Kickstarter: funding platform for creative projects
"Kickstarter is the world's largest funding platform for creative projects. Every week, tens of thousands of amazing people pledge millions of dollars to projects from the worlds of music, film, art, technology, design, food, publishing and other creative fields.
A new form of commerce and patronage. This is not about investment or lending. Project creators keep 100% ownership and control over their work. Instead, they offer products and experiences that are unique to each project.
All or nothing funding.On Kickstarter, a project must reach its funding goal before time runs out or no money changes hands. Why? It protects everyone involved. Creators aren’t expected to develop their project without necessary funds, and it allows anyone to test concepts without risk.
Each and every project is the independent creation of someone like you.Projects are big and small, serious and whimsical, traditional and experimental. They’re inspiring, entertaining and unbelievably diverse. We hope you agree... Welcome to Kickstarter!"
(Kickstarter, Inc.)
CONTRIBUTOR
Simon PerkinsSHARE
Opening up UCAS Data
"The 'Big Idea' behind my entry to the TSO competition was a simple one – make UCAS course data (course code, title and institution) available as data. By opening up the data we make it possible for third parties to construct services and applications based around complete data skeleton of all the courses offered for undergraduate entry through clearing in a particular year across UK higher education.
The data acts as scaffolding that can be used to develop consumer facing applications across HE (e.g. improved course choice applications) as well as support internal 'vertical' activities within HEIs that may also be transferable across HEIs.
Primary value is generated from taking the course code scaffolding and annotating it with related data. Access to this dataset may be sold on in a B2B context via data platform services. Consumer facing applications with their own revenue streams may also be built on top of the data platform.
This idea makes data available that can potentially disrupt the currently discovery model for course choice and selection (but in its current form, not in university application or enrolment), in Higher Education in the UK."
(Tony Hirst, 2011)
CONTRIBUTOR
Simon PerkinsSHARE
The Impossible Project Brings Back Polaroid
"In October 2008 The Impossible Project saved the last Polaroid production plant for integral instant film in Enschede (NL) and started to invent and produce totally new instant film materials for traditional Polaroid cameras. In 2010 Impossible saved analog instant photography from extinction by releasing various, brand new and unique instant films."
(The Impossible Project)
CONTRIBUTOR
Simon PerkinsSHARE
Nottingham Creative Network: providing professional and business support for Nottingham's creative industries since 2006
"Nottingham Creative Network launched in October 2006 and is a project designed to provide smart-targeted professional and business support for Nottingham’s creative industries. ...
Our 6 themes are as follows:
--Selling Your Soul? – What are the tensions between pursuing your creative inspiration and making compromises to make your business work? Are there any? If so, how do you negotiate them?
--How to Make Friends and Influence People – The importance of networks and network development. How do you get good at networking and why?
--Who Do I Get Into Bed With – Having recognised the value of networks and collaborations for creative business, how do you use these relationship to their best advantage?
--Don’t Get Ripped Off – What do you need to know and do protect yourself and get paid properly?
--More Than Just Beer Money? – What are the opportunities, issues and added pressures associated with going from creative business as a ‘lifestyle’ choice, to growing your business into something bigger?
--Soul Food – How do you ‘refresh’ the creativity bit of your business to prevent stagnation?
Nottingham Creative Network aims to address all these issues in a way that connects tangible advice for business growth and development with discussions of these issues that are relevant for the specific of the creative industries. We realise that sometimes the creative industries operate in quite distinctive ways. We come from the creative industries ourselves. We will be holding regular expert seminars and workshops, offering 1-to-1 surgeries and responding to the needs of the creative community in other flexible ways when opportunities arise."
(Nottingham Creative Network)
CONTRIBUTOR
Simon PerkinsSHARE
How Unilever, Coke and the Mini car got it so wrong
"Even the biggest businesses can make big mistakes - and when they do, the result can be a commercial calamity. Companies are constantly striving to improve their products and turn a profit. But changing an existing product can go horribly wrong, leaving customers in revolt and companies in crisis. Mishandled marketing and bungling public relations can make the slickest of businesses look incompetent. And the costs both financially and to reputation can be enormous. Persil, Coca-Cola and the British Motor Corporation have provided some of the most extreme examples as Evan Davis has been finding out for a new BBC Two series."
(BBC News, 8 May 2011)
Business Nightmares with Evan Davis - Doomed Designs will be on BBC Two at 20:00 BST on Monday 9 May 2011
Fig.1 '2009 Mini Cooper Turns Fifty and is Younger than Ever', picture 09ELG550925430AC
CONTRIBUTOR
Simon PerkinsSHARE
