3D printing or additive manufacturing is the process of making an object by depositing material, one small layer at a time. From 3D printed parts for commercial marketing to those implanted in humans through contemporary healthcare practices, 3D printing has become more embraced and engulfed into the design world more than ever before. As technology advances and new ideas are being experimented with, the design world continues to evolve.
As 3D printing continues to grow, it’s increasingly accessible; as it spreads throughout the world, consumers and designers are able to create more than they’ve ever imagined. With that being said, major brands are using 3D printing for design including Nike and Nokia. Being able to have the tools to design and manufacture something at your own company without having to wait for certain products and then shipping them out, you have the tool you need right there at your work space. Because larger corporations are starting to deliver their products that are designed and manufactured using 3D printing, it enables other companies, like smaller businesses to use it too. Going off of that, take Nike for example; through 3D printing, they’re able to create physical models in two days that would originally take three to five weeks. Not only can 3D printing make certain models, but it can create prototypes, samples that came from sketches, and other products made for marketing tools. It seems to me that 3D printing has exceeded peoples’ expectations and that it’s only going to get better.
Without a doubt, 3D printing allows for more freedom within a design, and with it comes new opportunities to create something geometric, sustainable, and completely abstract. Take sustainability as one advantage to 3D printing: it creates a lot less waste material for a single part plus materials used for 3D printing are usually recyclable. If we need fewer parts for manufacturing that can decrease environmental impact because fewer products, pieces, or other parts are being shipped across the globe.
As design continues to be classical, with pre-computers, modernist ideas, and right and wrong expectations, 3D printing allows all of these things to coexist together to build something incredible. Design thinking influences our projects by empathizing with our audience because we want the products to connect with people so further projects can be designed and manufactured. Lastly, this type of technology, 3D printing gives room for more design possibilities, expands design solutions, allows us to ask questions within art, and provides leadership opportunities that take action within a company.
