Makery - Art Commission Matchmaking Platform

Overview

Makery is an online platform designed to streamline the process of commissioning custom artwork. It aims to create a fairer, more structured, and efficient marketplace that connects clients seeking unique art pieces with talented artists ready to create them.

The platform moves away from endless browsing by guiding both clients and artists through structured processes, ensuring clarity and reducing friction in the commissioning experience.

How it Works

Makery facilitates connections through distinct user journeys:

1. For Artists:

   • Artists use a guided wizard (/create_work_offering) to create detailed "Work Offerings."
   • These offerings showcase their skills, define the types of commissions they accept (categories, examples), set their pricing and timelines, and specify the details required from clients.
   • These structured offerings form the basis for the platform's matching system.

2. For Clients:

   • Clients utilize a step-by-step wizard (/create_request) to clearly define their commission needs.
   • This includes specifying the desired category, budget, timeline, providing context or reference images, and refining style preferences through an interactive visual selection process (swiping through artist samples).
   • The goal is to capture a comprehensive understanding of the client's vision.

3. Intelligent Matchmaking:

   • Makery uses the structured data from both Work Offerings and Client Requests, leveraging AI analysis (e.g., image analysis, descriptive terms) and vector similarity matching.
   • This allows the platform to intelligently identify and recommend suitable artists to the client request.
   • Simultaneously, relevant client requests are presented to artists as "Recommended Jobs" on their dashboard (/dashboard), complete with a match score.

4. Commission Initiation & Management:

   • Artists can review Recommended Jobs and choose to make an offer.
   • Clients review offers from interested artists and select one to proceed.
   • Once an offer is accepted, the platform facilitates the subsequent steps, including secure payments (escrow), direct communication, and potentially milestone tracking (depending on feature implementation).

Technology Stack

• Framework: Next.js (React)
• Language: TypeScript
• Styling: Tailwind CSS
• Backend & Database: Firebase (Firestore, Authentication, Storage)
• Vector Database: Pinecone
• AI / APIs: OpenAI (likely for text/image analysis)
• UI/Animation: Framer Motion
• Email: Mailgun
• Deployment: Vercel

Getting Started

First, run the development server:

npm run dev
# or
yarn dev
# or
pnpm dev
# or
bun dev

Open https://localhost:3000 with your browser to see the result.

This project uses next/font to automatically optimize and load Geist, a new font family for Vercel.