INDESIGNsusancurriedesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/... · for designs for Graham Hill's...
Transcript of INDESIGNsusancurriedesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/... · for designs for Graham Hill's...
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If you haven’t heard of crowdsourcing, you might want become familiar with it. It’s
a trend that’s taking shape in the creative design industries. Some manufacturers
are using it to sidestep conventional design processes by asking groups of people
at large to submit creative designs that can be considered for production.
The trend has its fans. Organizations looking for fresh ideas like that they can
spend very little to get many prospective designs as well as gage public reaction.
There are websites that let customers post specs for as little as $200 promised
for the winning design plus a percentage fee. Just post an open call through an
online community like CrowdSpring and start getting reactions from the public.
What better way to find out what appeals to your customers? Then the
company’s internal design team can tweek the crowdsourced design so it’s
marketable. In theory, crowdsourcing could save a manufacturer from costly
mistakes by producing goods that have mass appeal.
There also are naysayers. Some feel crowdsourcing brings in lots of ideas but not
necessarily the best ideas. Others warn designers that the work is speculative
and takes a big investment of time, talent and resources without being
compensated. Submitting an entry for interior design crowdsourced contests
requires time, AutoCAD plans and rendered drawings. Some may be afraid that
it’s changing industries and not for the best. However Jeff Howe says, “I don’t
think that crowdsourcing eradicates a business, it changes it dramatically. It
forces companies to approach us as potential partners and that’s much more
interesting and exciting. We do buy things but we participate meaningfully in the
process in which those products are created.”
Will Crowdsourcing Take Holdin Our Industry?by Susan Currie, Allied Member ASID, CAPS
Crowdsourcing: When a company takes a job thatwas once performed by employees and outsourcesit in the form of an open call to a large undefinedgroup of people generally using the Internet.
Defined by Jeff HoweContributor, Wired magazine,
The Rise of Crowdsourcing, 2006Author of Crowdsourcing
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Crowdsourcing isn’t a new concept to architecture
and design. In 1922 the Chicago Tribune building was
the result of a competition. Robert McCormick, the
publishing baron, offered $50,000 to the architect
who produced the best design to house the
newspaper. The contest garnered 263 entries.
Today crowdsourcing is happening within the interior
design industry. Life Edited has an open call on
www.jovoto.com for designs for Graham Hill's
apartment. After being crowdsourced, there are
several hundred designs posted. People also can sign
up to comment and rate the design. And the award
for the best design is nothing to sneeze at – a hefty
$70,000 in cash, products and contracts.
Another example of the trend taking hold in our
industry is Italian sports car maker Maserati’s joint
venture with Architectural Digest that asked the
public to design a dream garage fit for a Maserati.
Take a look at the crowdsourced designs along with
the winning entry posted at www.home-designing.com.
So will crowdsourcing become more prevalent in the
interior design industry? It’s possible. Ambitious
designers could use crowdsourcing to enhance their
careers and get ahead in a competitive market.
Commercial businesses with limited budgets may
decide that it’s an economical way to get design
submissions and gather customer reaction. Let’s face
it, businesses rely on customer feedback so this could
be important to a retailer, restaurant or a business
dependent on customer driven sales. There may be
some merit to crowdsourcing. It’s worth keeping an
eye on this emerging trend. Maybe you want to be a
part of the crowd?
CROWDSOURCING