Customer Co-Design: A Study in the Mass Customization Industry

Stefan R. Thallmaier’s investigation enables mass customization businesses to better understand how co-design increases customers’ value perception. He focuses on the increasing proliferation of service channels (online, mobile and in-store) and digital media (toolkits, social media and live help) at the co-design interface. Based on qualitative and quantitative research, the author examines how this proliferation impacts customers’ value perception in the different stages of the co-design process. The research shows that customers’ value perception profits from varying levels of social presence throughout the co-design process. The work helps researchers and practitioners with surprising insights as well as hands-on recommendations to improve and adapt interfaces for customer co-design.

Dr. Stefan R. Thallmaier received his PhD in economic sciences from the HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management, where he worked as Research Associate for Prof. Dr. Kathrin M. Möslein at the Center for Leading Innovation and Cooperation (CLIC).