We've watched countless product categories get transformed in recent years to reflect the varying tastes and lifestyles of the baby-boom generation, offering a variety of alternatives to the mass-produced, one-size-fits-all approach. Funerals and urns are no exception, as we noted back in 2007, and recently we came across further evidence: Shine on Brightly, a North Carolina company that offers a wide range of artist-made urns and memorials.

The works of 27 artists are currently featured on the Shine on Brightly site, including handmade urns, memorial jewelry, textile art, remains-infused handblown glass and handmade books along with personalized poetry and paintings. Each product is uniquely crafted by the artist, with materials ranging from ceramics, glass, wood and metal to textiles and paper. Items can be designed to incorporate hair or 'cremains', or they can simply memorialize a human or animal's life; both commissioned and non-commissioned pieces are available.

The number of human deaths in the United States each year is expected to increase from about 2.4 million last year to 2.7 million in 2015 and 3.1 million in 2025, according to the Cremation Association of North America. Not too surprising, then, that Shine on Brightly is currently seeking more artists to create works for its line. One to get involved in...? (Related: Motorcycle hearses offer a (life)stylish final ride — Freeze-dried eco-burials — Licensing to the grave — Art after life.)

Website: www.shineonbrightly.com
Contact: info@shineonbrightly.com

Open source is by now a proven model for software design—could car design go the same way? Massachusetts enterprise Local Motors has set the wheels in motion. By crowdsourcing designs from a unique global community of designers, and manufacturing to order in regional micro-factories, Local Motors represents a paradigm shift from industry-standard mass production.

The Local Motors online community was launched in March 2008 and now has a membership of 4,000 car designers, engineers and enthusiasts. When Local Motors announces a design competition (for either a car body, or a particular feature), designers submit their work to the community, which then discusses and votes on the designs. Each competition specifies where the winning design will potentially be built, and submissions should be inspired by the target location—e.g. "an electric vehicle with a San Francisco soul". Local Motors picks a winner for the competition, whose design is then further developed by the community before being finalised for production by the Local Motors team.

The first crowd-designed car—the Rally Fighter—is already available, with production limited to 2,000 units (41 already sold). A price of around USD 50,000 adds to the exclusivity, but customers are not just buying a car: realising the high value today's consumers place on unique experience and status stories, Local Motors invites every buyer to help build their own vehicle over two weekends. Owners can even host their own competition on the website for a custom "skin" design for their vehicle.

Local Motors shows why crowdsourcing is such a powerful model: it's effectively free outsourcing that creates products the market wants, and fosters an intimate relationship between consumers and brands. Which other industries are lacking a crowd-driven business? (Related: Open source eco-car — Converting standard Corollas into electric cars.)

Website: www.local-motors.com
Contact: support@local-motors.com

Spotted by: Kare Anderson

Back in October we covered nAscent Art, which aims to bring original art into the realm of affordability for gift-giving purposes. Another effort that's similar in spirit is Eye Buy Art, a newly launched Canadian firm that seeks to make art less intimidating and more affordable for everyday consumers.

Eye Buy Art is a carefully curated online art gallery that represents an array of emerging photographers from Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. The site releases a new image every week, each from an artist among those deemed important by a high profile jury of professionals in the field. Limited edition photographs of the works represented are offered for sale through Eye Buy Art at prices starting at USD 25 for an 8-by-10 print; consumers who have signed up for the site's newsletter get first crack at them before they go public. Artists earn 50 percent from each sale; in addition, Eye Buy Art donates 10 percent to the Flash Forward Festival, its sister organization focusing on promoting the future of photography. All prints come with an edition card signifying the work's authenticity.

The site explains: “We think art is for everyone and we aim to make buying art easy, friendly, and affordable. Our name reflects our navigation – look, buy, and learn about art – and we hope to inspire new and existing collectors to buy art from these enthusiastic young artists at a pivotal time in their career.”

There are, of course, other like-minded sites out there—most notable, perhaps, is Jen Bekman's 20x200—but it's a growing field, and one that could do with a few more international or niche players. Care to be one of them...?

Website: www.eyebuyart.com
Contact: info@eyebuyart.com

Founded by a Brooklyn-based hackerspace, MakerBot Industries aims to promote the DIY manufacturing movement by producing affordable 3D printers that allow people to create almost any plastic object. CupCake CNC is the company's main product. Made from a 100% open source design that can be freely downloaded, the CupCake takes digital design files as its input and produces 3D objects by building up layers of plastic. The machine is sold as a flat-pack kit that can be assembled by two people in a couple of days. It can even make its own replacement parts. Tinkerers can create their own designs from scratch using CAD software, or download a design file from Thingiverse, an online repository for the sharing of open source MakerBot designs.

3D printers are nothing new, but they usually cost tens of thousands of dollars. The CupCake CNC kit is going for USD 750. With DIY manufacturing now so affordable, and the popularity of magazines such as Make on the rise, it's no wonder some are predicting a personal manufacturing revolution akin to that of personal computing. NYC Resistor is a small operation; could there be an opening for the mass production of MakerBots? (Related: Connecting creative consumers with local fabricators — Desktop manufacturing, minus the special software — More desktop manufacturing for consumers.)

Website: www.makerbot.com
Contact: www.store.makerbot.com/contacts

Spotted by: Bonnie Sandy

There' s a new kid on the flat-pack furniture block, offering a portable high chair solution. Made from recycled cardboard, the Feedaway from Melbourne-based Belkiz is an easy-to-assemble, lightweight version of the traditional feeding chair. It's designed to be used away from home, wherever baby or toddler feeding chairs aren't available, and otherwise folded away.

Designed for infants aged up to 20 months or weighing up to 20 kilograms, the Feedaway comes with a three-point safety harness. Its non-toxic food-grade coating can be cleaned with a wet cloth. It weighs approximately one kilogram (2.2 lbs), and Belkiz claims it will last for around 30 assemblies. After that, it's 100% recyclable.

Retailing for AUD 39.95, the Feedaway is a convenient piece of 'take away' toddler furniture and should fold nicely into the increasingly mobile lifestyles of parents with an eye for eco-iconic design. Belkiz is currently seeking stockists for the Feedaway in Australia, and distributors in the US and EU. One to partner with?

Website: www.belkiz.com.au
Contact: feedaway@belkiz.com.au

Spotted by: Emma Crameri