[Essay] How can we think about "handmade"?

Many products seem to be able to significantly increase in price after being marked as "handmade". As if handmade is equivalent to quality assurance. But is this really the case?

Characteristics of machine-made and hand-made

The biggest difference between humans and machines is probably that humans are not good at performing repetitive and precise movements, but this is the housekeeping skill of machines. As long as the settings are made, the machine can make the exact same action, and the error can even be measured in micrometers or nanometers, but the human error accuracy is hundreds or even dozens of times worse.

At first glance, it seems that the quality of things produced by machine automation is relatively stable, but as long as the products advertised as hand-made in the market always seem to be able to sell at a better price, why is this?

Handmade selling point and subtext

Before thinking about this, think about when sellers claim that a product is "handmade," what are they really trying to convey about the product? According to different products, the characteristics referred to are usually different, but they can be roughly classified into four aspects:

1. quality
2. Element
3. Yield
4. unique

The above is probably what the seller really wants to express behind the advertised "handmade". These four aspects are relatively easy to imagine, and they must all be positive lists. Assuming we are playing a fill-in-the-blank game, we can fill them in as:

1. better quality
2. The ingredients are relatively natural
3. Production is scarce
4. more unique

But is it really so?

Handmade equals quality assurance?

• quality

As mentioned above, human beings are not good at performing repetitive and precise actions, which means that the quality of artificially manufactured goods is relatively variable in theory, especially many technologies that are nearly lost, or foods that have been passed down for centuries, etc. These "old kung fu" and "ancient taste" are often based on the experience of the master, rather than the precise dosage and formula ratio.

When we don't have an exact ratio, we can't perfectly replicate each batch of products. However, it is very risky that human senses and sensitivity are not high enough to distinguish small differences, so in many cases, it is not the quality of the product itself that is stable, but the We don't notice the difference.

• Element

Ingredients are often used by businessmen to exaggerate the advantages of hand-made products. Products that are advertised as hand-made are often accompanied by "natural ingredients". The subtext is "non-hand-made products have less natural ingredients."

However, the so-called "natural" does not actually equate with the quality of the product and whether it is more environmentally friendly. Strictly speaking, even traditional skills or construction methods are not so "natural". The reason why they are called natural is that they are more primitive compared to modern technology.

And whether natural is equal to good, in fact, there should be a big question mark. Blindly Shanggu is sometimes just blind.

• Yield

Yield is closer to the truth, because people always need to rest, unlike machines that can run 24 hours a day just by being powered. It's just that the output is relatively low and there is an extended subtext: because the output is low, the price is high.

However, it seems illogical that consumers should pay more money simply because the output is low. Low output is actually a problem of merchants, not directly related to consumers. For consumers, only the quality and convenience of the product itself is related to price.

• unique

This can be said to be a natural feature of hand-made, but this feature is often used in handicrafts or decorations that need to show personal characteristics.

We all want to be different. At this time, hand-made products can show how we are different from others, and the scarcity derived from this uniqueness is the main feature of many works of art, because the world This one item is unique.

Why Handmade Hasn't Been Replaced by Machines

Automated mass production is the standard strategy of modern manufacturing. As long as mass production is possible, it often means that the cost can be greatly reduced, thereby making the product more competitive in price.

However, mass production is not completely applicable to all products. Different products have their own characteristics. Sometimes a product cannot be replaced by machine mass production. The market value of mass production, or the manufacturer has no intention of introducing automated production at all.

Thinking from another angle, if you can choose, the efficiency improvement and cost reduction brought by the mass production of machines will always be the two goals of the more the better in the business behavior, but the manufacturers who choose manual manufacturing today are actually only the producers themselves. choice, not a noble decision.

To expand the explanation, choosing to manufacture by hand is actually choosing a relatively inefficient production method, and does not want to change.

Thinking Beyond Handmade

This article feels like there are many criticisms about "handmade", but I actually have no prejudice against handmade products, but I am very interested in the subtext behind the merchants when they advertise handmade products.

"Handmade" seems to me more like a marketing slogan than a way of saying whether handmade products are really better. Especially when I emphasize the "pure" handmade, I am more interested in the hidden meaning behind the main selling point. As for the idea that "natural is good", I don't agree at all.

Thinking from another angle, it seems that those who choose to use hand-made products just choose to do things in a relatively inefficient and high-cost way? Of course, the real world is not so simple, but being able to think about this issue from different angles has brought me a lot of new ideas.

I don't know how the citizens think about handmade?