How a Creative community brightens darkness
We are the only Company in the World to combine high Quality festive lighting with fiberglass expertise. We are taking the experiences to a new level.
Klaus Mark, Managing Director of MK Illumination
2 contests – 100 ideas- 209 participants- 13.380 views
MK Illumination is a total solution provider and professional product supplier of high-quality lighting designs and is constantly on the lookout for new, innovative and exceptional designs. The designs create an artistic added value, but so far not a monetary one, because customers pay not for the design, but for the end product. In order to make installations even more creative and innovative, MK Illumination sought to collaborate with external artists and designers, also to counter its own lack of design resources.
The solution: LedsArt – the web portal for light installation competitions
Together with HYVE, MK Illuminationen developed LedsArt’s business model in a five-day sprint and planned the first contests. The LedsArt Community is a competition-based platform on which artists, designers and creative people can submit conceptual designs for light art installations based on a precise design briefing and already defined locations / application areas. Access to an enormously talented and creative global group of designers and the knowledge of stage owners who are keen to contribute to seasonal lighting festivals makes LedsArt an efficient medium that addresses the needs of designers and their consumers.
With the LedsArt Community and HYVE, real highlights were created in two crowd competitions
After identifying the best concepts from the LedsArt Community, MK Illumination further develops the concepts and presents them to the customer.
The success: The Giant Tree Experience and The Shops at Crystals
Accompanied by a community management by HYVE, the first contest took place on the LedsArt platform: “The Giant Tree Experience” Contest. Around the Christmas season the contest was about concentrating on Christmas tree concepts for a production partner of MK Illumination. The focus of the challenge was to create an immersive experience inside the tree.
In eight weeks, 57 contributions from 145 participants were submitted. The entries were commented on 351 times, evaluated 158 times and received an amazing 6,865 views.
The second competition went in a different direction. „The Shops at Crystals” shopping center in Las Vegas, which is home to all luxury brands in its halls, clearly intended to play on and celebrate all the facets of spring with noble light.
To develop a particularly creative concept, “The Shops at Crystals” made use of the creativity of the LedsArt Community. As part of a worldwide competition, LedsArt invited designers to submit their creative ideas for “The Art of Spring”.
64 participants responded with 43 contributions, 98 comments and 168 evaluations. The contest was viewed 7115 times.
Huge, colourful lilies that open their flowers, play music and sparkle with light were part of the winning concept that was finally implemented.
We are delighted with the result. The visitors remain curious and watch the display. The surprise and joy is huge when the petals of the lily open and the music begins to play. Many people pull out their smartphones to take pictures. It’s a sophisticated lighting experience and fits perfectly into the shopping center concept.
Thomas Eisner, Managing Director of MK Illumination Hong Kong
The LedsArt contests impressively show how inspiring a creative crowd can be to develop, discuss and mature concepts together.
Your benefits if you use the intelligence of the masses:
- Speed, because a community platform is a 24/7 tool
- Possibility of verification and validation. Whether a testing between two sprints or explicit product evaluation, the methods are manifold. Products: Overnight Feedback, Product Feedback, Topic Framing.
- External input against operational blindness through external project management
- Efficiency increase
- Meta insights through data analysis and reporting
- Real innovations – whether through small improvements or a big shot
