Meet the Maker: Kelsey Fairhurst’s Irresistibly Bold Flatware | Figma Blog
Kelsey Fairhurst turned a travel-fork idea into Forks Plus, a “softline brutalist” flatware brand combining sculptural forms, colorful handles, and stainless steel. The business grew through years of self-directed research, manufacturing experiments, and collaboration with specialized partners. Her process now blends hands-on fabrication with Figma-based design for marketing and digital brand materials. ## From a Travel Fork to Forks Plus - In 2019, Fairhurst designed a purple acrylic travel fork with a removable cover after realizing she needed one on a train ride. - The prototype sparked an interest in making physical objects and led her to develop stainless steel flatware. - Forks Plus features exaggerated hardware, sculptural silhouettes, and powder-coated handles in bright colors. - Fairhurst’s experience curating midcentury dishware through dishware.nyc influenced her attraction to bistro-style flatware. ## Learning to Manufacture at Small Scale - With only one flatware manufacturer remaining in the United States, Fairhurst had to develop a smaller-scale production process herself. - She spent roughly a year researching techniques and potential suppliers online, cold-emailing machinists, powder-coating facilities, and other manufacturers. - A connection with Cleveland machinist Garry Yarowski led to mentorship and a custom benchtop CNC machine. - Fairhurst learned G-code, the programming language used to control CNC machines and laser cutters. ## Improving the Production Process - Counterboring rivet holes proved especially difficult: - The carbide tools cost about $300 each. - Incorrect machine code or angles could shatter the tools. - The holes had to be drilled precisely 0.05 inches deep so the rivets sat flush. - After two and a half years of experimentation, the process improved from 46 minutes for two holes to under a minute. - Fairhurst can now counterbore approximately 250 handles per day. - Production includes laser cutting, deburring with a belt grinder, forming forks and spoons with a 20-ton hydraulic press, knife serration, powder-coating, polishing, and final assembly. - Some specialized steps are outsourced to regional partners, while finishing and assembly happen in her Brooklyn studio. - A fork now takes about 30 minutes to produce, compared with the much slower process during the brand’s early development. ## Designing the Brand in Figma - Fairhurst uses Figma to create Forks Plus’s website, email campaigns, and social media materials. - She values the program’s tactile, hands-on feel, which matches her approach to physical making. - Her partner, Bryant Wells, designed the flatware dies in 3D CAD and built the Forks Plus website. Overall, Forks Plus demonstrates how persistent experimentation, local manufacturing relationships, and digital design tools can help a designer build a specialized product business from the ground up.
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