Crowdsourced Product Design

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Description

Ross Dawson:


"Crowdsourcing product design through an entire life cycle from concept to finished product can draw on crowds in a variety of ways. There are a number of platforms that allow you to submit ideas, vote on the best ones, comment on and shape the design, and then finally buy the finished product, with a profit share going to the original designers and those who contributed."

(source: Getting Results from Crowds)

Examples

  • Quirky

"Quirky provides a platform for what they term “Social Product Development.” Registered users submit an idea for ten dollars and feedback is given by the rest of the Quirky community. Each week one idea is voted to be taken forward in the process.

The idea gets evaluated, shaped, moulded and tweaked by the crowd, with those making the best suggestions earning “Influencer” points. Finally the product is pre-sold on the website shop. If there are sufficient orders it gets manufactured. The inventor, the influencers who helped develop the product, and Quirky share the profits."

  • Japanese retailer MUJI has been an early adopter of crowdsourcing. It sources suggestions for new products

from customers which are then voted upon, and given to professional designers to make into products.

  • Threadless invite T-shirt designs from the crowd, get them to vote on their favourite ones, and then produce

them for sale.

  • Made.com is a British online furniture retailer where only the products that receive sufficient votes from

customers are manufactured."


(source: Getting Results from Crowds)