The rise of platformed creativity in Asia and how it’s connecting creators to consumers

Platformed creativity. Creative commerce. The maker movement. These words could very well become mainstream vernacular in the near future, not just in the West, but also in Asia.

Several digital trends are converging to make that happen. E-commerce and smartphone adoption are on the rise, and tastes in Asia are becoming more sophisticated. More consumers are demanding not just for cheap but also well-designed goods. Businesses are starting to recognize the need for effective branding, and are willing to hire designers to spruce up their image.

Just as important is the fact that creative professionals are warming up to the idea of using the Internet as an avenue to grow their businesses. E-commerce platforms, created by startups that sense a growing need for better tools, have become more sophisticated, social, and user-friendly.

Call it the rise of platformed creativity. Think of a flea market where upstart fashion designers go to sell their creations. Or an indie art gallery in a colonial shophouse. Now migrate all of these online. That’s platformed creativity at its core — aggregating creative products online, and then selling it to an audience. Read more

OuterEdit: Watch creatives collaborate real-time on an artwork, then buy it as a shirt

Imagine putting five top creative minds in a virtual room, where they go back and forth creating, critiquing, and editing each other’s artwork. Each piece will be submitted to a vote, and the most popular one will be made into a tee that can be bought online.

That’s OuterEdit in a nutshell. Moving beyond the typical vote-for-your-favorite-design tee concept, it aims instead to celebrate the faces and processes behind the names of graphic design.

The founders, Clive Foo and Ryan Tan, hopes that it will reconcile the growing disconnect between designers, retail stores and consumers of graphic tees. Read more