Is too much choice a bad thing? Is it easier to select exactly the right product for the job or does it make it difficult to decide anything at all? Recent research shows that the answer depends on whether you are a ‘maximiser’ or a ‘satisficer’.
Maximisers want decisions to be perfect. They will research endlessly, comparing reviews and prices and seeking the opinions of other people. They will travel to multiple quilt shops, seeking the ‘right’ shade of yellow with spots exactly one eighth of an inch wide, if that’s what they have decided they need. Even after purchase, they will continue to second-guess their decision.
Satisficers, on the other hand, are much quicker to make decisions. They will look in the shops they normally visit, often with an idea in mind, but will usually choose a fabric from what is on offer. They may compare prices but will decide that a fabric that is close enough to what they want and is at a reasonable price is good enough. Once their decision is made, they are content to move on to other things. They rarely worry about having made the wrong choice.
Most of us fall somewhere in between these examples. We will show characteristics of both in different situations, depending on the circumstances. I confess I’m usually more of a satisficer than a maximiser simply because exhaustive research quickly bores me.
We are spoilt for choice in today’s retail environment. New ranges of fabric appear at regular intervals throughout the year and innovative products come along just as frequently. Keeping up with new quilt designs and patterns, books and industry news can be exhausting. Is it any surprise that making a selection can seem overwhelming? I am often paralysed with indecision when confronted with walls of fabric on bolts; it’s just too much variety. We often need help to find our way through the options and this is why many of us are so grateful for patterns and kits and helpful staff in quilt shops.
Think of the decisions we make while creating a quilt. The design – will we design it ourselves or use a pattern? What colours and fabrics should we use – will we use a particular range or mix them up? How will we construct it – by hand or by machine? Will we quilt it ourselves or use a professional quilter? What quilting design will we use? It’s no wonder some of us have piles of UFOs in our cupboards!
Learning to navigate our way through life’s options is an important skill. What works for one person may not work for another but that’s part of the challenge. Having too many fabrics is not the dilemma – it is not knowing how to decide which ones to buy.
So, are you ‘maximiser’ or a ‘satisficer’?