How Digital Fabrication is Democratizing Product Design

The maker movement is changing our relationship to objects. And new companies are empowering us to create our own products.

Presentation for RAPID 2011 in Minneapolis, MN
additive manufacturing conference organized by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers

Transcript

1. How Digital Fabrication is Democratizing Product Design
2. The maker movement is changing our relationship to objects.
3. And new companies are helping us create our own custom products.
4. The democratization of product design is made possible by 4 factors: • design = digital files • production = rapid manufacturing • sales = online marketplaces + craft fairs • community = virtually connected supporters
5. Design: products are created, stored, and transported as digital files. via Thingiverse via Ponoko via Shapeways via SketchChair
6. Production: digital fabrication technology makes products on-demand. laser cutting digital textile printing 3D printing CNC routing
7. Sales: online marketplaces and craft fairs let anyone price and sell their goods. online marketplaces virtual shop software craft fairs
8. Community: blogs, social media, email, and meetups make marketing free and fun. blogs & microblogs facebook & twitter e-newsletters IRL meetups
9. The democratization of product design is happening in 2 ways: • Complete custom design of goods • Customization of goods
10. Consumer determines and designs all product features. product is digitally fabricated Consumer customizes features of pre-designed product. Custom Goods Customized Goods Custom vs Customized:
11. Custom goods are produced 2 ways: • Production on a home machine • Production outsourced to a company
12. Personal 3D printers $18,000 $2,000 $10,000 $1,600 $3,200 $1,300 $2,700 $300
13. Companies offering online 3D printing services • i.materialise • Sculpteo • Shapeways • Ponoko
14. Custom goods – 3 examples: • Giving broken objects new life • From idea to market in 5 months • Combining 3D printing with other digital fabrication technologies
20. In a world of increasingly complex and complicated iOS device accessories, the Glif is a breath of fresh air. [...] it has an economy of design on par with Apple’s own governing aesthetic. [...] You just can’t find a better iPhone 4 accessory than the Glif for $20. – The New York Times
24. Customization – 3 examples: • Using public, geographic image data to customize jewelry • Using user-input text to customize home accessories • Integrating apps with digital fabrication to bring mass-customization to more people
28. Why ‘make-it-yourself’ is so popular: • Create exactly what you want • Increasingly affordable • Feel proud of what you’ve made • Better for the environment • Connect with objects & with people
29. What MIY means for the industry today: • Focus on more sophisticated products • Compete on price • Give buyers more than shopper’s high • Sustainable practices • Build brand loyalty & relationships
30. What MIY means for the industry’s future: • A shift from delivering products to enabling them • Selling files instead of objects • Facing copyright infringement • Programs to get people in stores • Incentives to retain employed designers
31. Resources: Maker Movement • instructables.com • craftzine.com • makezine.com • makerfaire.com News on Digital Fabrication • fabbaloo.com • replicator.com • blog.ponoko.com
32. Free Design Software Downloadable Design Files • inkscape.org • blender.org • openscad.org • sketchup.google.com • thingiverse.come • 123dapp.com/content • ronen-kadushin.com/ open_Design.asp • ponoko.com/showroom/ product-plans/free Resources:
33. Online Marketplaces E-commerce Software • artfire.com • en.dawanda.com • etsy.com • folksy.com • icraft.ca • madeitmyself.com • supermarkethq.com • bigcommerce.com • magentocommerce.com • shopify.com • virtuemart.net • zen-cart.com Resources:
34. Commercial 3D Printers Open-source 3D printers Resources: • HP Designjet • 3D Systems V-flash • BFB 3000 • PP3DP Up! • Fab@Home • AdderFab • MakerBot Thing-o-matic • RepRap
35. Resources: Digital Fabrication Services • envelop.eu – fabric • spoonflower.com – fabric • i.materialise.com – 3D printing • sculpteo.com – 3D printing • shapeways.com – 3D printing • ponoko.com – 3D printing, CNC routing, laser cutting
36. How Digital Fabrication is Democratizing Product Design Kristen Turner presentation prepared for RAPID 2011