mnemonic making nyu final presentation

Interviews today: 10Interviews to date: 51

Saki Hayashi (ITP)Pavan Nihalani (Poly)Sabrina Tam (Stern)

Architectural smart blocks to bridge the communication gap between architects and their clients

Cover

What we thought

What we learned

Where we ended

Next steps

Key Learning – Day 1

• We can target children ages 7+ and their parents with this architectural toy

Hypothesis

• Use your expertise as a competitive advantage

Teaching team

• Current MVP should not be directed toward architect students / the creative architect

Interviews

1. Toy retail stores2. Toy museums3. Science museums4. Amazon5. Suppliers6. Social media websites7. Distributors (UPS/Fedex)8. School supplier

1. Production - the quality of the products2. Creating/updating new pieces for the set3. Advertising4. Direct marketing

Diversified

1. Schools2. After school programs3. Children (+7) play in

house4. Mother meet-up

groups5. Architects6. Architects’ clients

‘Saving the configurations’before users destroy what they create

1. Newness2. New types of communication between physical objects and virtual world3. Customization4. Making cooperative building blocks game5. Design6. Educational7. Engaging8. Fun

1. Awareness - Website, toy retail stores, toy museums

2. Evaluation - website, social networking sites

3. Purchase - retail (brick and mortar), online stores

4. Delivery - website, online database

5. After sales- website, online support

1. Co-creation (customers can customize and create own design)

2. Online communities3. Online support4. Subscription to online

database for ongoing relationship5. Offer additional enhancements,

game pieces/characters

1. Subscription fees for the website (offline / online options)2. Maintenance fees (maybe no cost with online ad)3. Advertising within product (at later stage)4. Initial price $50-100?

1. Variable costs - production materials, maintenance for physical troubles2. Fixed costs - data storage, maintaining inventory, salaries

1. Physical - Manufacturing2. Intellectual - designers and engineers3. Human - research, design4. Financial

Saki, Sabrina, Pavan 8/24/14 1Parents with children (+7 age)


• Architects have communication issues with their clients – difficulty in visualizing drawings

Hypothesis

• Focus on one thing (Sims vs. Architect)

Teaching team

• Clients want a physical model to work with. Best way to communicate.

Interviews


ArchitectsSuppliersManufacturers

Architects’ clients


SchoolsMother meet-up groups

Architects that work on small projects, modular designsArchitects’ clients

Sim City users ?After school programs ?Children (+7 years) ?

Architects can use to bridge the knowledge gap with their clients through a new communication tool

Reduces time and cost for planning and reduces demand for project managers

Allows clients of architects to have an impact in constructing the design. They feel out of the loop.

WebsiteDirect selling to architects

Get: Partnerships, websiteKeep: Customer service, online support, online databaseGrow: referrals

1. Subscription fees for the website (offline / online options)2. Maintenance fees (maybe no cost with online ad)3. Advertising within product (at later stage)4. Initial price $50-100?5. Lease



Saki, Sabrina, Pavan 8/25/14 2

• Physical modeling helps translate 2D into 3D but it is time consuming and requires multiple revisions. We can target commercial architects that specialize in modular designs

Hypothesis

• Good to visualize, draw diagrams / workflows / processes

Teaching team

• Customers typically pay for the models, not architects! Model making is outsourced. Sales vendors come into office to provide new updates (material/industry) and continuing education

Interviews



ArchitectsSuppliersManufacturers



SchoolsMother meet-up groupsSim City users ?After school programs ?Children (+7 years) ?

WebsiteDirect sales force, dealersResellers (Hardware/software)

Get: Partnerships, website, trade shows, expos, journalsKeep: Customer service, online support, online database, product updates, customer satisfactionGrow: referrals

1. Subscription fees for the website (offline / online options)2. Maintenance fees (maybe no cost with online ad)3. Advertising within product (at later stage)4. Initial price $50-100?5. Lease




Architects that work on modular designs, project manager, director for smaller projects

Architect’s clients

Allows clients to have an impact in constructing the design. They feel out of the loop

Architects can use to bridge the knowledge gap with their clients through a new communication tool.

Reduces time and cost for planning. Reduces demand for project managers.

