This article was taken from the January 2012 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
Think you can offer an alternative to IKEA's flat-pack hegemony? OpenStructures, created by Belgian designer Thomas Lommee, is a furniture-construction model that enables collaborative design. The company lets users share a base grid online on which they can contribute suggestions, from design to construction.
OpenStructures aims to "enable collaborative innovation, stimulate reuse cycles of parts and components, and generate flexible puzzle structures."
In this spirit, Holland-based company Droog has launched Design for download, a web portal where users can download designs, adapt them, then upload them to be built. "I don't think that it will become the dominant way of buying furniture, but it could develop," says Renny Ramakers, a Droog director.
Explore more: Big Ideas For 2012
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
