À propos du projet
Hi All. Thank you for visiting our campaign. We would really appreciate it if you could let us know what you like (or dislike) about our campaign in the comments section. We really want to learn and improve. Thanks.
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What is Aran Blocks?
Aran Blocks is a patent pending building blocks system that can create useful weight bearing structures including small furniture pieces and much much more.
92% of Aran Blocks Testers said they would buy Aran Blocks*
The Aran Blocks building system consists of only 2 unique shapes. The block and the cover. The blocks form the backbone of the system, and fits onto all six sides of another block. The cover piece gives the top of the block a flat surface and also serves as reinforcement for structures made from the blocks.
The size and shape of the structures can be easily modified by either adding or removing blocks, making them infinitely customisable and perfect for the odd corners at home. The blocks also have a hollow core to run small cables through, such as headphones, charging cables or USB connectors.
Structures made from Aran Blocks are strong. Really strong. The unique nestling system of the blocks allow horizontal surfaces you create to bear weight.
But Aran Blocks aren't just for adults or furniture. Their simple design and large size makes them ideal for children 5 and up, to build their own little world.
Besides nurturing their creativity Aran Blocks also promotes the habit of "planning ahead" amongst kids. While Aran Blocks is super easy to build, to build slightly complex structures, such as the castle below, you need to build it layer by layer. This requires the builder to plan their build ahead of time and then build it step by step.
Colour Combinations
We would love to offer Aran Blocks in every colour in the world. But given we are a small startup, we had to limit the number of colours to make inventory and fulfilment manageable. However besides the colours and colour combinations below, we are open to adding more options. Pink and purple are strong contenders. We will also be running a survey after the campaign to see if there is interest in any more colours.
DAD invented (by Dev Anand Dorasamy)
Aran Blocks was born out of frustration while playing with my son Aran and his construction toys. I didn’t like the fact these blocks only fit vertically and that structures made from these blocks were not particularly strong or usable. So, despite not being an engineer or product designer, I tried my hand at creating a new type of building blocks.
I truly believe that the Aran Blocks design could have only come from the mind of someone with absolutely no design skills whatsoever. Due to my lack of design skills and knowledge, I was forced to find the simplest possible solution to the problem I was trying to solve. Having said that, an engineer friend, who has worked on Aston Martin and Porsche automobiles, did help me get Aran Blocks to this stage.
Aran Blocks@ Sydney Mini Maker's Faire
Aran Blocks made its public debut at the Sydney Mini Maker's Faire in August this year and was a huge hit with visitors to the faire (*92% of 175 visitors surveyed said they would buy Aran Blocks).
Aran Blocks was also featured on ABC Weekend Breakfast (Australia) as part of their coverage of the faire.
Pricing
We understand it is difficult to put a value on a product, especially without having a chance to touch and feel it first. Unsurprisingly most people who used the product (@Sydney Mini Maker's Faire) suggested they would compare it to LEGO. So let us help you make the comparison.
Both Aran Blocks and LEGO are made from the same type of child-safe plastic (ABS) and manufacturing method (injection moulding). While injection moulding is a very efficient way of manufacturing, the primary determinant of cost is the amount of material used to make the part, which corresponds to the weight of the part. So here is a table comparing the price of LEGO and Aran Blocks by both weight and price.
*Price on Amazon.com (without delivery)
Another way to look at the price is by how much a set (1 set = 1 block + 1 cover) costs. The following tables are to help you make a more informed decision on which reward tier to back.
Why are they so heavy?
We could have made the walls of the block and cover thinner and thus reduce their weight. But given we want you to build furniture you can actually use, we made them solid and heavy so that structures made from Aran Blocks won't get easily knocked over.
Why Kickstarter?
When mass manufacturing a plastic product, the best most efficient method is injection moulding. However to make the necessary mould (aka tooling) to begin production is really expensive. The bulk of the funds raised in this campaign will go towards paying for the tooling to make Aran Blocks.
The Timeline
Aran Blocks is not associated with LEGO or IKEA in any way.
Video: Special thanks to Green Key Studio (www.greenkeystudio.com)
Risques et défis
Aran Blocks has been over 2 years in the making. From the first 3D printed prototypes to the current production quality samples, it has been an interesting ride and the design has evolved to what you see today. All we can say is that it works!
But we know creating a great product is merely the first step in a successful Kickstarter campaign. We have read and researched countless Kickstarter success and failure stories, and paid particular attention to how to get fulfilment of rewards right. While we have tried to cover the bases as well as possible, we have learnt that things can wrong despite the best preparation. In the event of any challenges or delays, we promise to be open and frequent with our updates and do our very best to get you your rewards on time.
Delivery costs is a particularly significant challenge for Aran Blocks due to the weight of the product. To manage this we have partnered with Red Stag Fulfillment (www.redstagfulfillment.com), a company that specialises in the fulfilment of heavy products.
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Période de financement
- (43 jours)