Automates FF&E product research: takes designer brief, web searches for matching products, curates structured candidates, saves selections to Google Sheet.
npx claudepluginhub alpacalabsllc/skills-for-architects --plugin 06-materials-researchThis skill is limited to using the following tools:
Receives a brief from a designer, researches products across the web, and returns a curated shortlist of candidates. Selected products are saved to the master Google Sheet.
Finds visually or functionally similar products from images, names, descriptions, or URLs using web searches and vision analysis. Returns 5-10 matches with specs, pricing, and links for design sourcing.
Designs new product concepts via interactive questioning, producing specifications, feature matrices, BOM estimates, differentiation analysis, next steps, and optional concept renders or engineering drawings.
Displays static menu of 36 skills and 7 agents organized by architecture tasks including site due diligence, NYC zoning, programming, specifications, and sustainability.
Share bugs, ideas, or general feedback.
Receives a brief from a designer, researches products across the web, and returns a curated shortlist of candidates. Selected products are saved to the master Google Sheet.
Designer gives a brief
↓
Claude searches the web
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Presents candidates with specs + reasoning
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Designer picks winners
↓
Saved to master Google Sheet
The designer describes what they're looking for. A brief can be loose or specific:
Loose:
"I need acoustic panels for a tech office lobby"
Specific:
"Looking for a round dining table, 48-54" diameter, solid wood top (walnut or oak preferred), steel or brass base, under $3,000, needs to be in stock or <6 week lead time"
Extract as many of these as the designer provides. Don't ask for fields they didn't mention — work with what you have.
| Field | Examples |
|---|---|
| Category | Table, seating, lighting, acoustic panel, planter, storage |
| Use context | Office lobby, conference room, outdoor terrace, home office |
| Style / aesthetic | Scandinavian, mid-century, industrial, minimal, warm, bold |
| Materials | Solid wood, marble, steel, fabric, mesh, recycled |
| Dimensions | "48-54 inch diameter", "under 30 inches tall", "fits a 6x4 space" |
| Budget | Under $3,000, $500-$1,000 range, high-end, budget-friendly |
| Sustainability | GREENGUARD, FSC, Cradle to Cradle, recycled content, B Corp |
| Lead time | In stock, under 6 weeks, no rush |
| Quantity | 1 hero piece, 12 for a conference room, 50+ for open office |
| Indoor/Outdoor | Indoor, outdoor, both |
| Must-haves | Stackable, COM available, ADA compliant, weatherproof |
| Brands to consider | "I like Muuto and HAY", "no Herman Miller" |
| Brands to avoid | "Not Ikea", "nothing from Amazon" |
Don't interview the designer. If the brief is "acoustic panels for a lobby," that's enough to start searching. You can clarify after showing initial results if needed ("I found options in fabric, felt, and wood slat — any preference?").
Search the web for products matching the brief. Use multiple targeted queries to cover different angles:
For a brief like "round dining table, walnut, under $3,000":
round walnut dining tablebest round wood dining tables architects designerscontract round dining table solid wood specifications (for commercial projects)Muuto round table, HAY dining tableFSC certified round dining tableRun 3-5 searches depending on brief complexity. Aim for breadth — different price points, brands, styles.
Attempt to fetch the product page with WebFetch to extract full specs. If the page is JS-rendered and returns no data:
Target: 6-10 candidates that genuinely match the brief. Don't pad the list with weak matches.
Show results as a numbered shortlist with enough detail to evaluate:
## Product Research: Round Dining Tables (walnut, under $3,000)
### 1. Alle Table Round — Hem
Designer: Staffan Holm · 59" dia × 29"H
Materials: Solid oak top, powder-coated steel base
Price: $2,399 USD · Lead: 8-12 weeks
Finishes: Natural oak, smoked oak, walnut stain
Indoor · COM: N/A
🔗 hem.com/en-us/furniture/tables/alle/30421
Why: Clean Scandinavian lines, strong scale for a lobby, within budget.
Walnut stain option available. Hem has good contract pricing.
### 2. Snaregade Round — Menu
Designer: Norm Architects · 54" dia × 28.5"H
Materials: Oak veneer top, powder-coated steel base
Price: $2,195 USD · Lead: 6-8 weeks
Finishes: Dark stained oak, light oak
Indoor · COM: N/A
🔗 menuspace.com/snaregade-round
Why: Norm Architects pedigree, slightly under budget,
faster lead time. Veneer top (not solid) — flag if that matters.
### 3. ...
---
## Summary
| # | Product | Brand | Ø | Price | Lead | Material | Notes |
|---|---------|-------|---|-------|------|----------|-------|
| 1 | Alle Round | Hem | 59" | $2,399 | 8-12w | Solid oak | Walnut stain ✓ |
| 2 | Snaregade Round | Menu | 54" | $2,195 | 6-8w | Oak veneer | Not solid wood |
| 3 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
Which ones should I save to your product library?
When the designer picks candidates ("save 1, 3, and 5"), write them to the master Google Sheet.
If not already connected, ask for the Google Sheet ID or URL. Same sheet used by other product skills.
Write rows to the master product sheet using the 33-column schema. Read ../../schema/product-schema.md (relative to this SKILL.md) for the full column reference, field formats, and category vocabulary. Read ../../schema/sheet-conventions.md for CRUD patterns with MCP tools.
Skill-specific column values:
researchsaved✓ Saved 3 products to your library (rows 48-50).
Tagged: lobby-reno, walnut
Want me to refine the search? Different style, budget, or materials?
The designer may want to refine:
Each iteration can add more products to the sheet.
Source column ("research") identifies where each row came from.