Gameboks
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GameBoks is a young and fast-paced startup that began their journey with a DDMP residency at Underbroen in Copenhagen in the summer 2018 with a brilliant idea that evolved into a massive success over just 12 months. GameBoks is a minimalistic and portable gaming station made from sustainable materials, locally in Copenhagen, compatible with close to every gaming console.
Besides being educated in carpentry and product design, one of GameBoks' founders, Christian, is a major gamer. He became increasingly frustrated with the impracticality of bringing his console, monitor and other gaming gear to his friends' houses. Meanwhile, he discovered how friends distanced themselves from each other as they started gaming more. He decided to find a solution to the problem, built a simple case of spare wood to put his TV inside. It worked and solved his problem. Friends and co-founders Anthon and Steffen, with experience in marketing and logistics, quickly saw the potential and founded GameBoks in May 2018 with the goal of launching a Kickstarter campaign in September when showcasing at Copenhagen Maker Festival. From here, GameBoks launched an eventful year, 100% funded in 8 hours: now the first 300 units had to be produced! Over the next 6 months the GameBoks design was refined at Underbroen. The four team members spent day and night making prototypes and sometimes slept in the couch (or not at all). Often we found them sparring with other members more experienced in production on product details and slowly they started pushing out the first 300 units. From there, a masterful marketing strategy (involving social media and professional football players) has catapulted them to the stars with orders of 1000+ units.
GameBoks have from the moment they joined Underbroen had an urgent need to increase their productive capacity in order to keep both Kickstarter backers and customers happy. They have done this by improvised employment of other members at Underbroen on an ad hoc basis, based on the current needs they had. Through their initial development and prototyping process they had the opportunity to scout and work with members who are experts in electronics, painting methods, woodworking and digital manufacturing on an ad hoc basis based on the urgent needs they had. One example is a series of VIP orders with inserted plate gold where they engaged a light designer experienced in this exact material, and employed her to work on the units. Throughout their first year at Underbroen, GameBoks have engaged a dozen individual members in their R&D and initial manufacturing activities. Now, they have set up a storage space outside the workshop, since their production need exceeds the facilities of the prototype lab but have on-boarded a loosely engaged satellite team of members who have been part of the prototyping and production process - simply by being around - that they engage when new units have to be produced.
The GameBoks case is a good example on the distributed business and production models employed by professionals in the maker communities. Like GameBoks, many emerging design and manufacturing businesses would not have been able to catapult their product and grow their productive capacity in such a pace if it had not been for the multidisciplinary group of available members at Underbroen, or similar spaces.
