Information Technology Reference
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successfully in industries and businesses as diverse as John Deere's DeereTrax farm
machinery management system, Sumerset Houseboats' dialogical method of
bespoke houseboat production, LEGO Group's Mindstorms and LEGO Factory
applications, and Build-a-Bear Workshop's consumer-operated production process
(Zwick et al.
2008
).” In November 2004, the LEGO Group launched a new website:
www.LEGOfactory.com
. Children and other building enthusiasts visiting the site
were invited to design LEGO models and take part in competitions for LEGO
prizes. The idea behind the website was to develop the Group's contacts with LEGO
fans of all ages. If children were looking for advice or ideas, they could see inspira-
tional material at the site posted by LEGO designers and adult LEGO fans. Visitors
could build 3D LEGO models using a special software application, LEGO Digital
Designer (LDD), and join the LEGO Factory competition. Every week, new win-
ners were selected. On top of receiving LEGO products, they automatically com-
peted for the certifi cation of “professional LEGO Factory designer,” which entitled
them to have their model mass produced and sold on the offi cial corporate website.
Many of the better-designed products uploaded by consumers are in fact appropri-
ated by LEGO for general production and sale, with design recognition (but no
fi nancial recognition) granted to the creator. In this way, LEGO taps into the mass
intellectuality of a globally networked community of consumers to speed up inno-
vation and market response rates. The fi rst version of LDD appeared a year ago on
www.LEGO.com
.
The program can be downloaded free of charge. The LEGO
Factory is not only a creative tool, it also provides the LEGO Company with a digi-
tal database of user creations and thus with invaluable information about their most
active fans (ibid, 2008).
9.4
Enthusiastic Labor
Organized cooperation in which users interact within communities is also common.
Innovation communities are often stocked with useful tools and infrastructure that
increase the speed and effectiveness with which users can develop and test and dif-
fuse their innovations (von Hippel
2005
, p. 93). Von Hippel defi nes innovation com-
munities as “meaning nodes consisting of individuals or fi rms interconnected by
information transfer links which may involve face-to-face, electronic, or other com-
munication. Innovation communities can have users and/or manufacturers as mem-
bers and contributors. They can fl ourish when at least some innovate and voluntarily
reveal their innovations, and when others fi nd the information revealed to be of
interest (p. 96).” A growing number of adult LEGO enthusiasts begun setting up
groups to discuss their LEGO hobby. They call themselves AFOLs: Adult Fans of
LEGO. Over a period of years, the LEGO Group has actively developed relations
with many AFOL groups, who have their own websites, organize public events, and
take part in LEGO development projects. In January 2005, the LEGO Group
announced its “LEGO Ambassador” program for AFOLs worldwide. The purpose
of this program is to expand mutually useful relations between the LEGO Group
