Kontor, an industry-only site described by its creators as “Pinterest meets Houzz for office design,” premiered with a beta launch at NeoCon this week. Created by industry heavyweights Kevin Ryan, founder of Gilt Groupe; Mia Lewin, founder-CEO of design/story; and Andy Parsons, founder-CTO of Happify, Kontor is powered by a proprietary "Design GraphSM" digital search technology that lets pros search using industry-specific terms. It also lets users who are searching and browsing interior architecture images to identify for similar objects and spaces.
Kontor spotlights different firms.
The tool is social too: Kontor spotlights workplace designers and other professionals, and links architects and designers with clients, manufacturers and producers. Visual assets are collectible and managed using the tool's Digital Inspiration Boards, while users can converse with the Collaboration Tools feature.
Kontor can organize users' own collections.
As Lewin explains, "On one hand, it's a professional tool for designers and architects to search, discover, organize and collaborate. But it's also an engaging platform to indulge in a bit of office voyeurism, offering glimpses into state-of-the-art offices such as Square Space, LinkedIn and Skype." Currently in beta, Kontor welcomes professional architects, designers and product manufacturers to browse offices and products designed by 30 top firms, including HOK, Perkins+Will and IA Interior Architects. Professionals can sign up online to explore the beta.
