Top-Level Summary:
Planned, designed, and build a multi-sided marketplace platform for connecting 3D Modeling designers and everyday people with needs, problems and ideas, to solve everyday problems.
The website provides a way for users to post design requests and creators to post design services, all of which are added to a job board and can be accessed by both sides. People using the site can message each other and get the service they desire.
Read about DesignedLocally’s Deeper Mission.
Skills involved: SEE BELOW
The WHAT
I developed DesignedLocally.com to connect everyday folks needing custom designs, parts, made, or have cool ideas, with local 3D designers and people with 3D Printers.
IMAGINE a community where ideas can come to life and where innovation and creativity are used for its betterment; providing a way for any ‘ordinary’ person to CREATE.
My goal is to create a marketplace where people can find solutions to their everyday design needs, whether it’s fixing a broken part or bringing a new idea to life.
Designed Locally is also a place where the creative community of 3D Printing enthusiasts can show off their designs to the world by posting, not only to their Reddit or Facebook groups, but to people who can benefit from their creations in their own communities.
The WHY
I built DesignedLocally.com to bridge the gap between people with creative ideas or small problems and local 3D designers and other creators who can help solve those issues.
As someone passionate about innovation and the potential of 3D printing, I noticed that people often don’t know where to find custom parts or designs, not to mention even knowing solutions exist to inconveniences. Local designers also struggle to find clients. I wanted to create a platform that makes it easy for both groups to connect. As a CAD designer myself, I feel this is opportunity for growth here.
The world can be a cooler place with the creation of some intersection of the two groups.
The HOW
v1.0 of this platform is built using WordPress with plugins like WP Job Manager to handle listings for design requests and services, and Ultimate Member to manage profiles for users and creators without navigating through a complicated interface. I integrated Contact Form 7 with a custom form submission setup to allow users to post designs to our community blog. One of the biggest challenges was creating a way for users to add listings and interact within them. I employed Better Messages as a way to securely communicate with other members of the community.
With all this, I was able to achieve the necessary flexibility and ability to quickly create a basic platform to validate the project.
WHAT’s NEXT
I want (and NEED) FEEDBACK from the community of users! Whether you’re a designer or someone with a unique problem to solve, I welcome you to explore DesignedLocally.com. My plan is to quickly migrate to a professionally-developed full-stack website as the platform gains momentum, replacing the need for plugins.
If you have suggestions or would like to collaborate, feel free to reach out. Together, we can make 3D Printing more accessible for all.
Offer Engineering/Development Support ↗
Financially Support DESIGNEDLOCALLY.COM ↗
Want me to create a site like this for you? Reach out!
What it actually took to build DesignedLocally.com
- 3D modeling in Creo Parametric CAD since undergrad (2016-present)
- 3D printing with and for others starting in 2022
- Being a teacher and distilling information, asking the right questions, encouraging creativity and building tools for those purposes since 2022
- Teaching 3D printing to my students since 2022
- Validation of the idea for 1.5 years prior where I posted my custom design and 3D printing services on Facebook
- Working with real users during this time, learning about needs and pain points
- Documenting projects on social media and my website
- Defining the users I had and the ones for this new type of marketplace
- Learning about multi-sided marketplaces
- Determined that I could build on WordPress
- Determine what my MVP options would be
- Finding and researching white label marketplace websites or plugins
- Determining that a modified job board plug-in could work for the MVP
- Hooks and filters for coding within the website to achieve the desired functions
- Logo creation, using Canva, brainstorming name and a domain name
- Domain and hosting management
- Subdomain research and testing
- Learn WordPress and its CMS interface and systems
- Learn plug-ins how to implement them
- Learn how to create my own plug-ins
- Work within themes on WordPress
- Learn how to modify HTML, on-page, embedded and as a widget
- Learn how to add and modify CSS
- Custom headers and footers
- Learn about custom Javascript for specific functions and styling
- User management and user privileges
- Custom menus and pages based on user type
- Authentication methods, yet keeping it at an MVP level
- User signup and registration (as user and creator)
- Creating custom contact forms
- Contact form to blog post code and feature so users can post and bring in more traffic
- Determine key features of the tool
- Determine features for the MVP and for the future of the product
- Figure out a way for us to communicate
- Determine safe, communicating tools within my site – email encryption like
- Craigslist or internal messaging system
- Privacy laws
- Privacy statements and protection for users
- Terms of conditions – how to write it and how to protect myself and my users
- Constantly determine the simplest way to achieve certain functions given the skills I have
- Determining my monetization strategy in a simple way
- Contact creation
- Blog posting
- Search engine optimization
- Keyword research
- Linking and back-linking
- Attended an SEO seminar to learn more
- Google search console and using metrics for site visibility improvement
- Accessibility for my users, guidelines and standard procedures
- Copywriting within my website
- User interface research
- Research on how how my tool will be used
- How to use AI to build and maintain
- How do use AI to troubleshoot
- Reading books related to the efforts of this project (list of books)
- Going to entrepreneurship events and networking functions
- Strategizing for my marketing plan
- Strategizing and setting the website up for future growth and migration to a full stack app
- Trying to find (a) cofounder(s)
- Constant improvements to the sites layout and UI
- Monetization mechanisms part 2 – Stripe integration and APIs
- Researching different payment platforms within WordPress like Woocommerce and other multi-vendor marketplace tools
- Stripe Connect or PayPal for Marketplaces as an MVP – simple onboarding and usage
- Connecting with users on social media, and within Facebook groups and Reddit threads
- Posting my designs to Reddit in order to gain credibility and bring attention to the platform
- Business legal establishment and documentation
- Business taxes
- Finding and learning tools for running the business
- Exploring open source CRM and accounting software
- Documenting what I’ve done to help others create courageously.