Ba\CA Board

*AK Studios branding and photography

Ba\ca - Bring Anywhere, Cut Anything.

Baca Board is a maple butcher block cutting board with a stainless steel knife built in, held secure by a patented magnet retention system. AK Studios' second self-funded product, it sold 10,000 units across a Bespoke Post retail partnership and our own Kickstarter campaign.

The Brief

How can we make eating good on the go or in small spaces feel more luxurious? Baca Board started from a personal frustration: loving to cook but hating the cheap utensils that come with small-space or outdoor living.

The Team

Two senior designers, two junior designers, a marketing team, a manufacturing team in Shenzhen, and our head of manufacturing.

My Role

Lead Designer overseeing Baca Board from concept to launch. I finalized sketches, built the original 3D printed file, and refined the prototype through multiple rounds of testing before handing off to our DFM designer. I reviewed samples, locked the final design, then led photo and video production and coordinated the graphic design and branding for our Kickstarter and retail launch.

Tools Used

  • Adobe Creative Suite

  • Prusa 3D Printing

  • Fusion 360

  • Photography and Videography

  • Manufacturing Sourcing

Making the Board

Living in a small apartment, we cooked outside often and hated using cheap, disposable utensils. Baca Board started as a personal need: a cutting board worth bringing with you.

Early sketches explored how a knife could live inside a cutting board without compromising either function. The idea landed fast, a travel board with a built-in blade.

Ideation

I built the original 3D printed file in Fusion 360 and printed early iterations on a Prusa to test form, grip, and blade placement.

First Prototype

The core challenge was keeping the knife secure without hardware that would rust, rattle, or wear out. We landed on a patented magnet retention system, holding the blade flush and silent in transit.

The Retention System

Maple butcher block paired with a stainless steel blade, chosen for durability, food safety, and a material feel that read as luxurious rather than disposable.

Material Selection

Refinement & Manufacturing

I ran the printed prototypes through repeated use to test blade retention, board balance, and how the magnet system held up over time.

Prototype Testing

Once the design was locked, I sent the final files to our DFM designer to prepare the board for production tooling.

DFM Handoff

Our manufacturing team in Shenzhen and our head of manufacturing led sourcing. I reviewed incoming samples against the original design intent and signed off on final production specs.

Sourcing & Sample Review

The build brought together two senior designers, two junior designers, a marketing team, and our manufacturing partners in Shenzhen, all coordinated through the prototype-to-production pipeline.

Team Coordination

We pitched Baca Board to Bespoke Post as a small business partner, who placed an order of 5,000 units, funding the first production run.

Securing Funding

Launch & Campaign

I coordinated photo and video shoots to capture the board's material quality and the magnet mechanism in action.

Photo & Video Production

From there I moved into graphic design and branding, building the visual identity for the product across packaging and campaign materials.

Brand & Graphic Design

We launched our own Kickstarter alongside the Bespoke Post partnership, selling an additional 5,000 units directly to backers.

Content & Social

I edited photo and video content for social channels and the Kickstarter page, translating the product story for a digital audience.

Results

Combined, Baca Board sold 10,000 units across channels, AK Studios' second self-funded product to reach market.

Kickstarter Campaign

“This has to be one of the coolest products we’ve ever seen. It’s a perfect little gadget for those who like to live on the go.”

- Rishi Prabhu Co-Founder of Bespoke Post