One of the hot buzz topics in business is ‘crowdsourcing.' The thought being, that if a group makes a decision by consensus, it is more likely to be correct than if one person is consulted for an answer.
Needless to say, there are many books on crowdsourcing, and many companies are giving it a shot. The following cluster looks at examples of crowdsourcing for some pretty interesting topics you’d be surprised it's being used for.
50 Crowdsourced Innovations
48
Crowdsourcing Billboards
American Apparel Wants You to Vote on Storefront Sign
47
27 Crowdsourced Designs
From Jewelery to Restaurant Designs by Consumers, for Consumers
46
Morbid Crowdsourced Competitions
Funeral Company Promotes Harley Hearse with Moniker Contest
45
Crowdsourced Car Designs
VW Outsources to Find Next Iconic Automobile
44
Crowdsourced Furniture Designs
Champagne Cork Competition Yields Miniature Seating
43
Crowdsourced News Photography
New York Times Readers Picture The Recession in Photos
42
Crowdsourced Wanderlust
Landscapes 2.0
41
Crowd Sourced Catalogues
Dutch IKEA Kitchen Catalogues Created With Customer Photos
40
Crowdsourced Journalism
Assignment Zero: an Experiment in Pro-Am Journalism
39
Crowdsourcing Company Recipes
Campbell's Lets You Make Suggestions
38
Crowdsourcing Window Displays
Bloomies Asks Bloggers for Showcase Showdowns
37
Crowdsourced Products
The Release1.0 Design Competition for Museum Shops
36
Crowdsourced Jewelry Creation
Swarovski Hosts Online Design Competition
35
Crowdsourcing Home Decor
Bon Bon Kakku
34
Crowdsourced Hairstyle Look Books
MopShot Lets You Upload and View Great Haircuts
33
Crowdsourced Space Classification
'Galaxy Zoo' Lets You Help Astronomers Classify Stars
32
Collaborative Crowdsourced Music Videos
Bjork's "The Dull Flame of Desire"
31
Crowdsourced Packaging Competitions
1800 Tequila's Design Your Bottle (UPDATE)
30
Crowdsourced Restaurants
The Instructables Restaurant
29
Crowdsourced Club Music
The Tony Player
28
Crowdsourced City Designs
Nicolas Sarkozy Picks Architects' Brains on Future Paris Cityscape
27
Crowdsourced Car Replacements
Pre-Phillies Parade Fundraising
26
Crowdsourced Orchestras
You Tube Symphony
25
Crowdsourced Commercials
iFart Will Pay for the Person Who Can Toot Their Horn the Best
24
Crowdsourcing Love Partners
YumBunny Lets Others Vote Who You'd Look Hot With
23
Crowdsourcing Greenovation
$20,000 Prize Offer to Create the Best 'Green Effect'
22
Crowdsourced Skit Scripts
Southwest Airlines Solicits Tweets From Passengers for a Twit-Com
21
Crowdsourced Home Makeovers
Voting for Comcast Town Finalists Commences
20
Crowdsourced Credit Crunch Advice
Google Tip Jar Lets You Submit and Rank Money Saving Ideas
19
Crowdsourced R&D
InnoCentive Poses Million Dollar Challenge
18
Crowdsourced Journalism
The News is NowPublic.com
17
Crowdsourced Car Acquisitions
'Mythbusters' Adam Savage Seeks Old Rides on Twitter
16
Crowdsourced Ride-Sharing
Avego iPhone App
15
Crowdsourced Coffee Prices
Java Street Cafe Lets Customers Pay What They Think is Fair
14
Crowdsourced Home Shopping Sites
Honeyshed
13
Crowdsourced Dictionaries
Germany's Duden Dictionary Lets You Add New Words
12
Crowdsourced Comedy
ChuckleDumper is a Hotbed of User-Submitted Humor
11
Crowdsourcing Your Designs
Ponoko Lets You Submit Ideas and Others Make It For You
10
Crowdsourced Constructive Criticism
Plaincraft Gives Jewelry Artisans Instant Design Feedback
9
Crowdsourced Complaining
F*MyLife Gives Users a Digital Soapbox
8
Crowdsourced Sneakers
'RYZ Wear' Makes YOU a Designer
7
Crowdsourced Careers
Chen Xiao Performs Random Real-Life Tasks for Chinese Internet Users
6
Crowd Sourced Tattoo Shirts
Metal Ink
5
Crowd Sourced Magazine Covers
Design a 'Dazed' Cover Competition
4
Crowdsourcing Airline Fees
Ryanair Will Pay €1,000 for the Best New Fee
3
Crowdsourcing Big-Name Beers
Corporate Breweries Tap Beer Enthusiasts for New Recipes
2
Crowdsourcing Music Wikis
Amazon Launches SoundUnwound.com
1
Crowdsourced Corporate Layoffs
Creative Agency Launches Internet Firing Squad
Related Ideas
Wellness Swap Pop-Ups
Bragg's Trendy Trade-In Helped People Exchange Fads for ACV
Global Social Impact Initiatives
Reckitt Expands Its Catalyst Program in the US
Connected Beverage Platforms
