Cutting-Edge Designers

BusinessWeek has an excellent special report on Cutting-Edge Designers and how they're reshaping the world we experience. The days of mass merchandising is gone, even in the developing world -- and with the focus on customer or individual experience, is coming mass customization. That's raising the bar on what's being hocked to us, and the challenge is being met by businesses of all stripes and sizes. The trend towards mass customization has almost leveled the playing field again. Established businesses don't necessarily have an advantage. Size doesn't necessarily guarantee success. This means that there will be more attention paid to the temperament of consumers, but it also means that businesses will turn up the intensity on selling to us. If your brain isn't already overloaded with the noise, it's about to be.