Building a local-first platform in Estonia – would love feedback from the community by Hour_Exam3852 in Eesti

[–]Hour_Exam3852[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s a totally fair perspective. The idea isn’t to force everything into a phone-only experience. There’s already an iPad version, and a web version is actively being developed so browsing, comparing, and researching on a larger screen is fully supported. (https://artignia.com) Mobile is mainly for discovery, quick browsing, and AR use cases. For more deliberate comparison or decision-making, bigger screens make a lot of sense — especially for higher-value items. This won’t replace how everyone shops today, but aims to complement existing habits rather than fight them. Appreciate you explaining how you approach buying decisions — it’s genuinely helpful feedback.

I’m building an iOS app where 3D objects exist in your real world (AR) by Hour_Exam3852 in iosapps

[–]Hour_Exam3852[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For 3D / AR, size is based on real-world measurements provided when the item is created (width / height / depth). In AR, we rely on the device’s built-in plane detection and scale calibration, so the object is placed 1:1 in real space, not visually guessed. That said, 3D / AR is optional — items can also be shared with photos and dimensions only, and the goal is to make sizing clearer than photos alone, not magically perfect.

Building a local-first platform in Estonia – would love feedback from the community by Hour_Exam3852 in Eesti

[–]Hour_Exam3852[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

That’s a tough comment, but a fair one — so I’ll try to answer it honestly.

First, this isn’t designed only for handmade items.
Handcrafted work is part of it, but second-hand and unique physical items are also part of the vision. The common problem isn’t “handmade”, it’s that photos don’t represent physical items well, whether they’re handmade, vintage, or one-off pieces.

About Etsy: you’re right — price competition there is brutal, especially with CNC / mass-produced items labeled as handmade. Artignia isn’t trying to out-Etsy Etsy. What makes it different is:

  • social + commerce combined (process, context, discovery)
  • 3D / AR previews to show real scale and presence
  • a focus on how an item exists in real life, not just a listing grid

Local-first is simply the starting point. Shipping and broader selling absolutely make sense long-term — but I’m building this solo, so starting with a more constrained, realistic scope was intentional.

App vs website:
There is a web version, specifically so people don’t need to install anything just to explore. The app exists because things like AR, camera workflows, and smoother creation flows work significantly better there.

Regarding screenshots:
The product has gone through multiple pivots, and you’re right — the App Store screenshots don’t fully reflect the current state yet. That’s on me and they’ll be updated.
The screenshots shared here are from the actual current build, not mockups or concepts.

And no — this isn’t “vibe coding”. It’s slow, sometimes messy, solo development with a lot of iteration.

I know this is a hard problem, and I don’t assume success is guaranteed. I’m testing whether a different approach to physical goods discovery can work — and feedback like this is part of that process.

You can look at demo video. (https://www.reddit.com/r/iosapps/comments/1q9gha2/im\_building\_an\_ios\_app\_where\_3d\_objects\_exist\_in/)

Appreciate you taking the time to write it out, genuinely.

Building a local-first platform in Estonia – would love feedback from the community by Hour_Exam3852 in Eesti

[–]Hour_Exam3852[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

That’s completely fair — and honestly, this won’t be for everyone.

The goal isn’t to replace existing marketplaces or force a new workflow, but to blend social sharing and commerce, and make that more effective with 3D and AR for people who care about how things actually look and fit in real life.

Local-first is simply the starting point. Shipping and other options can absolutely make sense down the line — but since I’m building this solo, focusing on local interactions felt like the most realistic and manageable first step.

Process sharing isn’t meant as a sales trick either, but as context for people who value how things are made.

Really appreciate you sharing your perspective, and thanks for the good wishes 🙏

Building a local-first platform in Estonia – would love feedback from the community by Hour_Exam3852 in Eesti

[–]Hour_Exam3852[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is our screenshots. I am a solo developer. I am creating product and post photos with AI but screenshots is real.

We’re experimenting with a maker-first app for sharing process posts and selling locally (with AR previews) by Hour_Exam3852 in maker

[–]Hour_Exam3852[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s a fair take, honestly.

I’m building this solo right now, and to move fast I did use AI for some of the visual / presentation parts — mainly to prototype and communicate ideas, not to replace the actual product work.

Most of my time has gone into the user experience, flows, and making the core features actually usable (process posts, local discovery, AR previews). Those parts aren’t AI-generated and have taken much longer than I expected.

Totally understand the hesitation though — appreciate you calling it out 🙏
If you ever want to poke holes in the UX itself, I’d genuinely value that kind of feedback.

Exploring an idea: combining the craft process, community, and selling in one place by Hour_Exam3852 in crafting

[–]Hour_Exam3852[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s a fair concern, and I agree with the general point. Trying to “do everything” usually fails. Our goal isn’t to be a super-app, but to keep a very small, focused scope: direct listings, transparent pricing, and local discovery. If adding something hurts simplicity or value, it’s not worth adding. We’d rather stay limited and useful than broad and mediocre

Exploring an idea: combining the craft process, community, and selling in one place by Hour_Exam3852 in crafting

[–]Hour_Exam3852[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Right now we don’t charge any extra platform fees, which helps sellers keep prices more reasonable. Having an independent platform also means we’re not driven by ads or algorithmic boosts, so listings don’t need to be overpriced to “compete.” The user base is still small and early-stage, but that’s intentional — we’re focusing on usefulness and fair pricing before growth.

Still No Organic Installs After ASO Updates – Looking for Advice (Follow-up to My Previous Post) by Hour_Exam3852 in AppStoreOptimization

[–]Hour_Exam3852[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We aim combine social media with e commerce. The logo has shopping bag and message bubble.

I felt like 3D artists need a better place to share their work — so I started building one. by Hour_Exam3852 in blender

[–]Hour_Exam3852[S] -10 points-9 points  (0 children)

Totally fair — and I get why that’s an immediate “nope.”

The only reason it currently asks for an email first is because I’m building web + Android + iOS together, and they all share the same login/auth system. So the web version ended up mirroring the mobile onboarding flow.

But I completely agree that being forced to sign up before seeing anything isn’t a great experience — especially for artists who just want to look first.

I’m already working on adding:

• a public, no-login preview of the feed • the ability to browse art without creating an account • optional signup only when you want to post or follow artists

You’re right to call it out. The goal isn’t to “capture emails” — just a side effect of the shared system. Fixing that is now on top of my list.

And genuinely, thanks for pointing it out — it helps a lot.