Coca-Cola Uses Freestyle Data to Create New Drinks Faster
Authentic Connection Campaigns
Heineken's Hijack Socialization Encourages Out-of-Home Gatherings
Conversational Shopping Experiences
Ask Pinterest Debuts on the Ask Pinterest App
AI Training Marketplaces
LinkedIn Tests Platforms Paying Experts to Train AI
Smart Recipe Generation Apps
Chefiniti Turns Available Ingredients Into Personalized Recipes
Cross-Industry Insight Networks
The Think Party Explores the Future of Socialization
Experiential Fast Food Collaborations
Popeyes Turned Chicken Tenders Into a Music Venue Experience
AI Startup Resources
AI Startup Offers 400+ Curated Tools and Guides for Founders
Girl Dinner Experiences
Waverly Kitchen + Bar Curates Shareable Comfort Food Plates
Social Insight Tools
Currents AI Turns Social Media Data Into Actionable Business Insights
Cheeky Anti-Food-Sharing Campaigns
KFC Promotes Its Bucket for One with a Special Campaign
Comprehensive Fast Food Reports
Yum! Brands, Inc. Explores Food Trends Influencing the Industry
CPG-Focused Innovation Launchpads
Albertsons Companies is Running Its Innovation Launchpad
Workplace Meal Culture
ezCater Shows Employee Food Programs Driving Office Engagement
Multitasking Volunteer Initiatives
Heineken Fan Volunteers Applies a Rarely Used Employee Benefit
Consolidated Sports Innovation Engines
Nike is Focusing Its Innovation Efforts Across Its Brands
Anti-Algorithm Social Platforms
Buzzfeed’s Branch Office Creates Interactive AI-Powered Apps
Automated Venture Building Platforms
OpenAI Introduced the Startup-in-a-Box Proposal
Bathing Culture-Inspired Waterfront Events
Therme Group Ran Culture of Bathe-Ing
Photocopied Fast Food Campaigns
McDonald's Office Delivery Ads Scanned Popular Menu Items
AI Experiment Hubs
Google Labs Showcases Early AI Tools And Experimental Features
Feed-Style Reading Platforms
The Holdout Reimagines Reading Using A Social Media–Inspired Format
Idea Repository Books
Business Ideas Database Curates Proven Business Opportunities At Scale
Early-Stage Global Innovation Competitions
Red Bull Basement 2026 is Accepting Applications
Senior Creative Teams
Tosti Creative Put Out a Call for Senior Creatives Aged 70 and Older
Lifelong Reskilling Cultures
McKinsey And General Catalyst Highlight Continuous AI-Era Upskilling
Idea Generation Tools
One Million Ideas Offers Endless Inspiration for Companies and Users
Nutrition Ecosystem Restaurants
Fork to Fit Kitchen links meals, fitness, and wellness tracking
Startup Idea Newsletters
Easy Startup Ideas Delivers Business Roadmaps For Aspiring Founders
In-Person Creativity Cafe Campaigns
The Made in Starbucks Campaign Spotlights Customer Creativity
Viral Bakery Reinventions
Sainsbury's Launches Dipped Croissants Inspired by Social Pastry Trends
AI Productivity Tools
Map Your Ideas Turns Raw Thoughts Into Structured Mind Maps Instantly
Micro-SaaS Discovery Platforms
MicroLineup Gives Indie Makers And Small Software Projects A Chance
Book-Themed Bar Concepts
Book Bar is an Upcoming Destination for Shopping, Eating & Connecting
Idea Validation Tools
Idea Screening Lab Validates Business Demand Using SEO Insights Before Build
AI-Powered Customer Insights
GetWhys Raised $5.2M Seed Round for Its AI-Assisted Buyer
Transparent AI Search Tools
Yelp Introduces a Chatbot That Shows Sources Behind Recommendations
Retailer-Launched Modern Cookbooks
Target Debuts 'Good & Gather: Discover Delicious Every Day'
AI Mood Board Apps
Google's Mixboard Turns Ideas into Polished Presentations
User-Controlled Social Algorithms
Threads Launches Your Algo and Expands Community Features
Community-Centered Rooftop Events
Heineken's Rooftop Revival Turned Building Tops into Social Hubs
Inspired Travel Planning
CloneMyTrips Turns Social Travel Inspiration Into Bookable Trips
Online Encyclopedia Puzzles
Cloudberries Launched a Limited-Edition Wikipedia 25 Puzzle
Sleep-Focused Research Collaborations
Sleep Cycle Enters Partnership with Delphi Group
All-in-One Digital Dining Marketplaces
This OpenTable Marketplace is for Private and Group Dining
Social Networking Hubs
Internet Social Café Lets Users Explore Cafés and Build Online Connections
Customer Insight Tools
