Yuriko Miyasaka's Blog on 3D Printing

This course was an extremely unique, one of a kind experience.  The semester was full of surprises from beginning to end.  Although the course load was much more than I had expected, there were many valuable lessons that I was able to take away from taking this course.

First, this course exposed me to the world of 3D printing for the very first time.  I had never really heard of 3D printing until I took this course and it was an amazing experience to learn about this disruptive technology that is said to possibly cause another “Industrial Revolution” where the traditional manufacturing process will change in its entirety.  It was also an incredible experience to work with a 3D printing software (SketchUp) as I cannot imagine where else I would have had an opportunity to work with such a program.  When I told my friends outside of this class about my experience working with a 3D design software and showed them my printed cookie cutter, they were absolutely amazed.

Second, this course helped to develop my skills as an entrepreneur.  Taking an idea and putting it in the form of a business model is extremely difficult!  This course definitely taught me that having great ideas is simply not enough.  It also taught me the difficulty in explaining an idea to a third party as the audience of a presentation is only present during the actual presentation and does not see the entire process from ideation to the finalized business pitch.

Finally, this course has given me the opportunity to work with people at an involvement level I probably would not have had the opportunity to come across elsewhere.  This is my fourth year at Baruch but it is the first time I worked on a semester-long group project.  I will admit that it wasn’t always fun and pleasant to have to constantly work collaboratively, especially since it was an ongoing process throughout the entire semester.  However, the sense of accomplishment I felt after the group presentation was complete, and the relationship that I feel I have developed with my team members is priceless and made the entire experience worthwhile.

When I initially decided to venture out to further my knowledge on 3D printing in the jewelry industry, I had hoped to do this with the ultimate goal of creating a design file to produce a printed piece of jewelry.  Although things did not go exactly according to plan, I was able to learn a ton of new information about 3D printing in the jewelry industry through this process.

One of the things I wanted to find an answer to through this process was to the question, “so what?” with respect to 3D printing and the jewelry industry.  I wanted to learn more about what the introduction of 3D printing technology meant for the jewelry industry both from the overall perspective of the industry as a whole and what it meant for the average consumer.  Based on my research, the two key elements 3D printing technology brings to the table of the jewelry industry is (1) new designs that only 3D printing makes possible and (2) high customization at prices that only 3D printing makes possible.

Both elements were interesting to further explore but I found the second element to be of more interest.  The consumer market in general in recent years has been making a shift towards customization, moving away from mass production.  More and more consumers are willing to pay a premium to have products made that are unique and specially made for them.  Based on my research, 3D printing technology makes this absolutely possible in the jewelry industry.  Some companies are already utilizing this technology to make custom made products available to their customers at prices that are lower than their competitors.

3D printing technology is said to be a disruptive technology as it changes the traditional process of manufacturing.  3D printing is doing this in the jewelry industry by cutting costs in inventory because 3D printing technology allows for fast on-demand production.  Also, 3D printing may eventually make the value that consumers see in jewelry change.  Currently, consumers pay premiums for brand products.  However, if in the future, higher value is placed on unique customized designs more so than the value that a consumer places on a brand, that can mean a complete revolution in the jewelry industry.

For the final step of my journey in furthering my knowledge on 3D printed jewelry design, I had originally hoped to submit a completed design file to Shapeways for printing but since I was not able to complete the prior steps necessary in doing this, I decided to do some further research on what 3D printing offers jewelry retailers/manufacturers.

In conducting this research I came across some interesting websites.  The first one I want to share is a website for a company called JewelryTHIS.  This is a company based out of Barbados that works to act as a middleman between jewelry designers and jewelers/manufacturers.  The company maintains a database of 3D jewelry design files so that (1) designers can upload their files and earn royalties if their design is used and (2) jewelers/manufacturers can work with over 1000 designers rather than a limited few.  Individuals can also browse through the design database and select an item for purchase.

