Thursday, August 30, 2012 - 12:13pm
Ikea's not the only company that knows modular design.
The latest invention from social-design site Quirky is a modular storage system that seems like a dead ringer for an Ikea, Container Store or Target product. Well, that last part is true: since July 1, Target has been selling Crate and its accessories in the company's brick-and-mortar stores.
Crate is Qurky's most ambitious project to date. It's a system of modded milk crates that can be paired with nine different accessories, some of which can dramatically alter the crates' function. But even more impressive, every single part was made here in the U.S. of A. — a dramatic move for Quirky, which has in the past relied on Chinese manufacturing. The decision was partially driven by timing, but it is also one that will lay the groundwork for more domestic production, the company hopes.