Listen Labs Automates Interviews And Delivers Actionable Insights
Customer Collaboration Hubs
Rise Baking Opens a Commercial and R&D Center in Atlanta
Creator Community Tools
The Builder's Cohort Connects Makers for Creative Collaboration and Growth
Intimate Social Dinner Concepts
Dinner With Friends NYC Features Low-Pressure Communal Dinners
Bathhouse Fundraising Campaigns
Bathe is Crowdfunding for an Indoor-Outdoor Bathhouse Facility
User Feedback Tools
OpinionFlow Simplifies Collecting And Analyzing Feedback For Websites
Productivity Co-Working Games
On-Together: Virtual Co-Working Turns Focus Sessions to Shared Play
City-Focused Influencer Platforms
Storytime Launches Storytime Marketplace in Cities
Knowledge Management Systems
Second Brain Organizes Conversations And Insights With AI Support
AI-Driven Restaurant Insight Tools
These New Crunchtime AI Tools Build on the Brand's Platform
Co-Creation Food Labs
Vibrant Ingredients Expands Rapid Prototyping for Food and Beverage Brands
Professional Networking Platforms
SPILL Brings Cultural Conversations To Professional Networking
Social Forum Insight Trackers
Snoops.co Helps Businesses Find and Track Opportunities on Reddit
Technology Content Platforms
HackerNoon Offers 100k+ Tech Stories To Read, Write And Learn
Professional Connection-Promoting Campaigns
TheLi.st Spotlights 10 Minutes of Togetherness
Storytelling Workspaces
M Moser’s London Office Uses Behavioral Design and Brand-Focused Interiors
Startup Validation Tools
CoFound AI Validates Ideas Through Fast Market And Assumption Analysis
Social Learning Experiences
Lectures on Tap Hosts Expert-Led Discussions in Local Bars
Idea Discovery Tools
IdeAI Helps You Find, Validate, And Track Unique Ideas In One Place
Idea Discovery Tools
PainPointFinder Identifies Market Problems And Suggests SaaS Ideas
Local Story Creators
Word oh Mouth Lets Users Share Experiences And Support Local Businesses
Visual Inspiration Searches
Braindead Search Helps Users Discover Web Design Ideas By Vibe
Product Discovery Communities
MillionShip Turns Product Discovery Into A Playful Experiences
Idea Collaboration Hubs
Idearify Helps Users Create, Collaborate, And Protect Their Ideas
Creative Community Platforms
Folks Creates A Space For Product Makers To Share Ideas And Connect
Consumer-Centric Public Restroom Surveys
Bradley Company Notes Healthy Handwashing Survey Findings
Marketing Jargon Games
Marketing Bingo Turns Buzzwords Into A Fun Client Meeting Game
Collaborative Project Platforms
Cliquest Enables Teams to Build Projects Together Seamlessly
Local Restaurant Activations
Pepsi Hosts Community Events to Drive Restaurant Discovery
Collaborative Writing Platforms
WritingRooms Creates, Collaborates, And Finds Inspiration Together
Service-Backed Recommerce Platforms
Commonplace Launches Marketplace With Built-In Delivery
SaaS Discovery Tools
The Tech Hound Enables Fast Anonymous B2B Software Shortlisting
Collaborative Productivity Apps
Pogether Combines Pomodoro And Virtual Coworking
Event-Centric Camping Experiences
Huttopia Hosts World Cup Viewing and Activities at Its Campsites
Bathroom Locator Apps
Find Your Throne Helps Users Locate Clean, Accessible Bathrooms Fast
AI Kitchen Design Platforms
3D Cloud Introduces Conversational Tools for Custom Kitchen Planning
Founder Marketing Resources
Better Marketing Blog Shares Practical Playbooks For Founders
Startup Idea Discovery Tools
BuildList Delivers AI-Powered Market Insights For Entrepreneurs
Interactive Fast-Casual Dining
Pepper Lunch Expands Its Sizzling DIY Dining Concept
Recipe Conversion Tools
CookTok Turns TikTok Cooking Clips Into Clear, Step-By-Step Recipes
Community Engagement Platforms
Hivescout Helps You Find And Engage Your Audience Across Forums
Community-Focused Homemade Snack Initiatives
Bob's Red Mill and Toni Chapman Launch Neighbor Hour
Imagination Sharing Platforms
Dream Composer Lets You Turn Ideas Into Shared Creative 'Figments'
Market Analytics Tools
Zabble Insights Turns Google Reviews Into Clear Business Intelligence
Lead Generation Platforms
mention.click Helps Businesses Discover Customer Conversations
Opportunity Discovery Tools
Problem Pilot Identifies Validated SaaS Opps From Online Discussions
Idea Discovery Platforms
