>>58766 (OP)
It's a good idea on paper, and it's not entirely unoriginal, but if the sole intention is for getting people to use it as an alternative from getting an artist it's not a very good idea.
Getting art is kind of like a status symbol in the community, and it's a hobbyist community. If someone can't afford art, then they should probably focus on something else like getting a decent paying job or learn a skill such as art to get themselves said art.
However, these "Avatar Makers" aren't the greatest idea because these people want to express their identity and when you're giving them a limited pallet to work with, the results will not always be whats in their head and so the person will have to say "Well just pretend X is there and Y is there and Z is also there, also he has a..." and it goes on. There is no "perfect" avatar maker besides something like Second Life. However, your altruistic concerns start falling to the wayside when you say "Can't commission artists" yet expect them to pay you for custom paid version which isn't right. That, or I'm reading it wrong and you mean it for an entirely different purpose like "The person can't commission because they don't know what they want to get" which is also damaging as well.
What I mean by that is, that if you were to take one of these custom avatars to an artist, they're going to get that in their heads and think the person wants a literal version of that, then the stuff the commissioner wants tacked on will just seem "wrong". I'm not barring the use of visual references, but there is a point where you can have too much of a visual reference and it will dominate the idea entirely and potentially ruin the commission idea of it in the first place. What I like to do is talk to the artist beforehand and lay down the details I want, most often I don't need a visual reference at all because I can describe what I want and they will get it exactly because I choose artists who I know can handle what I am looking for. With these things being used as a reference for artists it may cause people to be lazy and not find the right person for the right job and worsen it as a result.
However, I do see one benefit.
Using these "avatar makers" beforehand to get the general idea in your head is a good idea, then you can figure out how to describe any additions you want, and then begin researching for the right artist for the job. But using these as a replacement for commissioning an artist or using it for commissioning an artist is just a terrible idea.
Best of luck on your project.