Aspec is an online open-source platform for the design and building industry in Indonesia. It matches Suppliers with actively specifying Architects and Designers in a country of 17,000 islands.

When I moved to Indonesia in 2016, I quickly realised how difficult it was as a building design professional to specify for projects outside of the capital city Jakarta and Java.

Outside of the Java Island, the option for finishes, furniture, lighting and equipment (FFE) become extremely limited. Designers, contractors and project owners keep referring back to suppliers they already know (whose inventory hasn't changed in years). There is a lack of efficient, comprehensive, reliable FFE library for them to specify from.

A name needs to be so many things. It needs to be memorable but not marketing-speak; descriptive but not complex; evocative but not too abstract.

After sifting through a list of hundreds of names, Aspec hit the mark. It is easy to pronounce and spell, it means form in Indonesian and also an anagram for 'space'. Bonus, the domain aspec.id. was available.

I coordinated the copyright and trademark registration of Aspec brand with the Indonesian Directorate General of Intellectual Property.

I typically start branding projects with visual research. I assemble a moodboard of ideas to get a sense of the general aesthetic and feeling the brand should evoke.

I wanted the Aspec brand to be professional with a lighthearted, modern edge. In short, reliable but not too serious because this is about making design come true.

I worked with a website developer to bring Aspec from conception to launch. I conducted research, user interviews, managed customer onboarding in order to build a responsive web in under 2 months. It leveraged a brew of Ruby on Rails and custom JavaScript.

On top of front-end UI interface design, I also rigorously tested the platform's backend structure to improve our users' experience.

The website's responsive architecture ensures it looks and works perfectly on screens of all sizes.

We also continuously improved performance by measuring and interpreting data via Google analytics and utilising Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).

To build awareness and engagement with our users, Aspec produced regular informative, quality content on Instagram .

Apart from our promo material, it includes job advertisement for the industry, newsletter on useful information, such as How to Make Lighting Work for Your Design.

In order to built long-lasting partnerships key suppliers and architects, Aspec organised workshops with those two key groups. While Aspec aims to connect both ends of specifying process, we also ensure that suppliers and architects meet the required criteria by proper vetting prior to engaging on partnerships.

Aspec also collaborated with key suppliers to participate in industry expos. For the event preparation, I designed and ensured quality production of merchandise and marketing material.