When Design Never Ends: emergent product design practices in the era of Additive Manufacturing
Lead Research Organisation:
Loughborough University
Department Name: Loughborough Design School
Abstract
Additive Manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D Printing, is a family of manufacturing technologies that build physical artefacts by adding material layer by layer. Unlike manufacturing processes such as folding, milling, moulding or casting AM can make shapes that would be impossible or at least very difficult with traditional methods. AM capabilities are transformative for product design in many ways, but especially because they remove the traditional barriers of upfront investment in tooling that mark the end of the design process and the start of production. This can allow professional designers to change their designs continually without a clear end to the design process nor a final design. As in craftmanship or software development, each iteration of the product can become a new improved version of the previous. So, the sequential structure of product versions can disappear and be replaced by a continuous design flow of potentially unique or personalised products with new, improved or simply different functions or aesthetics. This can bring great opportunities but also many questions and challenges. For instance, how would the quality or regulatory compliance of a product be assured? How much time or effort should be invested in the design of each iteration? How would brand identity be maintained? How would the design process be managed? Would product designers have more or less work? What new knowledge and skills would be required? Our ambition in this project is to answer these questions by uncovering cutting-edge design practices in AM and studying empirically how product design practice is evolving; thus, defining the implications of AM for the future of the discipline. This project aims to provide a robust conceptual framework for understanding the impact of AM in product design practice; building a systematic methodology for studying the evolution of design practice; and presenting a new perspective through a comparative analysis of design practices across different domains and sectors. The data collected in this project will be transformed into a virtual exhibition that will inform both professional designers and academic research over the long term on the evolution of product design practice.
Title | Design Practice Model |
Description | This is a model of industrial design practice developed by collating the relevant literature and definitions on the topic. The purpose of the model is to provide a framework to understand and study past, current and future industrial and product design practices. |
Type Of Material | Computer model/algorithm |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Provided To Others? | No |
Impact | The model has not been published yet, but it provides an essential tool for developing and analysing the data about industrial design practice. By defining the factors and activities which constitutes industrial design practice, data acquisition and analysis can be better focused and provide a template for comparison. The tool is used in the current project and we will make it publically available to the research community as part of the project outcomes. |
URL | https://figshare.com/s/da7ffea128a2a2a118b7 |
Title | Video recordings of pilot interviews |
Description | This dataset contains the video recordings of the pilot interviews carried out for the WDNE projects. The interviews explored the practice of industrial design. The aim is to test and improve the protocol of the study and the Design Practice Model. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2023 |
Provided To Others? | No |
Impact | The interviews are informing the interview protocol and the data analysis of the WDNE project. |
URL | https://figshare.com/s/0fdf2fd504693011e29b |
Description | From Concept to Construction: 3D Printing Research |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | A two week exhibition of 3D Printed artefacts resulting from multidisciplinary research at Loughborough University, curated by Richard Bibb. Including projects in which he was a Principal or Co-Investogator. 17th October to 11th November 2022, Martin Hall Exhibition Gallery, LU Arts, Loughborough University |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Invited keynote speech at the International Conference on Product Design, Lovely University, India |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
Results and Impact | Dr Patrick Pradel was invited to deliver a Keynote speech at the International Conference on Product Design, organised by Lovely University, India. This was an academia-focused event with over 100 participants. This was a significant opportunity to reach the Indian audience and expand the international visibility of the network. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://conferences.lpu.in/icpod/keynote-speakers.php |
Description | Keynote speech at the DfAM Accelerator event organised by Penn State University, USA. |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Dr Patrick Pradel was invited to deliver a Keynote speech at the DfAM Accelerator event organised by Penn State University, USA. This was an industry-focused two-day event with over 100 participants. Notable participants and speakers were Boeing, NASA and Lockheed Martin. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://web.cvent.com/event/1bd36a34-a219-4c48-b2ca-3a3a0dbf9b7e/summary |
Description | Keynote, Additive Manufacturing Conference Turkey 2022 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Invited Keynote speaker at Additive Manufacturing Conference, Kusadasi, Izmir, Turkey, October 2022. Attendance was 256, a mixture of postgraduate researcher students, academics and industry professionals. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | http://2022.amcturkey.org/ |
Description | Lecture, IDEA League Summer School on Computational Design for Additive Manufacturing |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Invited Opening Lecturer at the IDEA League Summer School on Computational Design for Additive Manufacturing, July 2021 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://idealeague.org/computationaldesign/ |
Description | Project website www.design-never-ends.ac.uk |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Website of the project. The intended purpose is communicate and promote the project to professional industrial designers with the aim of recruiting participants and generate interest on the project. We received several messages asking more information about the project (LinkedIn) from researchers in the field and professionals. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022,2023 |
URL | https://www.design-never-ends.ac.uk/ |