Mariam Naficy, the founder of cosmetics retailer Eve and design marketplace Minted, has long been dedicated to supporting independent artists and helping them sell their products. Her latest venture, Arcade, is a new type of marketplace designed to put creative control directly into the hands of users.
The platform launched its beta version in September, allowing customers, referred to as "dreamers," to input their creative ideas and generate diverse jewelry design options. Users can also upload images for personalized customization.
Once a customer confirms a design, Arcade assigns a craftsman to transform the digital concept into actual jewelry, including bracelets, charms, earrings, necklaces, and rings. Users can choose from various materials such as gold, brass, silver, and various gemstones including diamonds, garnets, and rubies.
Naficy personally tested the platform, inputting her personal preferences, which led to a generator designing an elegant gold floral necklace for her. After placing her order, she received a video of the finished product for approval within a few days, with the entire process taking about two weeks.
Image source: Arcade AI/Lauren Forristal
Although the necklace may seem ordinary, Naficy believes it perfectly embodies her aesthetic. Additionally, the quality of the opal selected was also approved by her friends.
However, the generation process did encounter some challenges, such as the generator's poor performance in designing multiple pieces of jewelry and difficulty in creating complex items.
Naficy noted that to ensure producibility, the platform has imposed restrictions on the generator to meet manufacturer requirements. Fortunately, the platform offers an editing tool that allows users to adjust designs, although the results are not always as expected.
In the future, Naficy plans to enhance the platform by adding more features, such as an image prompt adapter, which will allow users to modify designs more conveniently. Although designing jewelry on Arcade can be costly, at around $1,000 or more, simpler designs are expected to cost around $100, with shipping ranging from $10 to $30.
Even if users cannot purchase their designs, they can still enjoy the creative process and add their designs to their personal "dream board." Naficy hopes users will enjoy the fun of creation and share their work with others.
Additionally, designers can earn a 2.5% commission from sales, with sellers needing to meet certain criteria such as having 100 followers and selling three items.
Image source: Arcade AI/Lauren Forristal
The use of the platform's generator may spark controversy among jewelry designers, who worry that their creations could be copied, affecting their livelihoods. However, Naficy emphasizes that the craftsmen at Arcade are positive about this, seeing it as a new opportunity to interact directly with consumers.
Naficy also points out that the platform's designs do not fully replicate uploaded images and can control the similarity of generated content to protect artists' creations.
Arcade plans to expand into other categories such as accessories, clothing, and leather goods, potentially competing with emerging product creation platforms like Off/Script. Additionally, Naficy hopes to add social features, allowing users to interact and possibly launch design competitions.
Arcade has secured $17 million in funding from several prominent investors, including Ashton Kutcher and Reid Hoffman.