3DBull.com is another company that works to bring designers and jewelry manufacturers/retailers together.  Designers can upload their design files to this website and manufacturers/retailers are able to purchase these design files.  Here is an interesting video on their website showing how this business model reduce the costs involved in custom made jewelry.

Sources:

https://www.jewelrythis.com

http://www.3dbull.com

My original plan for the next step was to sketch out some designs that I hoped to turn into 3D design files in SketchUp.  However, after realizing the difficulty in becoming proficient with 3D designing skills to a level where I can see how 3D software makes certain elements that were impossible in jewelry design before possible, I decided to take an alternate route.  I decided to explore what possibilities 3D printing brings about to the average consumer.

Shapeways is a fantastic website for average consumers since it maintains a collection of 3D design files uploaded by designers that is ready to be viewed and selected by consumers.  Consumers can choose a design file and then choose from a selection of available colors and materials.  This is a great way to own pieces of jewelry that are customize, unique at a non-outrageous price.

Here are some pieces that I thought were particularly intriguing.

Sources:

3D Printing Service Online

For my next step in the schedule of events to further my knowledge in 3D printing jewelry, I wanted to learn more about 3D designing itself to hopefully get a better insight into the mechanics of it to gain a deeper understanding on the so called “geometries” that 3D printing “makes possible.”

In order to do this, I started by viewing the SketchUp tutorials that were available on the class blog page and quickly realized that it would be impossible to learn 3D design software skills at a level sophisticated enough to accomplish what I had hoped to accomplish.

To further my knowledge in 3D printed jewelry, I spent some time studying actual pieces that were designed and printed using 3D printing.

Here are some images from a new jewelry line called LACE by Jenny Wu.  Wu’s expertise is actually in architecture but she utilizes her skill set to design jewelry pieces with complex, interlocking elements to create bold statement designs.

Here is a short video on how American Pearl incorporates 3D printing into its operations for customized jewelry pieces.

Here are some designs by a Toronto-based company called HotPop Factory founded by its two founders Matt Compeau and Bi-Ying Miao out of their apartment.  Initially, they were just experimenting with a 3D printer and never imagined they would turn it into a business.

Sources:

http://www.jennywulace.com/

http://www.ibtimes.com/3d-printed-jewelry-breathes-new-life-64-year-old-american-pearl-1678748

http://www.hotpopfactory.com/

In the blog that I launched for my midterm in this class, I wrote about my interests in further exploring the evolutions 3D printing has brought about in the jewelry industry.  After doing further research on the new possibilities that 3D printing has brought about with respect to the jewelry industry, there seemed to be two highlighted features.

The first revelation that 3D printing has brought about in jewelry design is the ability to create jewelry designs that were not possible before.  3D printing jewelry pieces has allowed designers to incorporate design details that were impossible to produce through traditional methods of jewelry production.  3D printing allows for creation of jewelry with intricate details and certain geometries that are impossible to create by hand.

The second highlighted feature of 3D printed jewelry is the ability for high customization.  3D printing allows consumers to customize their jewelry for a relatively low cost and with 3D printing technology, the turnaround time for fulfilling a custom order has become incredibly fast.  American Pearl for example can have a custom ordered jewelry piece delivered to a consumer in 3 or 4 days at a much lower price than its competitors by utilizing 3D printing technology.

Sources:

New dimension added to jewelry; 3D printers make unique designs more affordable The Calgary Herald (Alberta) May 25, 2013 Saturday

AN ADDED DIMENSION 3D printing’s a brave new world for consumers Daily News (New York) December 8, 2013 Sunday

Mass-customization is the shiny end game; 3D printing fuels new jewelry lines The Gazette (Montreal) May 25, 2013 Saturday

http://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2014/02/28/how-a-jewelry-company-is-making-250000-pieces-using-3d-printing-and-google-earth/

