Outdoor kitchen design platform

A design platform, comprising:

• a plurality of user devices each having a device screen and an input device;
• a control server configured to communicate with the plurality of user devices via a data communication network, the control server maintains a platform data store, the platform data store containing user data associated with a plurality of users comprising customer users and provider users, each provider user is associated with a provider corresponding to a manufacturer, distributor, or contractor;
• a user application which is executed on the user devices or which is implemented as a web application accessible via the user devices, the user application allows the users to access the design platform;
• a component library stored within the platform data store, the component library having a plurality of component data each representing a virtual component, the virtual components comprising a plurality of appliances and structural components, the component data of each appliance further has classification metadata including type and model, and placement data;
• a design module implemented by the control server which allows one of the customer users to generate a customized layout, the design module generates a three dimensional virtual design space containing a horizontally disposed virtual surface, and provides a virtual design interface accessible by the users via the user application, the virtual design interface has a graphical preview and design tools which allow one of the customer users to define a perimeter shape formed from a plurality of perimeter sides, and perimeter dimensions describing the perimeter shape and the perimeter sides, the design module generates a support frame for the customized layout within the graphical preview, the support frame projects from the virtual surface and has a plurality of vertical faces aligned with the perimeter sides and a horizontal face positioned above the vertical faces which is defined by the perimeter shape;
• a component selection interface within the virtual design interface, the component selection interface presents the customer user with a component list displaying the virtual components representing appliances within the component library, the component selection interface allows the customer user to sort the virtual components by appliance type or model, and select one of the virtual components;
• a placement interface within the virtual design interface, the placement interface defines one or more placement surfaces upon the support frame corresponding to the horizontal face or one of the vertical faces, and allows the customer user to add the selected virtual component to the customized layout by placing the selected virtual component upon one of the placement surfaces within the graphical preview, causing the graphical preview to display a graphical representation of the virtual component upon the placement surface;
• customization data generated by the design module which embodies the customized layout and is stored within the platform data store;
• and
• a quote management module implemented by the control server, the quote management module implements a quote management interface which allows the provider users to view the customized layout of the customer user via one of the user devices, and generate a quote containing a quote price for installation of a food preparation structure embodying the customized layout, the quote management interface further presents the customer user with each of the quotes, and allows the customer user to select and accept one of the quotes.