UNMAR is a desktop model assembly brand that I co-founded with my wife, Elai. Since 2011, I have been working in interior and architectural design in Guangdong. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, I spent my spare time at home designing various architectural models. The first model I designed was the Kaufmann Desert House, a building originally designed by Richard Neutra in 1946. I recreated it as a massive wooden model approximately 600 centimeters long. We were amazed by the exquisite outcome and believed that much of its beauty stemmed from the architect's original design. Later, I designed models of other masterpieces, such as the Row House in Sumiyoshi, the Farnsworth House, and the Eserio House, and shared them on my social media platforms. Many design students and model merchants contacted me, expressing interest in collaboration and purchase.
Over the next few years, I continued to develop this work in my spare time. Through a deeper understanding of production techniques, user needs, and other aspects, I continuously iterated and upgraded the products. For example, the Row House in Sumiyoshi alone went through nearly 10 rounds of improvements. This process has resulted in products with exquisite packaging, a satisfying assembly experience, and affordable prices.
I believe we are engaged in meaningful work that we are passionate about. In 2025, we officially established the UNMAR brand and launched this product wiki website, hoping to share our products with more people.
Unmar, short for “unmarked,” emerged from my extensive experience in designing architectural models and assembling commercial building puzzles. I gradually realized that rigidly following instruction manuals trapped me in a monotonous cycle: “check number → find corresponding part → retrieve and assemble according to numbered diagrams.” Personally, I rarely rely on part numbers when building models—instead, I prefer locating components directly based on the visual design displayed on the colored box, unless the structure is exceptionally complex.
This prompted me to reconsider: why not minimize or even eliminate these numbering systems altogether? I aim to guide users toward adopting my intuitive approach, as I believe an image-driven assembly process feels more engaging and inherently natural. By reducing dependency on numbered instructions in my latest designs, I hope to offer users a more fluid and enjoyable experience. Moreover, this visual thinking method significantly benefits children’s cognitive development—it encourages them to think like artists from an early age!
以下为中文页面
UNMAR是我与我的妻子伊莱共同创建的桌面模型拼装品牌。从2011年起,我一直在广东从事于室内设计与建筑设计的工作,2019新冠疫情的时候,在家的闲暇时间设计了很多建筑模型,第一个设计的模型叫考夫曼沙漠别墅(Kaufmann Desert House),这个建筑是由Richard Neutra在1946年设计的建筑,我将其做成一个约600厘米长的巨大木质模型,我们非常惊讶于成品的精美,且认为更多美是来源于建筑师的设计。然后我又设计了更多的其他大师的模型如住吉的长屋,范斯沃斯住宅,埃西里科住宅等并分享到我的社交网络,很多设计学院的学生和模型商人联系上我并表达了合作与购置的想法。在此后好几年时间,我一直利用我的业余时间开展这个工作,通过对生产工艺的认识和了解,用户的需求等更方面的深入了解,我不断迭代和升级产品,住吉的长屋一个产品就迭代改进了近10次。形成了如今有精美包装,良好拼装体验与价格亲民的产品。
我相信我们在做一件有意义且又喜欢的工作,2025年我们正式成立了UNMAR这个品牌并建立了这个产品维基网站。希望能将产品分享给更多的人。
Unmar即Unmarked的意思,在设计和制作了很多建筑模型后,同时也拼装了很多市面上的建筑拼图产品后,我发现完全按说明的书的步骤我的思维陷入一种非常无聊的循环中:“看编号-按编号找零件-取出零件按图文编号安装”。我本人通常拼装模型的时候并不会过多的看编号,而是直接按彩盒子上的款式去找零件,除非模型实在太复杂了。所以,我思考为什么不能尽量减少甚至取消这些编号?引导用户与我一样的方式去拼装模型,因为我认为这样的拼装过程更加的有趣,图像化的拼装过程才是人类的本性啊。于是我在最新的产品设计中尽量减少编号的存在,这样会给用户带来更优质的体验。同时图像化的思维方式对小朋友的思维启蒙具有相当的好处,因为他从小就像艺术家一样思考了!