Theft at the Public Till
the new byword is individual demand. The customer and the producer can collaborate together. Individual needs are recognized. It is this standard that our government needs to adapt to. In the information age, the ability to custom tailor a response com- pletely transform the sales pitch. Instead of slapping a brochure on the cli- ent's desk, the widget salesperson slaps down a computer. A questionnaire flashes on the screen. The salesman skillfully asks questions and weaves the information into the questionnaire as the client responds. A profile of the client's needs is being built before his eyes. If the client wants to add a few comments or explain a few things in a bit more detail, the documedia questionnaire can expand accordingly. Instead of getting a pitch, the client has worked with the salesman to paint a portrait of his needs. At this point, the salesman taps a few keys and there, on the screen, appears a beautifully crafted sketch of a custom widget designed exactly according to the specifi- cations embodied in the completed questionnaire. The customer can now see the desired widget. It looks almost exactly like what he needs, except for one or two details. Part of it needs to be made a little larger. How much? This much... no, that's too much... that's it exactly. Many of the best industrial designers increasingly rely on customer input to help fashion the prototypes of their new products. Instead of design- ing for their clients, designers are now designing with their clients. Furniture companies, for instance, bring in their largest customers to work with their ergonomists, chair designers, and interior-design people. Telecommunications companies work with their corporate clients to design office phone systems that make voice mail, call forwarding, and other local area network options easy to use. Investment bankers do the same with financial instruments. Our government needs to learn how to do this with policy making. When a goal governs, individual needs can be met within the confines of the goal. When a bureaucratic process governs, individuals are sacrificed for the sake of some meaningless expediency and a policy of no exceptions. Change is not what it used to be. The status quo will no longer be the best way forward. The best way will be less comfortable and less easy but,
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