Systems and methods for design development

Abstract

This invention relates to a system and methods for developing designs. In one embodiment, a method includes electronically distributing a specification for a design to a distributed community of designers, receiving designs from each of a subset of the community of designers in response to the distributed design specification, screening received designs that do not meet the specification, facilitating evaluation of a subset of the received designs by a number of evaluators; and selecting a preferred design in response to the facilitated evaluation of the designs.

1 . A method for developing a design, comprising:
 electronically distributing a specification for a design to a distributed community of designers;   receiving designs from each of a subset of the community of designers in response to the distributed design specification;   screening received designs that do not meet the specification;   facilitating evaluation of a subset of the received designs by a number of evaluators; and   selecting a preferred design in response to the facilitated evaluation of the designs.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising rating the received designs. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the designs are rated according to predetermined criteria. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the designs are rated using a scorecard. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising ranking the designers in the subset of the community of designers in response to the ratings of the received designs. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the designs comprises a web site design. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the design comprises a design for a software application. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the software application may be provided over the internet as a web-based application. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the specification comprises one or more requirement selected from the set of requirements of: type of design, size of the design, size and color requirements, desired or undesired themes for the design, background information for creating the design, acceptable files type and format, and required documentation. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the screening comprises comparing received designs with specification requirements. 
     
     
         11 . A system for providing designs comprising:
 a communications module for electronically distributing requirements for a design to a distributed community of designers and receiving designs from each of a subset of the community of designers in response to the design requirements;   a screening module for screening received designs that do not meet the specification;   an evaluation module for facilitating evaluation of a subset of the received designs by a number of evaluators; and   a selection module for selecting a preferred design in response to the facilitated evaluation of the designs.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising a rating module for rating the received designs. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the designs are rated according to predetermined criteria. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the designs are rated using a scorecard. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising ranking the designers in the subset of the community of designers in response to the ratings of the received designs. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the designs comprises a web site design. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the design comprises a design for a software application. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the software application may be provided over the internet as a web-based application. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the specification comprises one or more requirement selected from the set of requirements of: type of design, size of the design, size and color requirements, desired or undesired themes for the design, background information for creating the design, acceptable files type and format, and required documentation. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the screening comprises comparing received designs with specification requirements.