When my mom asked me for snaps from a recent trip to L.A., I shared a photostream with her. When a friend asked me to take a pic at her bridal shower last weekend, I posted it on Facebook and tagged her. When my coworker asked me for my Anzac cookie recipe the other day, I took a screenshot of the webpage and emailed it to her.
All this is to say, when was the last time you got a roll of film developed? Even more relevant, when was the last time you actually printed any of the hundreds of pictures living on your iPhone? For me, clearly, never…until now.
Launched last week from the brains behind Hipstamatic, MADESQUARE is an app that allows users to print their mobile pics on virtually any surface: bamboo wood blocks, textured metal squares, charming recipe cards, old-school photostrips and tons more (seriously, check out their blog for a bevy of cute ideas).
With the swipe of a finger, you can quickly become the most thoughtful hostess, charming houseguest or favorite daughter for a surprisingly affordable price. Or, the biggest suck-up at theFashionSpot offices (check out the tFS-branded block I made below. Zing!).
Fresh off a hectic launch week, I caught up with two of the MADESQUARE Co-Founders, Molli Sullivan and Danielle Moore, to learn more:
Julie Bensman: How did the MADESQUARE concept originate?
Molli Sullivan: The four co-founders — Laura, Jill, Danielle and myself — we’re all photo and design lovers. We’d often search for unique, beautiful ways to bring our digital memories to life and struggled to find things we’d be excited to hang in our homes or give our girlfriends. We really felt the lifestyle-focused, female point of view was noticeably absent from the personalized products market — so we decided to do something about it.
JB: MADESQUARE’s design showcases all four of the founders’ personalities. Why was that important?
MS: It’s been a blast brainstorming and designing products that look gorgeous with a variety of photos, all styled in different ways. People can look forward to our “Room Reveals” based on each of the founders’ personalities, as well as our DIY and style ideas we’re showcasing in our app and on our blog. We’re all about keeping things fresh and bringing the inspiration!
JB: Danielle, you’re getting married in Napa in September! Which products do you see people loving for bridal showers, bridesmaid gifts, wedding invitations, etc?
Danielle Moore: Recipe cards for showers = awesome! Custom postcards for save-the-dates, invitations and thank you notes = perfect! A photostrip book showcasing your favorite moments with your bridal party = sign me up!
JB: How does eco-friendliness and sustainability play into MADESQUARE’s offerings?
DM: We want to preserve what’s important — from meaningful moments to this beautiful Earth we call home. So we keep our products as sustainable as possible: reducing waste in production, taking advantage of reclaimed and recyclable components and, best of all, coming up with tons of creative ways for you to repurpose your MADESQUARE pieces through clever and fun DIY projects.
JB: What advice do you have for women wanting to start a new company with their best friends?
MS: It’s really about bringing the same values you have in your friendships to the business — we make a point to be supportive, collaborative and communicative. The four of us each bring something unique to the table, so we trust and respect one another’s expertise and help each other shine.
JB: How to you plan to celebrate the launch?
MS: Building this company has been nearly a year in the making, so naturally, we’ll be snapping lots of photos to commemorate the moment! Oh, and champagne.
