How do we empower makers to engage with 3D printing technology?
[Description]
A 3D printed DIY task lamp project aimed to challenge novice 3D printer users.
[Tools & Processes]
Research via secondary sources. Prototyping via sketching, CAD & 3D printing.
[Duration]
5 weeks.
Open source - print files available for free! (soon)
Files coming sometime in the future…
Fully articulating
Point and aim light in any direction, to improve visibility for any task at hand.
Brightness & color temperature adjustable, with the twist of a knob
Features big tactile controls that are easy to reach. Adjust the quality of light to suit your needs - for different times of day, different kinds of activities, different moods.
Designed to be made within a weekend (tools & parts required)
Total print time of all parts is ~20 hours. Prints with some support, which means some post-processing is required. Electronics are connected via jumper cables & a breadboard. Some soldering is required, however.
[Project Introduction]
The DIY landscape has been changing...
And a lot of it’s to do with 3D printers.
3D printers are amazing because they allow us to make physical objects quickly and affordably, breaking down the barriers between idea and reality.
In the past two decades, 3D printers have migrated from factory floors, to desktops at home. This shift was not driven by corporate interest, but by the collaborative efforts of DIY communities around the world, who shared their experiments, findings, and printer designs openly, for little to no cost. It is because of these communities that you and I have the privilege of using 3D printers today.
Right now, ‘hobbyist’ printers are getting cheaper and better, and industrial printers are not only seen as tools for prototyping, but for making ready-to-ship products. Finding myself in the midst of this revolution, I felt the need to noy only participate, but ask…
[Problem Space]
How can we help more people engage with 3D printing?
How do we teach 3D printing to those who lack the experience, but who still deeply value making? Initially, I thought about how I might teach somebody the basics & fundamentals of 3D printing, to get them over the initial learning curve. Through some research however, I learned that it’s more important to empower somebody to use 3D printing, rather than focusing on teaching technical skills & information. So what’s the difference?
[Problem Space]
What is 3D printer empowerment?
When using a 3D printer, to feel empowered is to have the confidence to make anything that comes to mind, unafraid of facing the challenges that will inevitably arise. Whilst we can teach someone how to use a 3D printer, the confidence to use a 3D printer cannot be taught, it can only be earned.
In order to help someone earn the confidence to use the 3D printer, we have to provide opportunities that will allow them to engage with the 3D printer using their prior experience, whilst exposing them to some new & challenging concepts.
[Research Conclusion]
How might we design opportunities that are both challenging & engaging?
Rather, what does it mean for this opportunity to be both challenging & engaging? It means that whoever engages in this opportunity should feel exposed to unfamiliar ideas. But they should still feel able to exercise the skills & knowledge they already possess to navigate this unfamiliarity. If they ‘succeed’, they should feel a sense of accomplishment! But if they make a mistake, they should be able to learn and recover.
[Concept Development]
What is the nature of this 'opportunity'?
To help someone gain more confidence to use the 3D printer, I want to take them through a guided project, where they will print & assemble a pre-designed object, from start to finish.
Although I will be designing a guided project, each person who decides to do this project will experience unique struggles & accomplishments, influenced by their current skill, setup, learned processes, etc. This ‘randomness’ makes it difficult to teach specific skills about 3D printing, but that is not my goal. Instead, it is through the 'randomness' and hence individuality of these experiences that I hope each person will feel able to take ownership of the project and process.
[Concept Development]
Defining the product itself
After some thought, I decided that the product itself would be a task light. Though ultimately the build experience is more important than the product itself, I wanted to give people a tool that would help them make their future projects.
For those that have a 3D printer at home, 3D printers transform our domestic spaces from places of comfort, to places of making & experimentation. Similarly, a task light can turn any regular surface, be it the floor or the dining table, into a work surface. For other reasons as well, I thought that a task light would be the perfect product to make.
