There are 3 types of crowdstorming projects: search, collaborative and integrated

The most common pattern is search. Contests fall into the search bucket because they are mainly focused on searching for the best ideas (or candidates, partners, etc.). The search pattern is often appropriate, because we can simply test the best ideas -- think of X PRIZE or DARPA Grand Challenges.

LEGO Cuusoo is good example of a collaborative crowdstorm. It is not so much a contest as a collective filter. As in the search pattern, people or teams pitch ideas. The Cuusoo community needs to give the idea 10,000 votes before it will be reviewed by the LEGO team. And the community also offers feedback on possible refinements to help submitters increase their chances of success. A similar feedback process helped GE understand the value of Ecomagination Challenge proposals, from which it ultimately found new investments opportunities and partners for its sustainable energy businesses.

Read more at: From Crowdsourcing to Crowdstorming