The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.
Name: Doodle.ly
Quick Pitch: Doodle.ly is a creative social platform for doodlers. Hand-drawn masterpieces created on Doodle.ly can be shared to social networks.
Genius Idea: Doodle.ly artists can draw straight on the website or sketch using the Doodle.ly iPad app.
For Doodle.ly co-creators Evan Vogel and Darren Paul, the social platform they dreamed up and launched in July 2011 — is the place for innovation, creativity and inspiration on the web.
The latest user-submitted drawings include doodles of bright flowers, dinosaurs and detailed sketches paying homage to Beastie Boys Rapper MCA, who died last Friday. The current number of doodles on the site stands at 32,000 — and counting.
Doodle.ly is a web application and iPad app that lets users draw whatever they want and effortlessly share creations to the web. It takes under a minute for someone with a Twitter and Facebook to sign into Doodle.ly as a new user. That's when the magic happens. There are different pen tools and colors, all free to use, so the boundaries are endless.
Once the drawing, sketch or scribble is complete, doodles are shared on Twitter or Facebook automatically. The Doodle.ly team is working on building untethered account log-ins — to stop forced sharing. But for now, the world gets to experience all doodles created on Doodle.ly.
Vogel and Paul say they see most of the doodles that come through. These startup guys have high standards for their "highly skilled" userbase.
"We want to see the next Radiohead album or Time magazine cover created by doodlers," Vogel told Mashable.
An application update released on Tuesday is intended to make the social platform more interactive. New features include a "like button" on every doodle. Plus, a resulting "popular section" for trending images.
These social features were inspired by Instagram's internal system of "likes" and comments for the app's filtered square images. There's instant gratification in "likes," Paul says.
"This is really meant to be fun," Paul says. "The new features we are launching are socialization features. What the 'like' button does is take the app to the next level. You can like the doodle either by clicking the 'like' button or by double tapping the doodle. This allows the cream to rise to the top."
The social platform is meant to be playful and positive. The hand-drawn aspect of this medium is special, says the creators.
"We can see people around the world using this as a way to share a love note to a loved one, wish someone condolences or just to doodle a creative idea," Paul says.
Marketing teams are taking advantage of Doodle.ly's simple drawing interface and sharing aspects. NHL team, the New Jersey Devils, recently used Doodle.ly on Fan Appreciation Night as a crowd-sourcing device. Hockey fans were asked to sketch a team-inspired doodle to feature on 17,000 Rally Rags for the first home game of the playoffs. After 10,000 votes were cast, the fan-submitted doodle was announced.
The Doodle.ly team says the social platform of doodles is opening up new avenues of marketing and reaching consumers.
The team, however, says they are currently not focused on monetization or partnerships. For now, the team is busy beefing up its product and working on releasing its API. Projects they have seen come out of their privately released API include a tool for collaborative doodles and a screen saver app.
"We really want this to be a worldwide platform that is ubiquitous and can live out potential we believe it has," Paul said.
Are you a fan of web-based doodling? Tell us in the comments if this is a social platform you would use.
Images courtesy of Doodle.ly
Series Supported by Microsoft BizSpark
The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark, a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today.
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