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Here’s a project we’ve been working on for Kraftmaid Cabinetry. We have been converting products from their catalog into Google SketchUp files. Designers can now download these files for free from the Google 3D Warehouse.

Connecting with more Designers
When we first spoke with the Kraftmaid trade marketing team, they were asking themselves the following question: “Who can we reach with our product offerings and how can we connect with them?” Targeting the Kitchen & Bath design space, Kraftmaid had done an incredible job of reaching Kitchen & Bath dealers with educational training and product information. And by providing their entire catalog in 20-20 file format, they were also effectively reaching dealers and designers who use that 20-20 software.

In addition to these efforts, Kraftmaid wanted to reach designers who were not using 20-20. They realized that a large piece of their target market needed certain tools to help with the design process.

Don’t market products – Give away tools
After surveying the marketplace, it was clear to Kraftmaid that Google SketchUp was a great way to reach the designers they wanted to target. SketchUp is widely adopted; there are over 1.3 million unique activations of the program each week, and over 1B visits to the Google 3D Warehouse have been logged since it was launched in April 2006. SketchUp is free, and so is access to the Google 3D Warehouse (note: there is a $495 Pro version of SketchUp as well, but even this cost is minor compared to other comparable software). Finally, many other design software can use SketchUp files.

Kraftmaid began by asking us to experiment with the types of SketchUp files they can offer designers. Below, I identify types of Kraftmaid models found in the 3D Warehouse and describe why each of these collections exists:

• Putnam door style, individual cabinet models: Designers looking for Wall, Tall and Base cabinets can now drop Putnam cabinets directly into their kitchen designs. These cabinets are formatted as Dynamic Components; designers can import them into their designs, re-size the cabinets on the fly to fit the design, and be certain that the new size is indeed a cabinet that Kraftmaid sells. Each cabinet comes with its own branded information window that allows designers to see what model numbers they are using and even click out to the Kraftmaid website for more information. Each cabinet is interactive; designers can click on the cabinets to open the doors and drawers, enabling them to experiment with spacing decisions during the conceptual stages of design.

• Kitchen island concepts: Kraftmaid designers have put together a number of innovative island design solutions for showroom kitchens around the country. They’ve decided to begin offering those same solutions as SketchUp files for downloading from the 3D Warehouse. Now designers can drop islands into their projects and modify them to suit their clients’ needs, all while designing with real-world cabinet options.

• Entire Kitchens and Homes: Beyond providing cabinets and islands as 3D tools, Kraftmaid also wants to inspire designers with full showroom kitchens, and kitchens from real-world homes. For folks unable to visit these kitchens and homes in person, we created SketchUp models using the actual cabinetry, appliances, faucets and finishes from the real kitchens and homes. It’s the perfect way for a designer to explore other successful designs and glean new ideas to apply to their next project.

Results
In the last 8 months, over 700,000 Kraftmaid cabinets have been downloaded as either individual SketchUp files or entire cabinet suites within a kitchen design. This tremendous success reflects their efforts to reach a larger part of the design community by offering tools and education for SketchUp users. We’re happy to be developing a ton of innovative new content for this initiative. We can’t say what’s coming next just yet, but we’re sure you’ll be excited about what’s on the horizon!