom-sized piece of furniture for a dollhouse.
• Specialized car designs from companies like Local Motors.
• Boutique manufacturers competing with industrial giants using 3D tech.

Takeaways

1. Explore open-source design platforms to find and modify blueprints for your projects.
2. Learn a basic skill in digital manufacturing, like understanding G-code or 3D modeling software.
3. Use crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter to test the demand for your ideas while gathering community support.