Apples and Orange Legos

Here is an intriguing article about designing for user experience. More specifically, the author talks about the difference between an experience designed FOR the user, versus an experience invoked BY the user.

Think of it this way: We spend weeks, even months trying to figure out user needs and develop features to meet those needs. We often have to shoot for the middle or aim for the lowest common denominator to meet a widely varying set of needs for a given audience. What if instead, the individual user, who presumably knows his/her needs best, could create his/her own experience within a framework we provide?

http://cameronmoll.com/archives/2007/12/challenging_apple/