Crowdsourcing as a Model for Problem Solving

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Crowdsourcing as a Modelfor Problem Solving
Daren C. Brabham University of Utah

• Ignite Salt Lake 2

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What is Crowdsourcing?

• Term coined by Jeff Howe, June 2006, in Wired
• A business model that leverages the power of
  online communities for profit
• The best aspects of open source production meet
  the best aspects of outsourcing

Jeff Howe
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What is Crowdsourcing?
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What is Crowdsourcing?
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An Example Threadless
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Another Example InnoCentive
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Many Other Examples
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15 Seconds of Theory

• Collective intelligence a million heads are
  better than one
• Crowd wisdom aggregating the individual
  solutions of many is often better than
  collaboration for problem solving
• New media technology (Internet) helps cast a
  wide net to harness this talent

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15 More Seconds of Theory
Give me a break. Its theory.

• Open and user-driven creative processes
  innovation
• Hierarchical task management efficient
  production

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Why the Crowd Labors

• Q Wait, isnt it exploitation?
• A Not really.
• Surveys and interviews with the crowd show they
  do not feel exploited.

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Why the Crowd Labors

• Crowds are motivated by
• Portfolio-building for future work
• Improving skills
• Reputation, fame
• Creative expression
• Fun, pleasure
• Community, friendship

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Hope for Something More

• Crowdsourcing is more than a business model it
  is a problem solving model
• If crowdsourcing is so efficient and so
  profitable, what else can we do with it?

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Crowdsourcing for Public Good

• The ability to tap the collective intelligence of
  crowds is important for governments and
  non-profits
• Crowdsourcing as a new method for public
  participation

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An Example Peer-to-Patent
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What About Urban Planning?

• Urban design involves traditional public
  participation methods (e.g., town hall meetings,
  charrettes, public review of plans)
• These methods
  have limitations

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What if

• Public participation programs were crowdsourced?

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An Experiment is Underway

• Crowdsourcing public participation for transit
  planning
• Starting small Asking the crowd to design new
  bus stops in an online design contest

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Crowdsourcing Transit Planning

• Users come to the site
• Users can
• submit bus stop design ideas
• rate and comment on others designs
• discuss issues regarding bus stops

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Crowdsourcing Transit Planning

• Highest rated designs will be finalists for a
  real bus stop built on University of Utah campus

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Projected Outcomes

• Bring new voices into the transit planning
  process
• Potentially more and better design ideas
• Learn if crowdsourcing can be used for public
  participation in government
• Thank You!
• daren.brabham_at_utah.edu