what has been the most rewarding or exciting part of the Sabin Project Planner development process so far?
First, I am incredibly proud of our team and what we have accomplished. The Project Planner is a complex tool from a multidisciplinary team that includes product designers, graphic designers, architectural designers, and computer programmers, all with various levels of experience and backgrounds. So, to see each part slot into place from their respective members and the learning opportunities that presented themselves has been incredibly rewarding.
However, more specifically to the planner development, the most rewarding part has been to see our physical product development essentially “grow-up” with the Project Planner. The Project Planner has never been treated like an afterthought, as every product is being developed, the team is constantly thinking about how the user will interact with the product within the planner: i.e. what dimensions are customizable vs static, what features are auto-enabled when other features are active, etc. to make an intuitive product/project configuration process. Being able to develop the digital counterpart of our physical product and bring each product offering to its full potential is really rewarding.
What are some back-end features that the Project Planner is capable of? (Particularly those that look easy for a user, but presented challenges for the team?)
Being able to store an endless number of variables for each individual product was a complex task. Each product could have a different trim color, thread color, light engine, etc. and the Project Planner is a vessel where the user can make all those decisions in a straight-forward process as well as save that information on the back-end for the user to be able to reopen that project and make any necessary changes. That information is also saved internally and allows us to generate the necessary files for production on the back-end. So, by using the planner the user is directly streamlining the production process for their project.
What was the biggest challenge or unexpected hurdle the team faced ahead of launch?
The biggest challenge was developing the overall concept of the Project Planner and determining what it is, and what it is not. There is really no other product at this level of customizability or visualization in our field, so there was no precedent to draw from. We are excited to have different users explore the beta launch, so we can get more information on what should come next — we’re just getting started!
What are some of your favorite features so far about the Project Planner?
The general environment. The planner feels like a place where you can get a deeper understanding of each product we offer, as well as discover combinations of product variables that you wouldn’t initially think would work well. Just from my own testing I have found color combinations that I didn’t think would work well, but then you see them in the planner and realize they look great! Instead of ordering and waiting for samples to see if two colors will work together the user can see the results in real time and make more informed decisions about their project.
