On a floor to ceiling window of the DeVos Place Convention Center in Grand Rapids, Configura asked attendees of its CET Experience to jot down questions, comments and suggestions for the developers of space planning platform. What would they like to see changed? What additional features would they like added? What tweaks should be made to make CET Commercial Interiors better?
A colorful grouping of Post-It Notes blossomed on the window over the course of the CET Experience conference held last week in Grand Rapids, Configura’s North American home.
“It is important to listen to our users and constantly work to make our platform better,” said Johan Lyreborn, founder and board member of the software company based in Sweden. Lyreborn also acts as Configura’s “chief evangelist,” spreading the message of parametric design.
Lyreborn was an advocate of creating the CET Experience as a way to gather the designers who use Configura’s powerful space planning software and the programmers and developers who created it. Those early gatherings, which started in 2008 and held in Las Vegas, were tiny in comparison to today’s CET Experience with about 50 people in attendance. This year’s CET Experience was one of its largest ever with more than 500 designers (and manufacturers whose products fill out the CET platform).
CET Experience was designed for people who employ Configura’s CET platform and other products to do their day-to-day work. At the conference, industry experts, power users and Configurans (as employees are called) led sessions about the latest techniques and features.
The CET Experience isn’t about Configura; it’s about the companies and people who rely on CET Commercial Interiors. This powerful, user-friendly space-planning software is designed to streamline the process of specifying and selling in the commercial interiors industry. It offers a complete solution for handling every step of the sales and order process with speed and accuracy. With CET Commercial Interiors, users can effortlessly drag and drop components into 2D and 3D virtual environments. Meanwhile, the software works behind the scenes, tracking components, calculating pricing, and minimizing errors thanks to its parametric-based design. Users can quickly generate layouts, quotes, renderings, animations, installation drawings, and even reconfigurations — all with just a few clicks. The software continuously updates and adjusts drawings as designers make changes.
The company did make a few announcements. Configura introduced attendees to Aline, a new product the company will release next year. Aline is a simple online tool designed to work on any device using cloud technology. With Aline, you can map out your project scope, view real-time product data, and collaborate seamlessly with your team and clients. Aline also helps minimize errors and keeps your margins intact by integrating across platforms, so CET, Spec, and Aline all work together smoothly. It’s built to save time, letting designers focus on what they do best —d esigning in CET. Designers can also use Aline to present work, get approvals quickly, and stay on track with deadlines. Aline was created to simplify the process and boosts productivity.
Configura also shared Product Experience research the company has done. The Configura team has been touring the country to visit dealerships to learn more about their pains and do research for its product vision that they are working on that outlines its path for the future.
Configura also announced that its working on a new centralized database specifically for materials manufacturers to upload their materials into a centralized database. This database can be referenced by furniture manufacturers, and end users can access this collection and quickly apply the material to the desired products. Designers will benefit from space-saving features, since the materials will no longer need to be stored multiple times. It will also provide a consistent visual appearance with low-res views for planning and high-res for rendering. This database will be available across both extensions and libraries. To start with Configura has engaged with two major textile manufacturers — Momentum and Mayer.
The company is also developing a Web Drawing Viewer that’s designed to make working with drawings easier and more intuitive. Users will be able to zoom, pan, and navigate designs smoothly with high-definition clarity, no matter where they are. Collaboration is easy as well — users can share work with colleagues or clients in real time.
At the heart of the conference are sessions focused on software updates, tweaks, and best practices. Interestingly, only a few of these sessions are led by Configura staff. Some are hosted by manufacturers and industry partners to showcase their own extensions — the custom solutions they’ve built within CET Commercial Interiors. However, the majority are run by users themselves, offering a peer-to-peer learning experience on how to make the most of the platform.
The break-out sessions ranged from “Whoops Shouldn’t Have Done THAT!,” led by Joanna Jablonski, a senior designer and team lead at Henricksen, to “Working Around the World” led by Monica Corrie, a Haworth products specialist.
Manufacturers and Configura’s industry partners also actively participate, with some holding sessions to update users on their specific extensions. Industry partners like INDEAL explained how its technology is aligned and can be used alongside CET Commercial Interiors.
The keynote speaker at the event was Shawn Kanungo, whose presentation “The Age of Infinity: Generative AI & Our Future” touched on a topic ever designers is interested in.
It is a serious conference, but it also provides time for the designers to unwind and connect at the end of the day. A Safari Soiré, billed as an evening of “wild fun” was held at the John Ball Zoo.