product-match

/product-match — Product Match

"Find me something like this." Takes a product — by name, image, or description — and searches the web for similar alternatives. Returns 5-10 matches with specs, pricing, and links.

When to Use

• Designer has a product they like but it's over budget, discontinued, or wrong lead time
• Client references a product and you need alternatives at different price points
• Sourcing a similar product from a different manufacturer or region
• Finding contract/trade equivalents of residential products (or vice versa)

Step 1: Accept Input

The designer provides a product reference in any format:

By name:

/product-match Eames Lounge Chair

By name + constraints:

/product-match Eames Lounge Chair but under $3,000

By image:

/product-match ~/Downloads/chair-photo.jpg

By description:

/product-match mid-century lounge chair, molded plywood shell, leather cushions, swivel base

By URL:

/product-match https://store.hermanmiller.com/living-room-furniture/eames-lounge-chair

Step 2: Identify the Source Product

If given a name or URL, look up the product's key attributes:

• Category and subcategory
• Dimensions (W, D, H)
• Materials and finishes
• Price range
• Designer / design era
• Key visual characteristics (silhouette, proportions, details)

If given an image, use Claude vision to describe:

• Product type and category
• Shape, proportions, silhouette
• Materials visible (wood type, metal finish, upholstery)
• Style period and design language
• Color palette
• Estimated scale

If given a description, extract the same attributes from the text.

Document the source product clearly:

## Source Product
Eames Lounge Chair — Herman Miller
Category: Lounge Chair
Dims: 32.75"W × 32.5"D × 33.5"H
Materials: Molded plywood, leather
Price: $5,695
Style: Mid-Century Modern, organic, sculptural
Key features: Swivel base, tilting seat, separate ottoman

Step 3: Search for Matches

Run 3-5 web searches targeting different angles:

1. Direct alternatives: lounge chairs similar to Eames
2. Category + style: mid-century molded plywood lounge chair
3. Price-specific (if budget mentioned): modern lounge chair under $3,000
4. Material-specific: leather and walnut lounge chair swivel
5. Trade/contract sources: contract lounge chair molded wood specification

For each candidate found, attempt to fetch the product page for full specs.

Target: 5-10 matches that genuinely resemble the source. Quality over quantity.

Step 4: Score and Rank Matches

For each match, assess similarity on:

• Visual similarity (0-5): Does it look like the source?
• Material match (0-3): Same or similar materials?
• Price proximity (0-3): Within a reasonable range of source or stated budget?
• Dimension match (0-2): Similar scale?
• Availability (0-2): In stock or reasonable lead time?

Total score out of 15. Present in descending order.

Step 5: Present Results

## Product Matches for: Eames Lounge Chair

### 1. Plycraft Mr. Chair — Plycraft (Score: 13/15)
32"W × 30"D × 33"H · Molded walnut plywood, leather · $2,495
Lead: In stock · Indoor
🔗 plycraft.com/mr-chair
Why: Direct mid-century competitor. Same era, same construction technique.
Nearly identical silhouette at less than half the price.

### 2. Tiempo Lounge — Lazar (Score: 11/15)
31"W × 33"D × 34"H · Walnut veneer, leather · $3,200
Lead: 6-8 weeks · Indoor
🔗 lazarind.com/tiempo
Why: Modern reinterpretation. Slightly softer lines, similar materials.
Available in COM.

### 3. ...

---

## Comparison

| # | Product | Brand | W | D | H | Price | Material | Lead | Match |
|---|---------|-------|---|---|---|-------|----------|------|-------|
| 1 | Mr. Chair | Plycraft | 32 | 30 | 33 | $2,495 | Plywood/Leather | Stock | 13/15 |
| 2 | Tiempo | Lazar | 31 | 33 | 34 | $3,200 | Walnut/Leather | 6-8w | 11/15 |

Presentation rules

• Lead with the comparison table for quick scanning
• Include "Why" for each — what makes this a good match and what's different
• Flag trade-offs: "veneer not solid", "no swivel", "larger scale"
• Group if useful: "Closest matches", "Budget alternatives", "Contract options"

Step 6: Save

If the designer picks matches ("save 1 and 3"), write to the master Google Sheet using the 33-column schema defined in ../../schema/product-schema.md (read for column reference and formats). Use ../../schema/sheet-conventions.md for CRUD patterns.

• Column AD (Tags): append match:{source-product-name} so matches are traceable
• Column AE (Notes): "Matched from {source product}. {Why reasoning}"
• Column AF (Status): "saved"
• Column AG (Source): "product-match"

Pairs With

• /product-research — research finds products from a brief, match finds alternatives to a specific product
• /product-enrich — enrich the matched products with categories and tags
• /product-pair — after matching, find complementary products
• /product-data-import — import matched products into the master schedule