Crowd-what, you may ask? Touted as an efficient and affordable way to harness creative talent from a wide variety of sources, crowdsourcing is a term coined in a 2006 article in Wired magazine. Wikipedia defines it as “the act of outsourcing tasks, traditionally performed by an employee or contractor, to an undefined, large group of people or community, through an open call.”
A crowdsourcing user typically posts the requirements of a job on an appropriate crowdsourcing website. People then submit their suggestions and receive compensation only if and when the work they submitted is actually used.
I’ve been a bit skeptical of the process, but I know a number of people who have tried it and been quite happy with the results. Crowdsourcing is available for all types of marketing services. Here are a few:
Graphic design: 99 Designs, Crowdspring
Brand names: Name This
Product Design: Ponoko, Redesign me
Video: Poptent
Website usability: User Testing
I’d love to hear about your experiences with crowdsourcing!
