cast your vote.

for some inexplicable reason many people hold the belief that whoever shouts the loudest can claim to have the right opinion in a democracy. majority rule might be the simplest form of democratic decision making, but fortunately is not the one nations follow when deciding on important matters. recent debates on national online behavior reassures me in thinking that there is plenty of truth in the idiom referring to flies and a pile of dung...

nevertheless, there are places where majority vote does very little harm. voting as an integral part of marketing campaigns may not be new, but running an entire store based on customer preferences seems bold and exciting – at least to me.

fashion4home.com is – despite the drivel name – a stylish online furniture store where visitors vote which designs make it to production and become available for purchase for a limited time.

although i have certain doubts about whether their line of products was to look as streamlined as it does if finns who prefer suomi-soffa had a say in the matter, i cannot help but marvel how polished a selection they accumulate by just listening to their customers. the requirement of multiple votes does minimize the number of outlandish and unconventional items, but seems to allow some trendy and innovative tokens. the downside is the obvious appearance of designer rip-offs which borderline blatant imitation.

my favorite is the completely recyclable cardboard shelving unit above right. all in all, i think we need more of this kind of retail democracy. perhaps it's the only kind where direct majority rule works... or what do you think?