Orange Design Team launches on-demand kitchen and bath drafting platform

Orange Design Team has launched a drafting platform for kitchen and bath companies that need extra design capacity without adding staff. The service connects dealers, manufacturers, builders, rep firms and designers with vetted North American drafters and says standard projects can turn around in as few as three business days.

Why it matters: - Kitchen and bath companies often lose selling time when sales designers are stuck drafting instead of closing. - Orange Design Team aims to give firms flexible drafting capacity without the cost and delay of hiring full-time staff. - The platform also gives experienced drafters a way to find project-based work in a specialized industry network.

What happened: - Orange Design Team announced the official launch of its on-demand drafting platform for the kitchen and bath industry. - The platform connects cabinet dealers, manufacturers, design builders, rep firms and interior designers with vetted, independent North American drafters. - The service is available at DesignedByOrange.com. - The company was founded by Kristy Ferguson and Ryan Brosseau. - Ferguson and Brosseau operate kitchen and bath design studios and built the platform from their own staffing and backlog challenges.

The details: - The platform uses a Drafter Handoff process for submitting project details, measurements, specs and deadlines in a repeatable format. - Deliverables include floor plans, elevations, renderings, project documentation and countertop takeoffs. - Standard projects are typically completed in as few as three business days. - Drafters work in software already used by customers, including 2020 Design Flex, Chief Architect, SketchUp, Revit and more. - Each drafter is tested on a real kitchen and bath project before being matched with a client. - Drafters are rated on every job, and companies also rate the drafter's work. - The platform requires genuine industry experience, not just software familiarity. - Companies are encouraged to work with more than one drafter to avoid bottlenecks during vacations or busy periods. - ODT says the network includes 20-plus actively vetted North American drafters with an average of more than 15 years of hands-on kitchen and bath drafting experience. - The platform says more than 300 drafting projects have been completed. - Drafters on the platform average roughly 10 to 15 hours of drafting per company each week.

Between the lines: - The launch targets a specialized labor gap in an industry where project backlogs and drafter turnover can slow sales cycles. - ODT is positioning itself as a purpose-built alternative to general freelance marketplaces, which it argues lack industry vetting, software verification and consistent accountability. - The model is built around direct company-to-drafter work, not a middleman-driven marketplace. - The founders are betting that tighter screening and post-project ratings will matter more to kitchen and bath firms than generic freelancer volume.

What's next: - Kitchen and bath companies can book onboarding calls through DesignedByOrange.com. - Experienced kitchen and bath drafters in the U.S. and Canada can apply to join the network as independent contractors. - ODT is expanding its roster of companies using the platform each week.

The bottom line: - Orange Design Team is trying to turn drafting into an on-demand utility for kitchen and bath businesses, with vetted North American talent and industry-specific workflow as its core pitch.