Arcade, a cutting-edge AI product creation platform, is transforming the way individuals design custom jewelry by placing creative control directly into the hands of its users. Dubbed as “Dreamers,” these users can input their ideas into Arcade’s AI generator, which utilizes a combination of third-party models like Stable Diffusion and Midjourney to produce a diverse array of jewelry design options. The platform’s innovative approach ensures that each design remains unique, avoiding exact replicas of uploaded images.
The experience on Arcade is further enhanced by a feature known as the “magic editor,” which allows Dreamers to personalize their designs to match their vision. However, the AI generator has encountered challenges in its creative journey, particularly with adding multiple charms to a single necklace or creating intricate objects such as a twenty-sided die. Despite these hurdles, the platform continues to offer a unique and engaging user experience.
Designing bespoke jewelry on Arcade comes with a premium price tag, potentially costing $1,000 or more depending on the complexity of the design. Once a Dreamer finalizes their design selection, it is assigned to one of Arcade’s skilled artisans who transform the digital concept into a tangible piece of jewelry. Makers on the platform set their prices and must agree with the Dreamer’s design before commencing production, ensuring a collaborative and consensual process.
Arcade also offers Dreamers an opportunity to profit from their creativity, providing a 2.5% commission on sales of their designs. Additionally, the platform may introduce competitions where winners can earn free jewelry if their designs receive the most votes, further incentivizing user engagement and creativity.
The platform’s founder, Mariam Naficy, emphasizes the importance of maintaining artistic integrity and originality within Arcade’s marketplace.
“We can block certain words from being used in the prompt layer. Also, in our image functionality, we can dial up how strongly the AI is allowed to deviate from the source image,” – Mariam Naficy
Naficy brings her experience from running Minted, where she witnessed firsthand the challenges artists faced with design copying.
“I spent 15 years running Minted, where people would copy our artists all the time, and I could see the pain that it caused people. I was very artist-empathetic because we were constantly issuing takedown notices for them on our site and trying to protect the artists and the art. So what we’re doing, I think gives us actually more control than most marketplaces,” – Mariam Naficy
The reception from makers on Arcade has been overwhelmingly positive, as they see it as an opportunity to connect directly with consumers.
“They were very receptive. I was not expecting that…They saw it as a way to increase business, you know, like, ‘This is great because now I can talk to consumers and understand what they want,’” – Mariam Naficy
To ensure manufacturability of designs, Arcade works closely with its makers.
“To make sure that everything is manufacturable, we actually have to constrain the models a little bit to what the makers are giving us in terms of data or what they can make,” – Mariam Naficy
Arcade envisions expanding beyond jewelry into other categories such as accessories, apparel, and leather goods. To become a seller on the platform, users must have at least 100 followers and either sold three items or achieved $500 in sales. The entire process from order placement to product delivery takes approximately two weeks, highlighting Arcade’s efficiency in turning dreams into reality.
Naficy highlighted her vision for Arcade as not only a commercial platform but also a space for creativity and fun.
“We just want this to be magical and fun, and we’re just going to keep working on these experiences until it’s more magical and very fun. But there is this part of me that just wants people to be able to create for fun and share their creations with other people. They don’t actually have to only buy to experience the site,” – Mariam Naficy
Featured image courtesy of The Information
