How Will 3-D Printing Impact the Future of Design?

Andreas Schulz , Barbara Kotte, Johannes Zäuner, Rebecca Wilting, and Nicolas Eggert. Rapid Racer, 2011. Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), 27.56 lbs. Manufactured by Faculty of Design, Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaft und Kunst (HAWK), and Stratasys Ltd, USA. Photo by Johannes Roloff/HAWK.

How will 3D printing impact the future of design? Duann Scott from

Shapeways

feels that the most powerful aspect of the technology is the reassessment of traditional modes of production and distribution based on material resources. With the ability to electronically transmit data files to local production centers, smaller objects may be mailed out or large ones held for pick up by the consumer, increasing convenience and reducing the carbon footprint.

3D printing also provides the opportunity to take a product to market in a matter of days or weeks, instead of months or years. Since no tooling is required, one can continue to recreate and improve the product with it is on the market based on customer feedback or consumer trends.

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