There's nothing like a baby to inspire adults to seek new heights of design and personalization. Last week we covered RoomsByYou's customizable fabrics for baby rooms, after which we were happy to spot Alphabet Plates, a line of plates and placemats that can be customized for young kids.

With bright, bold designs and BPA-free construction, Alphabet Plates can be personalized to reflect kids' favourite foods, sports, faces or monograms. Those approximating a child's face, for example, allow customization of the 10-inch melamine plate's colour as well as the child's hair, eye colour, skin tone and accessories; two small text boxes can accommodate the child's name and a phrase like "Big Sister." Food-themed designs include pizza and tofu, while volleyball and bicycling are among the sports represented. Alphabet Plates are priced at USD 22. The Florida company's personalizable USD 18 placemats, meanwhile, show where all the dishes and utensils go and are available in English, Spanish, French, Hebrew, Dutch and German. A portion of every sale is donated to the Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation.

It seems safe to say consumers will never tire of customization, especially when it comes to their children. What we can't wait to see is, who will make the first line of customizable—reusable or disposable—diapers...?

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

Spotted by: swissmiss

Puzzle books are big sellers, but generally not much to look at. Aiming to capture that gap in the market is a series of eyecatching, pocket-sized books. The Pocket Posh line includes about two dozen books, which retail for USD 7.99. Each features 100 puzzles: crosswords, hangman, word searches, logic puzzles and various forms of sodoku.

Floral and geometric designs grace their covers, and the books have rounded corners and elastic band closures that mimic Moleskine notebooks. Developed by The Puzzle Society and published by Andrews McMeel, Pocket Posh is targeting female puzzlers. Proof once again that everything can be upgraded to appeal to design-sensitive consumers. One for other publishers to be inspired by? (Related: Toilet seat covers, upgraded — Chic vomit bags for morning-sick moms.)

Website: www.andrewsmcmeel.com
Contact: www.andrewsmcmeel.com/contact.html

We've written about various ventures that connect businesses with 'crowds' of graphic designers. Most work with contests, meaning that only the winning designer is paid for his or her efforts.

While companies like Crowdspring, CustomAdArt and 99designs (formerly SitePoint) tap into a global pool of pro-amateur or underemployed professional designers, a company in the Netherlands recently launched a local version, focusing on Dutch-speaking clients and designers. Like its international brethren, Brandsupply works with contests that run for 7 or 14 days. Clients outline a project and set the price they're willing to pay, after which designers can submit their suggested solutions.

The downside of a national approach is obvious: a smaller pool of talent to draw on. But for clients who don't feel comfortable communicating in English, or who need designers to be able to understand and incorporate local customs and tastes, local crowdsourcing marketplaces make sense. One to try out in your part of the world?

Website: www.brandsupply.nl
Contact: info@brandsupply.nl

Spotted by: Berend Schmit

Much the way DesignYourDorm gives college students 3D modelling tools to customize and shop for their dorm rooms, so RoomsByYou aims to bring such capabilities to the rest of us.

The California-based company goes well beyond simply allowing consumers to mix and match existing products, however; instead, it offers a combination of customization tools and build-to-order, on-demand manufacturing capabilities to give consumers a way to personalize the textiles used in their room. Beginning with baby rooms, the site lets consumers customize quilts, baby blankets, changing pads, pillows, crib bedding, diaper stackers and more using its assorted fabrics made of cotton, linen or polyester—silk and organics are coming soon. Consumers begin by choosing whether they want a classic or contemporary room. From there, they can mix and match fabric styles created by the site's participating designers, or they can upload artwork of their own for use in creating a new design. A retail calculator keeps track of the running total cost, and rooms can be shared, tagged or used to create a registry. An assortment of precustomized rooms are also available. All items from RoomsByYou are hand-assembled on demand in the San Francisco area. Coming soon are options for designing rooms for kids, teens and others as well.

Similar in many ways to DesignMyRoom—which unfortunately got repurposed since we covered it last year—RoomsByYou is further proof that when it comes to customization, there's no such thing as too much. Keep the design-your-own innovations coming! (Related: Design-your-own duvets — More design-your-own fabric.)

Website: www.roomsbyyou.com
Contact: support@roomsbyyou.com

Once popular in Europe, folding campers have come to struggle with a bit of an image problem. They're practical and make for cheap travel, but have as much sex appeal as an orthopedic shoe. Aiming to change that is Opera, a foldout trailer that's as eyecatching and luxurious as it is convenient.

Designed by Axel Enthoven, who has led the department of Man & Mobility at Eindhoven's Design Academy since 1989, the Opera's overlapping domed tent is unabashedly inspired by the Sydney Opera House. It folds out of the trailer in minutes, revealing a sleek interior that includes hot and cold running water, a toilet, a simple stove, a wine cabinet and an espresso bar. As well as two luxury beds that slide together at the push of a button. And an enclosed teak veranda.

More compact than a full-sized recreational vehicle, the Opera allows travelers further off the beaten track, which is why it's being marketed as "your suite in nature". The concept will no doubt appeal to a new breed of nomads who want the feeling of roughing it out in the bush, without the actual roughness. Pricing hasn't yet been announced—Opera will be officially launched in December and taken into production in 2010—but it's safe to say that the company is targeting the high end of the market. (Related: Pop-up cabins designed for stargazing — Upscale camping at summer music festivals — Farm camping in cottage-style tents.)

Website: www.yoursuiteinnature.com (note that the current website is limited to a Flash presentation)