Patent ID: 7797167

Claim:
A computer-implemented cooperative method for preparing a customized product, the method comprising: retaining, at a computer system of a first business, one or more unpersonalized product design images having one or more customer information fields corresponding to respective types of customer information, each unpersonalized product design image having an image identifier associated therewith and comprising an image of the product prior to personalization of the product specific to a customer, transferring the one or more unpersonalized product design images and image identifiers to a computer system of a second business, the second business preparing an email containing the one or more unpersonalized product design images and transmitting the email to a plurality of email addresses available to the second business, the email addresses being associated with customer information available to the second business, the customer information comprising one or more types of customer information, when an email recipient opens the email at a remote client and selects one of the one or more impersonalized product design images, automatically transferring the image identifier of the selected unpersonalized product design image and at least some of the customer information associated with the email address of the email recipient including at least one of the one or more types of customer information to the first business, upon receipt of the transferred image identifier and the transferred customer information at the first business, automatically incorporating the received at least one of the one or more types of customer information into corresponding customer information fields in the selected unpersonalized product design to create a personalized product design, and upon creation of the personalized product design at the first business, displaying the personalized product design to the email recipient in a browser at the remote client.