I’ve sat down and decided to build not one or two but an ecosystem of products. Plus document it as well….
Coming out of the manufacturing side of fitted furniture has given me some perspective and even more of an appreciation for how hard the industry is as a whole. With mass manufacturing dominating and a “race to the bottom” pricing structure for some theres a market for pre-defined dynamic and parametric controlled cabinets to speed up production. Further to that, theres a market for self builders to be able to design exactly what they are after without getting cabinetmakers to spend hours designing and then find out they dont have the budget.
So, really a passion project for me to share my skills I’ll be building the following .. Over the course of however long it takes me. No timeframes, just steadily plugging away.
Programs that I’ll use to build the database that I have experience with
✅ Google SketchUp '{immediate product}
✅ Fusion360 {Product 2 onwards that will form the basis of everything I do}
Skills I havn’t the foggiest but interested in developing
🧠 Web App Development
🧠 iOS App Development
🧠 Anything in “product 5”
Product 1 - “Form” Google SketchUp Catalogue Database
A. Start with the makers that struggle with digital fabrication/ design
A digital catalogue that is developed to help concept - production for cabinetmakers with no CNC machine - Saw & cutlist. Speed up the process from design-manufacture. How does this help the big vision? It helps lower the entry barrier for customers that struggle within Sketchup but want to produce visuals/ cutlists to improve speed.
Feature list
- Free Basic 50 dynamic driven models, custom material library, accompanying break out blueprint drawings
- Customisable digital catalogue that can be sent to prospective clients with prices.
- Professional all of basic plus models are curated for cutlist optimisation
- Additional 25 dynamic controlled modules
- 2 dynamic, ready to manufacture media unit designs
- 10 pre-designed wardrobe elevations for smoother sales process
- The entire basic catalogue in shaker design
- Labeled components for cultist optimisation
- Getting Started Wiki Guide [ Notion ]
Product 2 “Build” - Fusion360 Catalogue Database
Note when building this catalogue also record how I do it - can then use these to publish a fusion360 digital fabrication course
Move onto the makers that have a CNC but don’t have the background or time to create catalogues.
The fabrication catalogue for manufacturers - struggle, purchased a CNC machine, not sure where to start. Filling in the lull gap of/ learning curve of purchasing a CNC machine and creating thier own programs or catalogues.
Fusion 360 Catalogue built on the back of Product 1 Professional. includes all designs as smart parametric components in a jigsaw manufacture design. Includes pre-designed and ready to manufacture trolleys, media units and design sets for wardrobes. This library is geared towards manufactures. All models have technical drawings and CNC files nested in the manufacture folder ready for output.
Feature list
- Parametric cabinet models with simple fixing method
- Parametric models come with a ‘CNC Only” and “Maker Required” configuration
- All configurations come with a nested model in fusion360 Manufacture so that they are ready to roll without the extension
- Technical drawings broken out that relate to the parametric model.
- Getting Started Wiki Guide [ Notion ]
Possible partnership opportunities with CNC companies, pre-nested / programmed such as Fabertec. Thier database of clients could then become approved manufacturers for ‘C”
Product 3 “Blueprint”- Ready to purchase blueprints & products [ fixed sizes, customisable ]
C. Blueprints in your hand/ database/ step by step guide - Customers with no access to any digital fabrication software but want to design their own space.
The fabrication catalogue will have the same designs as the manufacturers catalogue but pre-designed to certain sizes rounded to the nearest 20mm. All technical drawings & nests that relate to the designs will be itemised and downloadable. Hardware documents with product codes will also be downloadable. allowing anyone with a phone to access a workshops database. This will truley be a piece of software/ palm of the hand product for the makers.
Product 4 - “Model” The analogue Kit.
Using the database in ‘3’ the analogue kit will be a 3D printed product that customers can purchase to help design their space in 3D. Each 3D printed module will have an NFC tag within, providing the exact technical information required to build that unit.
Feature List
- All digital models in analogue format. 3 of everything within the printed catalogue.
- Doors replaceable depending on the design - so that if future designs of doors are produced ‘bumper packs’ can be ordered rather than replacing entire kits
- QR codes in the base of the models link to digital files relating to the model or 1:1 scale models in AR
- Magnets printed into the sides of the models so that the units snap together when playing with them in-situ.
- Option for custom box colour print - aligned with customers brand colours
Product 5 - “Studio” ‘Makers App’ IOS Store App.
Web Application using the entire of product 3 database and product 4’s analogue design capabilities to sell the blueprints as one-off packages. Each blueprint can be downloaded as a package or a subscription could lead to having unlimited access.
Feature List
- Shop
- Search Bar
- Barcode Scanning
- Purchases
- Recommended Hardware List w. purchasing options?
- Lidar Scanning for room plans
- Drag and drop the items into the place, chose the size of model and then a button that would just generate all of the information required based on the blueprint that the customer had made.
Discussion