Hearth is a SaaS platform that enables architecture firms to effectively organize material knowledge and eliminate repetitive specification work.
Type: Cloud Based Software
Role: Co-Founder & Product Designer
Year: 2024-26
User research
Road Map Development
Sales & Demo
Prototyping
UX / UI design
Content
Budget Management
Marketing
Market Analysis
Problem:
In small and mid‑size design studios, material information is one of the most critical — and most fragile — systems.
From user interviews and firsthand practice, several patterns emerged:
- Material data lives across folders, emails, PDFs, and old project files
- Specs are copied from previous projects with little confidence they’re still accurate
- One person often becomes the “owner” of the material library
- When that person is unavailable, workflows slow or break entirely
- Firms lose hours every week redoing work they’ve already done before
Challenge
After establishing our ICP as small to medium sized architecture studios the questions became How Might We help studios:
- Preserve material knowledge over time
- Reduce repetitive specification work
- Improve consistency without adding process overhead
All while fitting naturally into existing workflows and limited budgets.
Key Insights:
1. Material organization is invisible until it breaks >
Material organization is foundational but rarely prioritized, only surfacing when specs fail, substitutions happen late, or coordination breaks down.
2. Studios don’t lack tools, they lack continuity >
Most firms already have folders, templates, and standards. The issue is decay: as teams and projects change, decisions are lost. Hearth preserves design intent rather than replacing existing tools.
3. Trust outweighs automation >
Users valued confidence over speed. Knowing that reused materials were approved, current, and aligned with standards mattered more than aggressive automation.
4. Ownership is fragile in small firms >
Material knowledge often lives with a single person. When they’re unavailable, the system breaks.
Product Strategy
Unlike our competetors Hearth is intentionally light weight not a full specification platform.
The core strategy is to support continuity of knowledge inside small studios — ensuring that material decisions survive beyond individual projects and people.
Rather than asking firms to change how they work, Hearth focuses on strengthening what already exists.
Unlike our competetors Hearth is intentionally light weight not a full specification platform.
The core strategy is to support continuity of knowledge inside small studios — ensuring that material decisions survive beyond individual projects and people.
Rather than asking firms to change how they work, Hearth focuses on strengthening what already exists.
Strategic Focus
- Preserve approved material decisions
- Enable safe reuse across projects
- Reduce reliance on individual gatekeepers
- Improve consistency without increasing process overhead
Unlike our competetors Hearth is intentionally light weight not a full specification platform.
The core strategy is to support continuity of knowledge inside small studios — ensuring that material decisions survive beyond individual projects and people.
Rather than asking firms to change how they work, Hearth focuses on strengthening what already exists.
What Hearth ISNT
- Not a replacement for construction documentation or specification professionals
- Not a manufacturer marketplace, for now
- Not a heavy industry standards or compliance system
Case study in Progress