Ponoko's Designmake Prime

Ponoko, one of the most innovative self-manufacturing services we've yet seen, has come up with a new service for makers: DesignMake Prime. It's similar to their regular service, which allows individuals to create designs, manufacture products and even sell them online. But the the new service has some key differences. Here are the new bits we thought were of most interest:

• Any materials can be used. Yeah, *any* materials that Ponoko can manage to "source and cut" can be used. Hmm, Leather? Screen? Beef? The imagination roils!
• The new service costs USD$22 monthly, up substantially from the basic free service, but the make and ship costs are substantially lower. We take this to mean that the service is most applicable to someone making and shipping a lot of product.
• Increased support. That is to say, more than merely email - and it includes live Skype!
• "Priority Queue for making". We're not sure what that means, but it sounds very good.
• Promotion is substantially increased, meaning "Offline" promotion, a "Certification Badge" and the very ominous "Promotion to US design stores".
• Design consultation and webinars to make sure your design isn't completely crazy.

The service looks very interesting for those busy builders out there. But there's something more to this; it means there ARE busy builders out there, and that Ponoko's service is growing substantially. Well done, Ponoko!

Via Ponoko Blog, Ponoko Pricing and Ponoko Video