The article "Shifting Innovation to Users via Toolkits" by Eric von Hippel and Ralph Katz explores an innovative approach to product development where manufacturers transfer need-related innovation tasks to users, using "toolkits for user innovation." These toolkits are coordinated sets of user-friendly design tools that enable users to develop custom products through iterative trial and error. The authors argue that this approach reduces the cost and time associated with understanding user needs, which is often a complex and costly process for firms. Toolkits have been successfully applied in high-tech fields like custom integrated circuit design, where they have reduced development time by two-thirds and increased sales. The article discusses the benefits of toolkits, their elements, and how they can be developed and applied in various industries. It also compares toolkits to other product development methods and highlights their value in markets with high user demand heterogeneity.The article "Shifting Innovation to Users via Toolkits" by Eric von Hippel and Ralph Katz explores an innovative approach to product development where manufacturers transfer need-related innovation tasks to users, using "toolkits for user innovation." These toolkits are coordinated sets of user-friendly design tools that enable users to develop custom products through iterative trial and error. The authors argue that this approach reduces the cost and time associated with understanding user needs, which is often a complex and costly process for firms. Toolkits have been successfully applied in high-tech fields like custom integrated circuit design, where they have reduced development time by two-thirds and increased sales. The article discusses the benefits of toolkits, their elements, and how they can be developed and applied in various industries. It also compares toolkits to other product development methods and highlights their value in markets with high user demand heterogeneity.