The big idea
We wanted to create a place where you could shop for and make things that are completely original, and do this in the greenest way possible.
So we made Ponoko ... the first online shop for individualized goods – things designed and made just for you.
Right now you can shop the marketplace for designer crafted goods, request a designer to make something especially for you, or create and make something yourself.
And if you want to turn your creativity into cash, you can set up your own Internet shop to sell your designs and products using our web commerce and digital make-on-demand services. No set up fees. No monthly fees. No listing or sales fees. No minimum orders. No inventory. Simply click to design, make, sell and deliver your creativity to the world, at your own speed.
With Ponoko you can:
| Make | Share | Sell | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
Ponoko manages every detail for you to buy, make and sell stuff. This service includes a marketplace for shoppers to find the most original designer crafted goods, match making between shoppers and designers to get exactly what you want, a personal online factory for you to 'click to make' whatever you can draw, and a personal online shop to show, share or sell your stuff.
How it works - for consumers
Ponoko is the simplest and most affordable way to buy original products:
How it works - for creators
Ponoko is the easiest and most profitable way for creators to get their products to market:
Click to make
One day we thought to ourselves "if we can click to create great looking designs all over the web, why can't we click to make these creations into real products?" We found out you can.
Buy individualized
Given the choice, we'd much rather buy products that have been created specifically for us. In fact, a growing number of people demand to be a part of the creation process - they don't want what they're given. And we agree - buying things designed from scratch is...
Green goods
We cut the waste from oversupply by making products on-demand. We also cut carbon emissions by sourcing local materials and making products as close to the point of consumption as possible. We're just starting but this minimizes reliance on the traditional supply chain associated with the transportation and storage of the products we typically buy today.
Your copyright
Everyone who uploads their creations to Ponoko owns the copyright absolutely, subject to other people's rights (if any). We also enable you to set copyright license using the Creative Commons scheme - from all rights reserved through to free and open use, with a few in between. The Ponoko community is given the tools to report copyright abuse too. So we're pretty keen for everyone to mix, mingle and play nice.
Co-creation
The Internet enables us to share more than ever before. And clever software now enables more than one person to be a part of the product creation process. It is now possible for anyone (not just those with lots of time and money) to get a product that no one else has, with the click of a mouse.
Open design
Product plans are being shared freely across the web in the same way we share software, photos, music and movies. The good news is these earlier examples are educating us about how to share and sell design files so everyone is happy.
On-demand products
Here are some of the cool things about manufacturing-as-a-service direct from a product plan:
- You can change the product to how you like it, rather than being forced to take a standard one from the shelf.
- You have infinite choice because unlimited creativity means the virtual shelf is never out of stock, of anything. This also means that if you can not find it anywhere else, you will find it here.
- There is much less physical waste from oversupply.
- And as a seller you have unlimited inventory without the cost of inventory.
The post-industrial revolution
It's here and it's changing the way products are created, traded and distributed. You can now 'click to make' individualized goods using your PC.
The future - a virtual transporter system
Ultimately, instead of buying a physical product that was designed in California, made in China then shipped to your local store so you can drive down, buy it and take it home, Ponoko enables the product plans to be shipped to your home, where you can download it and make it on demand. We openly wonder when the stars will align for this to happen?
Why this is such a great idea
At least two reasons:
- Today's booming market of pro-am designers face a daunting task trying to make anything, let alone commercialize their product ideas. They need design advice, materials supply, manufacturer support, sales and distribution partners and a management system. Organizing any part of this is a major challenge, organizing all of it is a nightmare. So most have just given up. And for good reason, until now. Ponoko is the world's first online service that makes it simple and profitable for pro-am designers to create, make, sell and deliver their original creations to market.
- Everyday consumers quietly envy those who have the time and money to buy original products, while searching high and low to find good quality reasonably priced items that set them apart from everyone else. The search is often futile, until now. Ponoko is the world's first online marketplace that makes it simple and affordable to search for, find and buy individualized goods.
Who is using Ponoko?
The designer
Jeff is a trained designer. He already knows how to get his ideas made and doesn't want traditional manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers clipping the ticket on the way to market to the tune of at least 50% (and up to 95%). He uses Ponoko to get in front of customers directly - anywhere in the world. And by making, selling and delivering his products through Ponoko, he can concentrate on developing new ideas rather than managing a business.
The maker
Sue is a maker from way back. She makes costume jewelry, badges and other cool stuff. Sometimes though, she finds it hard to get the materials she wants - and she doesn't have the tools she needs to cut out the intricate designs she would love to make. With Ponoko, she can design delicate pieces made from a whole range of materials - and add the finishing touches herself to create truly individual pieces.
The buyer
Martha wanted a new lamp for her living room, but the ones she saw in the big lighting stores all looked kind of the same - and the cool designer ones were way out of her price range. She bought a light box direct from a designer on Ponoko. It's got a unique story behind it - she's pretty sure none of her friends will have one like it - and it cost a fraction of what she would pay in a design store.