The line between the consumers and producers of commercial objects is increasingly becoming blurred in the 21st century. As an economic imperative for consumer participation is quickly emerging, more than ever before businesses are turning to consumers to guide their creative decisions. Crucially this could begin to have a significant impact on the way that cities and their commercial architecture is designed and evaluated, through the promotion of consumers as direct, collective decision makers.
Referring to key economic theorists; the work of contemporary architectural practitioners; while additionally including first hand interaction with one of the world’s most successful prosumption communities, this essay attempts to construct an argument for the value of consumer involvement in the active design of 21st century commercial architecture.