1. What do I want to learn?

What kind of new jewelry designs 3D printing makes possible

2. How will I show that I have learned this?

Designing and printing a piece of jewelry

3. How will I get from step 1 to step 2 by Dec 17?

a. research existing 3D printing jewelry designs on what kinds of design styles 3D printing makes possible

b. gather photos of sample jewelry using said technology

c. view all SketchUp tutorials posted under Resources on class blog

d. create sketches including dimensions and intended print materials of jewelry

e. create design file and submit to Shapeways for printing

4. Resource List

a. SketchUp tutorials

b. Baruch Library

c. Google

d. Youtube

The subject area that I would like to further explore for the remainder of this course is jewelry design through 3D printing.  My inspiration for choosing this subject area came from the Shapeways exhibit at the Maker Faire where they had various intricately designed pieces of jewelry on display.  My decision also largely has to do with how much I have enjoyed working with SketchUp thus far and my desire to further increase my competency is using design software.

I would first like to further explore what kind of 3D printed jewelry lines are already out in the market.  According to some articles I came across, 3D printing has just recently made its entrance into the fashion industry and jewelry/accessory design is at the forefront; 3D printing other items such as shoes and clothing are said to be “at least five more years away.”  The reason for this is due to limitations on printable materials and higher customization needs for items such as shoes and clothing.  Currently, there are no printable materials “that are warm enough to wear” and only elements of outfits can be created using 3D printing.  Materials that jewelry and accessories require on the other hand are readily available.

This subject area has me intrigued because 3D printing will completely change the possibilities of jewelry design.  There are designs that are only possible utilizing 3D printing, some of which can be seen in pieces designed by architect, Jenny Wu in her new jewelry line called LACE where she uses “distinctive, organic twisting shapes” and “complex, interlocking elements.”  According to Wu, “The main advantage of 3D printing is achieving a high level of geometric complexity and variation.”  She also mentions that the pieces she designs would take months to produce using traditional jewelry-making processes but only a few hours using a 3D printer.

It is my hope to gain more knowledge on different design elements and techniques by further exploring this subject area.  It is interesting to note that most 3D printed jewelry designers did not start out designing jewelry.  My ultimate goal in this course is to gain adequate knowledge on techniques and limitations of 3D printed jewelry to hopefully become capable of creating some designs at the level of detail I have come across so far on my own.

Resources consulted for this post are listed below:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelhennessey/2014/10/24/3d-printed-jewelry-fashion-lace/

http://techcrunch.com/2014/10/16/wonderluk/

http://www.roboticstomorrow.com/news/2014/10/23/leading-artists-showcase-intricate-pieces-achievable-with-multi-material-3d-printing-at-acadia-/4963/

I found out about this course from an email I received from the Zicklin School which was an email with a list of special courses being offered during the following semester.  When I received this email, I had already signed up for all the courses I intended to take during the Fall 2014 semester.  However, since I am majoring in Business Management – Entrepreneurship and minoring in Art, adding this course to my course load was a no brainer for me.  I was excited about taking this course, but I had no background in 3D printing when I signed up for the course so I was not exactly sure what to expect.

Prior to the first day of class, I had no exposure to 3D printing so the video clip that was shown on the first day was an eye opening experience for me.  The possibilities of 3D printing that the video clip touched upon were like ideas I was used to seeing in science fiction movies.  Although the future that 3D printing was said to hold in the video was inspiring, the ideas all seemed unrealistic to me.  However, this changed when I started to read “Fabricated.”  By learning the processes involved in 3D printing and reading about what has already been done and the ways in which the existing technologies can be applied to future technologies, the endless possibilities of 3D printing has become more and more of a reality for me.

The most interesting part of the course for me thus far has been the utilization of SketchUp to create the actual design files.  Using the software has given me the opportunity to experience the limitations mentioned in “Fabricated” first hand relating to converting a 3D design idea into a physical 3D printed object.  It has given me the opportunity to experience the difficulty of converting a 3D design idea into an actual 3D design file.  However, despite the difficulties involved, the studio exercise assignments are what I have found myself most indulged in and I have found myself spending hours trying to make small details in a particular design “just right.”  I am intrigued by SketchUp giving me the ability to create intricately detailed design files that can actually be printed into final products and I hope to further develop my skills in 3D design through the reminder of this course.