The consumer market shows a growing heterogeneity in demand. This means that consumers are more and more looking for custom and unique products. As a reaction, companies developed a new strategy called Mass-Customization which revolves around offering products that are developed and produced custom to user specific needs. Via online tool-kits consumers can personally customize the products they buy by choosing colours, materials and combining building blocks. The goal of this project is to take this principle of Mass-Customization to the next level by enabling consumers to customize the physical shape of products themselves. The means to reach this goal is Algorithms Aided Design. 

Algorithms Aided Design makes use of algorithms to generate and control Computer Aided Design (CAD) geometry. Its parametric nature enables to generate a variety of product shapes. It also enables the creation of design complexity that exceeds human capabilities.

The developments of Algorithms Aided Design introduce a new form of Mass-Customization: Computer Aided Consumer Design which enables the laymen consumer to design their own products by letting them modify CAD models directly. This way consumers can modify the physical shape of products they buy.

I designed and developed an algorithm for Bende, a small Rotterdam based company of creators, designers and makers, that produces a variety of tables. By changing parameters millions of different table designs can be created serving multiple functions from small coffee tables to large dining tables. The table is designed to be fully manufactured out of CNC routed sheet material. Each unique design will be produced, flat packed and delivered to the consumer who assembles the table himself.