This week in class, we had a guest speaker from Shapeways. She started off with telling us a little about the company and then showed us around the factory. Shapeways is a company where individuals and businesses can design a product (or products) they want 3D printed and Shapeways does the rest!

Their process is:

1) Design a Product,

2) Upload to Shapeways,

3) We’ll Produce It For You

4) Sell It In The Marketplace

5) Share It With The World.

In order to make a design, you must download a 3D printing app or use your favorite software to design your product. After that, you can hire a designer of your liking. Every designer at Shapeways has a different expertise; so, you can choose a designer that best fits your product.

The key factor that separates Shapeways from other 3D printing companies is the variety of materials available for use. They have over 60 different materials ranging from plastic to precious metals. Not only do they have over 60 different materials, but they have over 100 different colors to choose from. Having this many materials and colors allows you to have full control and customization of your product.

In addition to being able to make a product, you can shop on their website for things other maker’s have made. Here is a link to check out some of their cool products! They have products ranging from jewelry to art to home appliances!

https://www.shapeways.com/marketplace

One of the questions asked by a classmate of mine, Scott, was Shapeways’ thoughts on making weapons. 3D printing weapons is becoming more and more popular in today’s society. I thought this question was very interesting because Shapeways’ main objective is to creative anything and everything their customers design… however, they do draw a line here. Our speaker talked about Shapeways’ choice to not make weapons. Of course they have the ability to, and would probably make a lot of money making customized weapons, however they do not. I am sure this was a big topic of conversation when Shapeways was first forming. Here is a link that explains the process of making 3D printed weapons and the ethics with it.

https://www.3dprint.com/139537/3d-printed-guns/

This week, we focused mostly on the importance of prototyping your product. As the blog post from Edison Nation states, “One of the best ways to start flushing out your idea is with a paper and a pen.” (Losaw, 2014) In addition, a video by David Kelley states, “How quickly you get to the first crummy prototype and show it to people is directly proportional to how successful the product will be.” (Kelley, 2001). After reading all of my classmates’ reflections, I realized that we all had a little trouble prototyping our final projects. This is because when we actually had to think of the technicalities and design, we realize there may be problems with our design or idea. It is easy to think of a creative idea, but actually putting together the product and thinking about the technicalities is the hard part.

Prototyping a product is not only important for your own success in making the product, but the success of the product selling. If you give users a simplified version of the product, this gives them something tangible to look at/feel, allowing them to gain more confidence in your product. Once again, an idea is just an idea and is not relevant until put into action.

After doing some research, I concluded there are four key uses of prototyping. The first use is evaluating and testing the design. This is when you create your prototype and evaluate which parts need to be redesigned or scraped. These things are not necessarily seen simply by drawing your product on a piece of paper. Next, you must clarify production costs and issues. This is where you evaluate the steps in the process of making your product and seeing if you can remove a step or combine two step in order to save money without damaging the end product. The third use is selling the product to others. It is extremely important to keep the customer in mind when prototyping. It is nearly impossible to get a customer to sign a purchase order without having a tangible prototype in their hands. Finally, if your product is new or unique, you should consider getting it patented. If you have a prototype, it is must easier to sit down with a patent attorney and figure out your best option!

Overall, prototyping may seem like a step that can be skipped, but it is by far the most important step!

If you want to check out more on prototyping, check out…

https://www.creativebloq.com/netmag/importance-prototyping-your-designs-81412694