crowdSPRING, an online marketplace for crowdsourced designs and writing, recently launched a new design project from Royal Philips Electronics to encourage entrepreneurs, designers and inventors to come up with the most innovative ironing steam generator of the future. The crowd sourcing concept taps a diverse crowd of online individuals from all over the world for creative ideas and designs. “crowdSPRING offers benefits to the buyer that go beyond being cost-effective and an easy and time-saving marketing solution,” says Mike Samson and Ross Kimbarovsky, co-founders of crowdSPRING. “Creative crowd sourcing is a chance to connect directly with the customers who have in-depth, hands-on knowledge about your products and services.” Participants in the Philips project can submit up to three designs per entry. Each entry must include a description of the design inspiration and a usage scenario. An optional video clip will also be accepted. Entries must be submitted at www.crowdSPRING.com by Oct. 13, 2010.
A panel of experts from Phillips representing the business, technology and design divisions, will select six breakthrough designs as winners based on reviewing the entries’ innovativeness, aesthetics, effective use of materials, ease of use, feasibility, positioning of key features and integration of Philips brand promise, “sense and simplicity.” The winners, which will be announced in November, will be awarded a cash prize of $4,500 plus Autodesk Alias Design software ($3,995 value) for first place, $3,000 plus Autodesk SketchBook Designer software ($495 value) for second place and $2,500 plus Autodesk SketchBook Pro software ($95 value) for third place, and three consolatory prizes of $1,000 plus Autodesk SketchBook Pro software each. Three winning design(s) will also be produced into non-working mockups. Official rules for the competition can be found on crowdSPRING. Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company's website.
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