We've heard a lot about the "wisdom of crowds" in recent years, mostly in relation to Internet sites that let their readers make key decisions.Digg.com, for instance, is a news site that lets its readers choose which stories are most important. Then there's Yelp.com, which lets users review products and services in hopes of gaining a consensus.
Now it seems that some of that Web 2.0 philosophy is rubbing off on more traditional businesses. Companies like Threadless, a T-shirt company in Chicago, and Ryz, an athletic shoe company in Portland, Ore., are making it possible for consumers to design shirts and shoes. Consumers then vote for their favorites, and those are the products these companies sell over the Internet.