ProblemSolver Hub Helps Identify Market Gaps And Business Opportunities
Remote Work Community Platforms
Drop In Makes Casual Coworking Meetups Easier To Discover
Library-Bound Micro-Learning Apps
Library Ideas Has Partnered with Blinkist to Enhance Access
Cultural Trivia Games
Culture King Turns Cultural Knowledge Into Fast-Paced Competition
Idea Validation Platforms
Idea Kiln Lets Creators Share Ideas And Gather Feedback Efficiently
Audience Growth Platforms
WordRobin Helps Founders Create And Scale Threads Content Faster
Customer Insight Clustering
Scale Feedback Analysis With Clientpulse’s LLM-Powered Ticket Clusters
Startup Marketing Resources
The Marketing Playbook For Startups Breaks Down 80+ Growth Tactics
Developer Community Platforms
Side Project World Connects Builders To Turn Ideas to Real Projects
Project Idea Generators
Vibe Coding Idea Generator Provides Fresh Project Ideas For Developers
Experimental Soup Varieties
Crosse & Blackwell Surveyed Consumers for Product Feedback
Small-Scale Restaurant Catering Options
Chipotle Build-Your-Own Offers an Easy Option for Groups
Creative Networking Tools
Designer Hikes Builds Community By Connecting Designers Outdoors
Menu Recommendation Tools
DishFinder Helps Users Discover Top-Rated Dishes at Restaurants
Developer Snippet Libraries
CodeSnippet Helps Developers Store, Organize, and Share Reusable Code
Idea Feedback Tools
Clash Storm Provides AI-Powered Feedback and Validation for Your Ideas
Digital Group Cards
Gathered Cards Makes It Easy To Create Shared Leaving Cards Online
Customer Insight Mining
SpotPain Surfaces Hidden Customer Frustrations Across Digital Touchpoints
Leadership Coaching Platforms
BUNCH Delivers Personalized Daily Leadership Coaching In Minutes
Breakthrough Development Hubs
Build Y Provides Tools and Insights to Drive Remarkable Creations
Technical Interview Platforms
Rounds.so Provides Crowdsourced Tech Interviews And Assessment Tools
Social Entertainment Apps
BuzzWheel Turns Group Gatherings Into Interactive Challenge Experiences
Group Dining Tools
BiteVote Helps Teams Decide Where to Eat and Split Bills
Focus Recovery Tools
Breaktime Buddy Delivers AI-Powered Breaks For Focus And Recovery
Group Decision Tools
Eat Sync Simplifies Group Dining Decisions Into A Shared Agreement Process
Productivity Tool Directories
Bookmarks Bar Productivity Tools Curates 70+ AI And Resources
User Research Platforms
Ballpark Captures High-Quality Feedback Through Task-Based Research
Product Discovery Maker Communities
JustGotFound Helps Independent Products Reach New Audiences
Idea Validation Platforms
The Idea Hub Transforms Early Concepts Into Actionable Business Insights
Digital Recipe Platforms
Recipe Hub Lets Users Discover, Save, And Share Recipes Easily
Collaborative Dining Tools
Where Are We Eating Tonight Helps Groups Decide Restaurants Easily
Collaborative Knowledge Platforms
Messy Desk Organizes Documents And Connects For Smarter Learning
Startup Insight Platforms
App Stacks Reveals App Stories, Tech Stacks, And Builder Insights
Crowd Analytics Beacons
EB Systems Deploys Crowd-Tracking Beacons at FIFA Venues
Creative Protest Archives
Pocket Protests Showcases Global Creative Resistance Against Fascism
Resource Discovery Hubs
Resourcifyy Helps Users Find, Share, And Explore Top Online Resources
Rapid Business Planning
I Have An Idea Delivers Business Plans, Customer Profiles, And Strategies
Shared Cooking Platforms
Wheat Helps Friends Combine Ingredients At Home For Smarter Cooking
Audience Feedback Platforms
Two Cents Facilitates Human Feedback To Improve Services And Campaigns
Comprehensive Content Guides
Content Creation Wiki Provides Step-By-Step Guides For Better Content
Idea Management Systems
IdeaHole Helps Capture, Organize, And Evaluate Ideas Over Time
Decision Making Game Tools
Decision It Turns Tough Choices Into Fun Mini Games For Groups
Group Dining Finders
Where to Eat Helps Locate Restaurants Convenient for You and Friends
Content Intelligence Hubs
Notebooks Turns Videos, Docs, And Websites Into Source-Based Content
Public Accessibility Initiatives
The City of York Council Launches for Your Convenience
Hospitality Strategy Communities
The PickUp Unites Revenue Managers in One Hub