ILAB-001 - inventoryLab App

Project ID: iLAB-001
Status: In Progress
Started: June 2026

Summary

inventoryLAB is a native macOS application designed to document, organize, and manage physical assets throughout their entire lifecycle. Rather than functioning as a traditional inventory application, it serves as a living engineering archive where every permanent object has its own history, location, documentation, and maintenance record.

The project was born from the frustration of knowing an item existed, but not remembering where it was stored, when it was purchased, what projects it had been used for, or what maintenance it required. inventoryLAB is my attempt to solve that problem with a system designed from first principles.

Why I Built It

Most inventory applications focus on quantities and stock levels. My needs were different.

As a maker, I own tools, machines, electronics, hardware, prototypes, and countless project materials. Each item carries a story - where it came from, what it has been used for, where it currently lives, and how it fits into future projects.

I wanted software that treated every asset as an individual object rather than another row in a spreadsheet.

inventoryLAB is designed to become the permanent record of my workshop.

Objectives

• Build a native macOS application using SwiftUI and SwiftData.

• Create a permanent Asset ID system for physical objects.

• Track exact storage locations throughout my workshop.

• Maintain historical records instead of replacing old information.

• Record maintenance, project usage, documentation, and notes.

• Design an interface inspired by engineering software and NASA human-centered design principles.

• Learn modern Apple application development through building a real product I use every day.

Key Features

Permanent Asset Identification

Every permanent object receives a unique Asset ID that never changes or gets reused, creating a permanent reference throughout the application.

Hierarchical Storage Locations

Instead of simple room labels, assets are organized using nested storage locations such as:

Garage → Toolbox → Drawer 3

making every item easy to locate.

Living Asset Records

Each asset becomes its own historical record containing purchase information, manufacturer details, maintenance history, project involvement, notes, and future documentation.

Consumable Tracking

Items like screws, adhesives, tape, and materials are managed separately from permanent assets, allowing inventory quantities without cluttering the engineering archive.

Engineering-Focused Interface

The interface prioritizes readability, hierarchy, and efficiency over decorative elements. Every interaction is designed to make finding information as fast as possible.

Technologies

• Swift

• SwiftUI

• SwiftData

• CloudKit (planned)

• Git

• Xcode

Current Progress

The project foundation is complete and active development is underway.

Completed work includes:

• Application architecture

• Asset management model

• Automatic Asset ID generation

• Storage location hierarchy

• Native macOS interface

• Custom reusable UI components

• Engineering-inspired design system

• Asset browser

• Asset detail pages

• Asset logging workflow

Future development includes:

• Search and filtering

• Barcode and QR support

• Maintenance reminders

• Attachments and documentation

• Cloud synchronization

• iPhone companion application

• Reporting and analytics

Lessons Learned

One of the biggest lessons so far has been that designing software is largely about designing information.

The difficult part isn’t writing code - it’s deciding what information deserves to exist, how it should relate to everything else, and how quickly it can be retrieved when you need it.

Building inventoryLAB has reinforced the idea that thoughtful data architecture creates better software than adding more features.

Next Steps

• Complete consumable inventory management

• Expand historical asset logging

• Implement advanced search

• Add reporting tools

• Develop CloudKit synchronization

• Begin iPhone companion app

• Continue refining the engineering-focused user experience

Project Status

inventoryLAB is an ongoing long-term project that I intend to use every day. As my workshop evolves, the application will continue to grow alongside it, becoming both a practical tool and a record of the projects, tools, and ideas that pass through my shop.