• We can use resellers as a channel• Renting and leasing can be a revenue model

Hypothesis

• Eventually, we will need one of each channel category. Start-ups start with one. Find the best option for you

Teaching team

• Outsourcing depends on the size of the architectural firm. Larger projects have managers in between architects and clients. Different parties involved in design process – modelers, developers

Interviews



Commercial ArchitectsDesign officesAutodesk (CAD program)SuppliersManufacturers





Get: Partnerships, website, trade shows, expos, journals, sales vendorsKeep: Customer service, online support, online database, product updates, customer satisfactionGrow: referrals

1. Subscription fees for the website (offline / online options)2. Maintenance fees (maybe no cost with online ad)3. Advertising within product (at later stage)4. Initial price $50-100?5. Lease, renting6. Add on services





Architect’s clients who want to participate in designing but no architectural skills




What we Learned ?

Don’t be afraid to ask !

Customers love to see physical models than 2D

drawings

Strategy doesn’t work in real world

Metrics never lie !!

How ?

Talking to potential customers

People always ask for demo or walk through

The markets are much more complex than they

look on paper

More customer interactions = More

insights and information

Application in the project

Pivoting according to the needs of the consumers

“Mnemonics Making” can be a prospective solution

Customer Interaction is the key part of every

strategy

Helped us in clarifying our channel and customer

relationships.

Overall education – Day 1 to 4

Workflow

Client

Preliminary designs (3D modeling /

drafting / drawing)

Design needed

Revise and develop

Architect

- Plan drawing- “Perspective” drawing

Client expectation

Early meeting

Late stage design development (3D model, detailed drafts, “perspective” drawings)

Agreement

1. Consumes time 2. Multiple revisions

Communication issues!

Client

Preliminary designs (3D modeling /

drafting / drawing)

Design needed

Revise and develop

Architect

- Plan drawing- “Perspective” drawing

Client expectation

Early meeting

Late stage design development (3D model, detailed drafts, “perspective” drawings)

Agreement

1. Participate in process2. Decrease revisions

MM

Before After

Ecosystem Architects

Mnemonic Making

Clie

nts

Developer

Contract

orModeler

Prototyping labsDigital fabrication

CommercialResidentialHospitality

Customer ArchetypesArchitectArchitectural designer at commercial office

Architect’s clientsFamily who remodels their house

Customer IRecommender

30s

Conservative

No time or motivation

Customer II

30s

Demanding

No architectural knowledge

Type

Age

Description

Influencer

40s

Critical

Gives feedback word-of-mouth /

writes review

Demands

Client’s friendFamily remodeled their house

Architect/DirectorManaging Director at Gensler

Decision Maker

50s

Rational

Purchasing tools used at firm,

feasibility

Realtime 3D rendering softwarecompanies

Saboteur

N/A

Competitor

Stay with status quo


Commercial ArchitectsDesign officesAutodesk (CAD program)Direct Suppliers - componentsManufacturers





Get: Partnerships, website, trade shows, expos, journals, sales vendorsKeep: Customer service, online support, online database, product updates, customer satisfactionGrow: referrals

1. Subscription fees for the website (offline / online options)2. Maintenance fees (maybe no cost with online ad)3. Advertising within product (at later stage)4. Initial price $50-100?5. Lease, renting6. Add on services


1. Physical – manufacturing Prototyping lab, production space2. Intellectual - designers and engineers, patent, NDA3. Human - research, design4. Financial – competitions, grants



Architect’s clients who want to participate in designing but no architectural skills




Next Steps

Today LL paper submission

Key Partners1. Autodesk - integration with existing CAD softwares

2. General Constructor / Developer -Integration with their system

3. Model makers for architect - Potential renting space

Graduation

Key Resources1. Design development - Need design and engineering changes

2. Search for competitions/grants - Gain funding

3. Search for manufacturer - Production

Revise Business Model Canvas

Validation through interviews

Continuing customer discovery

Limitless opportunities!

