Mariam Naficy, founder of cosmetics retailer Eve and design marketplace Minted, has a long history of supporting independent artists and helping them sell their products. Her latest venture, Arcade AI, is a new type of marketplace that puts creative control directly in the hands of users.
The Generate AI platform, which launched in beta in September, allows customers called “dreamers” to input their ideas into a generator that generates a variety of jewelry design options. You can also upload images.
Once a “dream” is selected, it will be assigned to one of Arcade’s artisans who will bring the digital concept to life as tangible jewelry, such as bracelets, charms, earrings, necklaces, and rings. You can choose from a variety of materials, including gold, brass, silver, and a variety of gemstones such as diamonds, garnets, and rubies.
I tested the new generator myself. It leverages a combination of third-party models such as Stable Diffusion and Midjourney. I input my personal preferences, especially my love of opals, and the AI tool generated a delicate gold floral necklace (shown in the image above).
I then placed an order with Studio Maisette, one of the design studios on the platform, and a few days later received a video of the finished product for approval. It took about 2 weeks from ordering to delivery of the product.
This necklace may seem basic at first glance, but I think it perfectly captures my aesthetic. According to my gemologist friend, a trio of high-quality opals comes with bonus points.
However, not all of the results produced were up to par and we encountered several hurdles along the way. For example, the AI generator had a hard time adding multiple charms to a single necklace. It also wasn't possible to create complex objects like icosahedral dice.
Image credit: Arcade AI/Lauren Forristal
“To make sure everything is manufacturable, you have to limit the model a little bit to the data provided by manufacturers and what they can manufacture,” Nafissi told me.
Fortunately, there are editing tools that allow you to add, remove, and adjust certain elements to bring your vision to life. However, things didn't always turn out the way I had envisioned.
Naficy plans to improve the “Magic Editor” and add things like an image prompt (IP) adapter. The Image Prompt (IP) adapter is a small model that allows a pre-trained text-to-image diffusion model to create images based on an image prompt. Another idea currently in development is to allow users to change and select parts of the image. Or drag part of the image to another location.
Designing custom jewelry with Arcade is very expensive and can cost upwards of $1,000 depending on the complexity of the design. However, if you prefer a simpler piece, expect to pay around $100. Shipping costs range from $10 to $30. This is in line with the regular price for custom designed jewelry.
For reference, the piece I designed cost $186 + $10 shipping.
The price depends on other factors such as the material used, the size of the object, the length of the necklace chain, and any additional requests you would like to add in the comments section to the manufacturer. The manufacturer sets the price and must accept the design and agree to the price before agreeing to manufacture. You can also reject a design if you think it is too complex to make.
Even if users can't afford to purchase their own work on the website, they can simply enjoy the process of creating and adding their own designs to the collection of “dream boards” listed on their profiles. Mr. Nafisi said.
“We just want to make this magical and fun, and we're going to keep working on these experiences until they become even more magical and super fun. But part of me wants people to enjoy “There's a part of me that wants to be able to create for others and share that work with others. In fact, you don't have to buy just to experience the site,” she said.
In particular, “Dreamers” can profit from their designs and earn a 2.5% commission on sales. To become a seller, a user must have 100 followers and sell 3 products or $500 worth of products. Custom pricing will be available in the coming weeks.
Image credit: Arcade AI/Lauren Forristal
Using AI generators to give customers control over their designs can be controversial among jewelry designers for several reasons. Designers may worry that their unique work will be copied or used without permission, infringing on their intellectual property rights. Additionally, some may worry that automating the design process will reduce opportunities for human designers and threaten their livelihoods.
But Naficy insists that the artisans featured in Arcade feel differently.
“They were very receptive. I wasn't expecting that… They saw it as a way to grow their business. 'Now we can talk to consumers and see what they want. This is great because now you know what you want.'
Naficy also said the AI model is trained not to copy any designs shown in uploaded images.
“You can block certain words from being used in the prompt layer, and our image feature allows you to dial up how much you want the AI to deviate from the source image,” she says. I explained.
“I ran Minted for 15 years, where people were always copying our artists, and I understood the pain that was causing people. I was very empathetic to the artists because we were constantly issuing takedown notices on the site and trying to protect the artists and the art, so by what we were doing, we were actually trying to protect the artists and the art. I think it gives you more control than the marketplace,” Naficy added.
Image credit: Elizabeth Fall
Arcade is looking to expand into other categories in the future, potentially adding accessories, apparel, leather goods, and more. This allows Arcade to work directly with Off/Script, another product creation platform that emerged last year to help artists fund AI-designed items, from clothing and accessories to home decor and furniture. There will be competition.
In terms of features, Naficy hopes to add more social features in the coming months. This includes the ability for sellers to thank users who have purchased their designs, as well as options for community members to chat with each other. Arcades may also start contests where winners can win free jewelry if their design receives the most votes.
Another long-term goal is to partner with major brands and allow users to purchase products directly from well-known retailers through the platform.
Arcade has received a total of $17 million in funding from Ashton Kutcher (Sound Ventures), Offline Ventures, and Reid Hoffman (Co-founder of LinkedIn). Other notable investors include Lumi founder and former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick. David Luan, CEO of Adept AI Labs and former VP of Engineering at OpenAI. Supermodel and entrepreneur Karlie Kloss.