LimitStyle: Innovation in Crowdsourcing Design Platform

Abstract

This case gives a description of how the design team of LimitStyle seized opportunities from difficulties and created the LimitStyle crowdsourcing design platform. Many designers have won international awards, but when they set up their own businesses, they are not familiar with the process and cannot master the time, costs of mass production, or follow-up channel sales. LimitStyle employed the crowdsourcing design platform to connect key activities; thereby, substantially increasing their chance of the successful commercialization of award-winning design products. Designers put forward their proposals through this platform, and after the proposals are submitted, votes on these proposals will be cast and the sales estimated. If the vote is secured, negotiation with factories will be conducted regarding production. Professional process plans will be provided, and the average process of the global design industry is shortened from 12 to 18 months to approximately 4 months. Product design and manufacturing processes are constantly being modified by crowd wisdom, which suggests that the platform has great market potential. This innovative model contributed to the rapid growth in the operating revenues of LimitStyle from NTD 9 million to NTD 45million in 2015. As a result, LimitStyle attracted venture capital investment to expand its capital, and developed growth strategies after obtaining more resources. At the beginning of 2016, LimitStyle was confronted with a strategic choice, and contemplated different products and different markets. This case describes the typical challenges faced by startups, and is divided into two parts, namely, Part A and Party B. Part A is the growth choice faced by the case company. After discussions, Part B can be released for discussions about growth decisions in real scenarios.

本個案描述里米斯科技創業團隊從設計產業的困境看到機會，建置Limitstyle群眾外包設計平台，許多設計師獲得國際奬項，但自行創業時卻因不熟悉製程，無法掌握量產的時間及成本、後續通路銷售等，里米斯採用群眾群眾外包設計平台將關鍵活動串連，大幅提升獲獎設計產品成功商業化的機率。設計師透過此平台提案，提案上架後進行票選、預估銷售量，如通過票選協調工廠生產，提供專業的製程規劃，將全球設計產業平均製程12至18個月縮短至約4個月，產品設計與製造流程經由群眾智慧不斷修正，凸顯其深具潛力的市場。此創新模式幫助里米斯年營收從900萬新台幣迅速成長至2015年的4,500萬，進而吸引創投讓資本額擴大，有更多資源後規畫成長策略，2016年初里米斯面臨策略抉擇點，分別在不同產品、不同市場中進行思考。本個案描述新創公司面臨典型的挑戰，個案本文分為A、B兩段，A段為個案公司面臨的成長抉擇內容，討論後可發下B段，針對真實情境中實際做出的成長決策進行討論。