David Potter
David is the founder and owner of Digital Joinery Lab, bringing together his background in product design engineering, joinery and digital manufacturing.
Specialising in SOLIDWORKS and SWOOD, he has built his career around transforming ideas into practical, production-ready solutions.
David leads the technical direction of Digital Joinery Lab and is supported by a network of trusted designers, engineers and manufacturing specialists.
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Past
Digital Joinery Lab grew from David’s background in design engineering, CAD and manufacturing.
David was first introduced to CAD while studying A-Level Design & Technology, before going on to study Product Design Engineering at Brunel University, where he developed his skills and graduated with a First Class Honours Degree.
He then began his career as a Design Engineer, producing furniture and joinery for commercial fit-out projects and gaining practical experience in designing for manufacture.
In 2020, David was introduced to SWOOD and began using the software professionally the following year. This marked a shift towards more advanced joinery-specific design, manufacturing and CNC workflows.
Alongside his employed work, David also began taking on subcontract design projects, gradually building the experience, client base and specialist knowledge that would eventually lead to the creation of Digital Joinery Lab.
2022
Alongside his subcontract design work, David founded a business specialising in the design and manufacture of bespoke furniture and joinery products, with support from The King’s Trust.
The venture gave him valuable first-hand experience in product development, joinery manufacture and running a manufacture-led business.
Although David ultimately chose to focus on his growing client base and subcontract design work, the experience played an important role in shaping Digital Joinery Lab and its later expansion into buildable systems and physical manufacture.
2025
Digital Joinery Lab grew from David’s subcontract design work, previous business ventures and experience within the joinery industry.
As his subcontract work developed, David began working with a growing number of clients across the joinery, furniture and fit-out sectors. Through repeat projects, recommendations and ongoing working relationships, the business gradually expanded into a wider range of design and manufacturing support.
Working closely with different workshops and manufacturers gave David a strong understanding of the challenges faced throughout the design-to-production process, from developing concepts and technical information through to CNC manufacture and installation.
This experience shaped Digital Joinery Lab into what it is today, combining specialist design support with digital resources, buildable systems, manufacturing services and SWOOD expertise.
2026
As Digital Joinery Lab continued to grow, the business reached its next stage of development and was incorporated as a limited company, along with a new website.
The move reflects the growth of the business from David’s original subcontract design work into a broader operation supporting clients across design, digital manufacturing, SWOOD, buildable systems and physical manufacture.
Today, Digital Joinery Lab continues to develop its services, products and industry partnerships while remaining focused on practical, production-led design and manufacturing.
Future
Looking ahead, Digital Joinery Lab will place increasing focus on the development of its Buildable Systems, creating a growing library of practical, production-ready designs that can be used and adapted by joinery businesses across the UK.
The aim is to make proven design and manufacturing information more accessible, helping workshops reduce development time, improve consistency and move projects into production more efficiently.
Alongside this growing digital library, Digital Joinery Lab will continue to develop its design, SWOOD and manufacturing support, building a wider network of resources and expertise for the joinery industry.
If you think you could help us, interested in working for Digital Joinery Labs, or need to know more, please contact us:
contact@digitaljoinerylab.co.uk