Hamey

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Web 2.0, technology, business, creativity and mashing it all together.

Could the Ponoko model threaten mass production?

Ponoko: I buy designer cool made to order

At the recent TechCrunch40 conference New Zealand startup Ponoko caused a stir (and managed to pull 1 million hits to their site in under 24 hours).  It is a fabulous business proposition: a matchmaking service for designers, manufacturers and consumers.  Put simply, if you are a designer (and we are talking industrial here) you can get your ideas (jewellery, coffee tables, whatever) made by a convenient manufacturer somewhere in the world, then have the parts and instructions for assembly sent directly to your customers, or just to you.  It is your personal IKEA if you are a wannabe Ingvar Kamprad.  The real beauty in their model is the way that designers, manufacturers and consumers are all treated somewhat equally part of the community, an “everyone wins” environment.  We’ve seen Threadless succeed in crowdsourcing, Ponoko looks like another testament to the viability of the model.  It is a good example of web 2.0 technology making a genuine difference to the world around us.  

Personally, I am obsessed with design.  I am constantly making things and wishing I had laser cutting machines at my disposal, so Ponoko is a dream come true.  I am hoping given their Kiwi heritage that by proxy Australia will be next for their rollout!

53 Comments, Comment or Ping

  1. Cheers for the blog Hamey. Our ‘behind the scenes’ guys are working as hard as their legs will take them to ensure the roll out world-wide is definitely sooner rather than later!! Certainly the interest following TechCrunch has been phenomnal, a real credit to the brains behind the idea! It’s sometimes the simple stuff that really hits home, and I believe (not just coz I’m a Ponoko person either!) that this is going to be one of those sites that will really be amazing and offer pretty much something for everyone, especially when we start t-ing up with 3D printers as well, then it will really start to get funky! Cheers, Nic. Ponoko Online PR Chick.

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  13. Original post by Dmitri Gromov

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