CRATES — Viresh Chopra

Crates was a modular furniture and storage solution inspired by the classic milk crate—reimagined through community collaboration. It became Quirky’s first U.S.-manufactured product and the fastest from idea to launch, shipping in under 100 days.

Created at Quirky, NYC

Crates was brought to life on Quirky.com by Jenny Drinkard and 1,791 other Quirky influencers.

DESIGNED TO STACK UP

With a tight deadline and full U.S. production, design, and engineering teams worked fast to finalize a structurally sound crate. The Quirky community weighed in on accessories, and the product launched with exclusive retail partners like Fab.com, Target, and The Container Store.

MADE IN AMERICA

L&Z Tooling in New Jersey produced the tools, which were then shipped to Mack Molding in Vermont for final injection molding. The team even took a field trip to witness the process firsthand, turning production into a learning experience.

MARKETING CHALLENGES

Crates succeeded online, where videos and lifestyle content helped tell the full story. In-store displays sometimes separated accessories from the core product, confusing customers. Even the packaging was so well-designed that it had to be labeled to avoid mistaken identity.