How to Seed A Culture of Innovation: A Look at 99designs Company Culture

How to seed a culture of innovation through internal and external collaborationCrowdsourcing Week, BrusselsJune 5th, 2014

We connect the world with great graphic designers

$76MPayouts to designersworldwide

150Countries with satisfied customers

305KHappy customers

10KOnline designers every time. Every day. Every night.

WE BELIEVE in relationships. Especially between a creative entrepreneur and a designer. Our platform was started by designers, for designers, and it’s our mission to help create great design that drives businesses forward.

WE BELIEVE that life is too short to not have

fun. We want our customers and

designers to enjoy every step of the process working together on our

platform.

WE BELIEVE the best creative work happens when it’s easy to give

organized feedback. We make the collaboration

process simple, easy and fun – and ensure success with a 100%

money back guarantee.

We help people meet, engage, have fun and create something from scratch during the

course of one week...

Let’s replicate this internally!

• Cross continental

• Cross functional• Beneficial to our users

EVERY EMPLOYEE HAS A VOICE

The 99designs Hack Week Program

3 phases of the hack week1. Explore Creative Ideas2. Build Teams3. Production

Conditions of the hack week• Step Away• Be Creative• Build

CREATIVE PROCESS

• Initial concepts

Image via Terry Presley

CREATIVE PROCESS

• Initial concept• Pitch your idea

Idea: video chats for our clients• Awesome to have• Complicated to build• Will it find a team?

CREATIVE PROCESS

• Initial concept• Pitch your idea• Build a team

What happens after a contest?• 1-to-1 Projects

• Swiftly

Results & Learnings

20Concepts worldwide

11Video pitches

6Championed projects

55Participants in San Francisco, Berlin, Paris, Melbourne

Promote R&DOwnership & autonomy

Engagement & excitement

Not all ideas will succeedLonger time production

Thanks!

jason.sewhoy@99designs.com@jsewhoy Let’s do it again!

Happyness

Thank you!

Siham Belouadhehsiham@99designs.com