LOFT COLLECTION
PROJECT MANAGER
University FC, Guidecraft Inc
2018 - 2020
Loft Collection is a combination of two projects that I managed from 2018-2020. We begin with five Toddler Lofts and, based on market success, expand to two Early Childhood Lofts. The lofts are fully furnished and padded with carpets and soft materials.
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TODDLER LOFTS
2018 - 2019
We begin with Toddler Lofts. In 2018, five toddler lofts will be opened. The main difficulty is that this is the first time we have combined carpet, plastic, fabric, and wood into a single product.
This is also the first project on which I collaborate with a junior designer, which presents a significant challenge for me as a first-time project manager.
UP AND DOWN LOFT
Smallest Loft with simple play patterns. It is the best seller due to its small size and lower price point.
DRAMATIC PLAY LOFT
Medium size loft with integrated dramatic play kitchens. It is another best seller due to its combined functions
CITY LOFT
Medium size loft with panoramic balcony
MODERN LOFT
Large size loft with a windowed bridge.
ADVENTURE LOFT
Large size loft with big elevated space and crawl tunnel
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EARLY CHILDHOOD LOFTS
2019-2020
After the success in 2018, we start working on bigger lofts for early childhood environments. Together with the junior designer, we come up with four concepts. We plan to launch two lofts in 2019 and another two in 2020. But due to covid, we launched only two lofts to the market in 2019.
FOREST ADVENTURE LOFT
Compact size loft that offers adventurous activity within the classroom.
CAFE LOFT
Large loft that offers a kitchen with counter, seating, and elevated space. It offers full roleplay activity.
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CONCEPTUAL PROCESS
Because there are no compatible products on the market, we begin the ideation process right away. We begin with the dramatic play loft, which combines the dramatic play kitchen with the loft's play flow.
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DETAILING PROCESS
One of the main challenges of the project is to devise a method for designing and planning modular platforms for the loft. We devised a simple layout framework that enables us to clearly see the layout in order to easily understand the size, initial cost structure, and play pattern of each design.
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DESIGN FINALIZATION
Each collection unit contains numerous components and materials. In this stage, our junior designer completes each loft's construction in detail, and I serve as a reviewer while also researching materials and factories in China.
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MATERIAL SOURCING
While we finalize the design details, I work to source and test the carpet from a Chinese manufacturer. I test carpet with different backing materials and glues. After extensive testing, we decided on action back and white rubber glue.
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SAMPLE PROCESS
I collaborate with our manufacturers in China and Vietnam to create a prototype during the sample prototyping process. I inspect, evaluate, revise, and confirm samples for production at factories in both China and Vietnam.
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CARPET SAMPLE PROCESS
The carpet presents a significant challenge for us because its manufacturing tolerance is 15%, which is much higher than that of the furniture. We run numerous rounds of production to determine the average usable size, placement, and size guidelines for each loft.
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SAMPLE 3D MODEL
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