SolidWorks Debuts `Let’s Go Design’ TV

Here’s a clever use of social media. SolidWorks has just launched what it’s dubbed “an interactive Web series” with the intent of rallying the engineering and design community around SolidWorks-led design projects.

Called “Let’s Go Design,” the site employs a blend of social media, including blogs and Twitter, along with Discovery Channel-like programming to invite engineers (and regular viewers) to vote on product ideas and provide their own design input to a SolidWorks team as they work on completing a finished product. Hosted by 18-year design engineering veteran and SolidWorks employee Jeremy Luchini, the site currently asks viewers to vote on a product idea that Luchini will build first. Their choices: A CAD chair (what they’re calling a CAD control center); a breakfast maker that can prepare eggs, bacon, toast and coffee all in one fell swoop; or a self-leveling construction workbench that plugs into a trailer hitch.

In addition to being able to cast their vote for a project, viewers will be able to contribute their own design ideas via social media tools, which Luchini will coordinate and incorporate into the design. Luchini will keep everyone up-to-date on the design progress via his blog and Twitter feed, along with video that will showcase the on-going design efforts. In addition, the site will also serve up viewers’ tweets and blog comments, a valiant attempt to keep everyone engaged in the new social media community. If all goes well, SolidWorks is hoping to sponsor as many as four “Let’s Go Design” segments this year.

It’s yet to be seen if the effort will produce the next big design innovation. But it’s certainly breaking new ground in leveraging social media tools to foster community among engineers.