Dear Redesigners,

Here’s another update to let you know what we are working on.

Design Critique
First of all, a minor but important change, is that we moved the “Design Critique” out of the main navigation into the footer. While Design Critique is what got things really started with RedesignMe 2 1/2 years ago, less and less people are reporting bad design. Instead, everybody is focusing on the Challenges. We think that’s a good thing. Interaction between consumers, designers and companies is where the real value creation is. Still, it’s fun to browse the Design Critique and get inspired and that’s why we keep it.

Redesigner Tool (drawing tool)
We are really excited about the new, upcoming, RedesignerTool. The first tests are looking very good and we can’t wait to release it to the big audience. The integration of a simple drawing and annotation tool will greatly simplify the co-creation process. Especially because we prepared it for multi-user use. Drawings and photo manipulations are stored in a proprietary data format enabling users to change each other’s Redesigns!

18 new Challenges…and more
We are in the middle of the preparations of new Challenges. Some will be open, some will be private. But what’s sure is that there will be loads of them and that the subjects will be very diverse.

RDM Shop and cash payment
In the past months we got a lot of request from people who wanted to see an extended RDM Shop. That’s why we are currently restructuring the shop and adding lots of new products. Another important wish is the payment of RDM’s into cash. We are happy to let you know that’s something we are hoping to offer by the end of this year!

So, that’s a small update of things we are working on and we can’t disclose everything just now. But just so you know we are not sitting still.

To wrap things up, it feels very good to see RedesignMe slowly reach maturity and to notice that the world is finally getting ready for co-creation. We believed in co-creation from the start and now that big AND small companies are finally seeing the added value, things can really get going! Nevertheless we are dependent of YOUR continuing support and enthusiasm. So keep updating us with your wishes!

Cheers,

Maxim Schram
CEO
RedesignMe

From now on we will invite guestbloggers on a regular basis to write about co-creation, crowdsourcing, open innovation and ofcourse their experience with RedesignMe.com. First to kick-off is our most active Redesigner “Freddie”.

The RedesignMe team recently asked me to tell a bit about myself and what I think about RedesignMe and related subjects. Ofcourse I’m honored, so here it goes. I’ll start with a short introduction of myself. I finished 2 technical educations and the Design Academy in The Netherlands. During my first job I was a product designer at a small industrial design firm. Now I work at a big multi-national at the product development department, in the “creative technology” area.

In the first place I’m someone who is interested in leading product innovations. I’m equally interested in the areas of design and technology as well as marketing and product experience. Product concepts that are high in quality, that show the vision and passion of the inventor, are things that really inspire me. Concepts like that,which usually see the light in form om design studies, prototypes, niche products or strong brands, may have thousands of “complications”, but I rather see complications than compromises regarding their ideology.

Personally I think that RedesignMe.com has the ability to grow into a tool that enables the community to develop product improvements, get them produced and distributed. This because many ingredients are available to everybody: free design software, companies where you can turn your 3d files into real plastic or metal objects or where you can print 2d files from board-material using lasercutters. You can imagine that around sites like RedesignMe.com various methods will evolve to inform eachother, form mini-networks and establish small economies between companies and consumers. If this is a true future scenario than I would love to be apart of this. That’s why I registered with RedesignMe.com. Until now I just love the element of sharing ideas and comments on a regular basis.

Until now I spend the RDMs I’ve earned on an iPod Touch. A very nice side effect, but for me the interaction with other Redesigners is far more important. Unfortunately many times a real dialogue or discussion does not take place. The casting of votes like red and green thumbs is far more populair and the way I see it, it doesn’t really make sense. Without an attached argument the idea can not really be further developed because the up and down sides stay vague. Only by exchanging insights and opinions, the ideas can really be strengthened. If you asked me this is something that will be done much more often. I wish everybody a lot of fun a luck and see you in future!

- Redesigner Freddie

Together with Studio Ludens, RedesignMe is currenly performing “interaction studies” for the new RedesignerTool 2.0 to be released in a few months. We’ve uploaded 2 movies. One is showing a flexible commenting tool and the other is showing automatic line smoothing. Cool!

http://redesigntool.studioludens.com.

With the release of the new website, the RedesignMe core development team is working hard to extend the sites functionality. Right now they are working on the implementation of the RDM system. That’s our automatic incentive system that enables you to collect RDM’s (our online currency) with every top-rated Redesign you make. A cool way to get rewarded for your input.