|
|
5
5
|
|
There has been so much talk about user generated content and open innovation in the past, but few companies really have an initiative that matches all this buzz. As a professor at a large institute of technology, I am following these developments since many years. Swarovski is a big exception. On a recent event I had an opportunity to see the designs created by the user community. This is not just a small set of designs generated by creative outsiders, but an entire product catalog of highly innovative creations. One of the enabling factors of this success is their internet platform to organize and facilitate the contest.
Hyve did a great job in developing and programming this web site. It demonstrates a deep understanding of the mechanisms and drivers of open/user innovation. This seems to be not just yet-another-internet-agency, but a company that really knows what it does. Concluding: The Swarovski contest by HYVE is a real gem in the fuzzy world of open innovation!
|
|
|
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
|
|
|
5
5
|
|
Almost 2000 submitted designs by somewhat over 1600 participants sounds like a realy impressive contest to me. Perfect design with an easy to use toolkit and the peer review systems is absolutly rocking. Nice work. Good trick to let advanced useres hand in designs with a picture upload
|
|
|
|
|
|
5
5
|
|
Even though the main motivation for participating in the design contest probably was to win the contest and gain reputation, it seems that the platform with its web 2.0 features developed into a real community of interest. I like it!
|
|
|
|
|
|
5
5
|
|
It seems that the Swarovski and Hyve people have listened carefully to the community and understood the mechanisms before embracing them. What seems difficult in this case is that the customers are professional designers, hobby designers as well as "normal" consumers. Embracing those different levels of design competency is not a giveaway in my opinion.
Besides the highly intuitive design of this community platform, the watch design competition excells in tapping on existing motivational mechanisms among creative consumers by
(1) offering tools adapted to different consumer capabilities (easy to use configurator vs. offering crystal libraries to be integrated for in advanced design software)
(2) using the competition mechanism which is close to the "heart" of each designer along with critique possibilities
(3)keeping the platform transparent and openly accessible (which increases credibility and allows designers to learn from eachother, also by using gemstones)
(4) using social networking and web 2.0 features (rich profiles, profile pictures, latest ideas,...)
(5) "rewarding" users by having contributions reviewed by a recognized jury, other community users AND by the offline public at the world leading watch fair in Basel where access is limited to corporations.
As of the openly visible website very interesting to learn from! I would be very curious to know how this story continues...
|
|
|
|
|