1. Product development2. Engineering solutions3. Participate in competitions

OR

Make another business model canvas and Pivot

Appendix

Market Size

$150 Million

$70 Million

$6 Million

Total Market( Total amount spend by Architects on

designing)

Potential Market (Architects that use modular designing)

Opportunity Market(Architects that are in New York)

Type of Business: Re-segmented market

Market• market size• cost of entry - unknown• launch type - unknown• Competitive Barriers - 3D modeling,

technical drafts• Positioning - unknown

Sales• Sales Model - direct sales / lease• Margins - unknown• Sales Cycle - unknown

Finance• ongoing capital - no• cost of entry - unknown

Customers• needs - a collaborative design tool

between architects and the clients• time to adopt - unknown

Customer Segments


• Have no architectural education• Want to be part of design process (emotional)• Difficulty visualizing 3D space from 2D drawings and

understanding spatial language (functional)• Have no ability to visualize scale

Architects

• Ability to draw 3D on diagrammatic drawing• Ability to reconstruct 3D space from 2D drawing• Ability to create 3D model in PC• No motivation to make physical mode• Ability to understand scale differences• Basic 3D / scale class typically $15K

What’s their role?How this person is evaluated / promoted / compensated?Who are they?Buyer’s namePosition / title / age / sex How do they buy?Discretionary budget (name of budget and amount)What matters to them?What motivates them?Who influences them?What do they read/who do they listen to?

Value Proposition

Architects





Mnemonic Making

• Provides interactive and physical model• Allows clients to participate in design process• Helps clients understand scale and technical drawings• Flexibility/option in base size• Stackable and expandable in virtual space• Automatic translation from physical pieces to virtual space online• Reduce needed time and cost

Channels

Profit + SG&A + R&D E

U

Dis

co

un

tsReseller

Dis

trib

ut

orCost of goods

(Supply Chain)

Direct sales forceProfit + SG&A + R&D E

U

Dis

co

un

tsCost of Goods

(Supply Chain)

• Direct sales force, dealers (to provide demos)• Resellers - particularly a person who provides maintenance on computers and

software within architectural offices (hardware/software)• Website

Reseller Advantage• Knowledge• Customer database• Customer relationships

Direct

Customer Relationship - Get Strategy

Awareness:• Direct Sales Force• Website and SEO techniques• Sales Vendors (continuing education)

Interest:• Tabling up and visiting number of trade expos• Advertising in various architecture magazine• Blogs, newsletters

Consideration:• Demos• Lunch and Learns• Landing page

Purchase:• Website• Resellers (vendors)

Revenue Model

Architect

In House

Hardware – Sales vendor. One time fee, maintenance, add-on services• Wood shop• 3D printer• Laser cutter - $20K

Software – license / subscription model• AutoCAD• Revit• Adobe

Outsourced – pay per use

• 3D printer

Client(pays for final model, depends on project)

Mnemonic Making’s Model

Hardware• Sales vendor• Maintenance• Add-on services• Renting / Lease

Software• Subscription model

Hypothesis Experiment Pass / Fail

ChannelWe can sell MM directly to architects.

We can sell from our website online.

Interview architects how they purchase the models they use to communicate to client.

Pass: Architects buy from our direct sales force. They go online to search for architectural tools to buy.Fail: They don’t buy from direct sales force or online.

Get StrategyArchitects hear about new architectural tools from their partners, other architects.

Architects get industry updates from trade shows, expos, journals.

Interview architects how they decide what tools to buy and where they get updates.

Pass: Architects get new information from their partners and other architects. They get industry updates through architect events.Fail: They get information elsewhere.

Revenue ModelArchitects pay one-time fee for the physical model.

Architects pay subscription fee to have access to online database.

Interview how they typically pay for their tools and how often.

Pass: Architects pay for the models and the current tools used.Fail: Someone else pays.

Proposed Experiments

Results from experimentsExperiment Results Iterate

Channels Interview architects how they purchase the models they use to communicate to client.

• Physical models (3D) are typically paid by customers because they want them.

• Medium to Large firms buy laser cutters (5 yr), wood shop (15 yr)

• Outsource 3D printing• Very few architectural vendors

• Ask what kind of customers buy physical models

• Talk to sales vendors

Get Strategy Interview architects how they decide what tools to buy and where they get updates.

• Use what they learned in school• Sales vendors visit offices (Lunch and learns,

continuing education)• Outsource 3D printing• From experienced hires• Blogs

• Consider partnership with continuing education

• Talk to outsource companies

Revenue Model Interview how they typically pay for their tools and how often.

• Firms use Autodesk software (CAD, Revit). Pay by license.

• If outsource $ > in-house purchase

• Talk to outsource companies

• Ask about other software/hardware companies