The “Do-it-yourself (DIY)” brand design strategy through computational design tools

Abstract

The three-dimensional form of a product is a key element in the development of a brand identity through the computational design methodology. Brand identity has an in-depth relationship with the object’s shape and product assembliness. In traditional mass production design methodologies, designers encode specific parameters into design rules that aren’t used by end-users to customize their own products. The “Do-It-Yourself (DIY)” process enable users to express themselves through the design thinking approach. Self-design is a form of co-creation between designer's knowledge and customer's skills according to the branded product design parameters. Under this statement, the object’s geometrical form and the product assembliness are fundamental principles in the promotion of a holistic design identity to the industry and to the market. The current paper combines the use of computational design with specific parameters of DIY bookcase/desk (i.e., height, length, width, number of shelves, etc.) in order to develop a generative design system for the mass customization of DIY bookcases/desks alternatives. The results from the end-user application offer, automatically alternatives 3D models under the "Do-It-Yourself" brand umbrella.