Creativity and productivity in product design for additive manufacturing: Mechanisms and platform outcomes of remixing

Abstract

The present study explores the phenomenon of remixing in product design for additive manufacturing (AM). In contrast to other manufacturing techniques, AM offers unprecedented flexibility in adapting existing product designs to changing requirements. However, in order to benefit from this potential, structured design procedures and tools are indispensable. As a possible solution, online platforms for collaborative 3D model creation are increasingly implementing features for remixing, a concept describing the creation of new models on the foundation of existing design elements. Against this backdrop, the objective of this research is to provide evidence for the value of remixing as an organizational intervention for improving product design processes. To this end, we present a mixed methods approach using data from Thingiverse, the world's largest AM‐related online community. In a first step, we investigate qualitative data from 81 individual remix‐based designs to identify the underlying mechanisms of remixing. We identify six such mechanisms that can further be grouped by the intended outcome of the respective process (creativity‐oriented: inspiration, play, learning; productivity‐oriented: speed, improvement, empowerment). In a second step, we turn to a quantitative analysis of platform data, which indicates that remixing may lead to better design process outcomes in terms of quantity and diversity of designs. Furthermore, we find that designs created by remixing designers are significantly more often printed by community members suggesting that remixing helps ensure manufacturing compatibility akin to continuous process improvement. Our research has several implications for individual designers and organizations engaging with product design for AM.

The digitalization of operations and supply chain management: Theoretical and methodological implications

“…A central thread of the articles in the special issue (SI) is the bridging of physical and digital spheres that derives from the encapsulation of product design and production‐process information into unique digital artifacts: “digital encapsulation.” Digital encapsulation is addressed in all the SI articles but is particularly salient in Friesike et al () and Hedenstierna et al (). These articles explore the use of digitally encapsulated artifacts to revisit established design and manufacturing processes, and provide examples of how digital encapsulation can open new avenues for theory elaboration in OSCM.…”

“…In the study titled “Creativity and productivity in product design for additive manufacturing,” Friesike et al () study Thingiverse, the open‐source maker community, to examine the interactions between designers and users of the designs, in an open‐system context. Their analysis of over 200,000 open designs and design improvements for AM examined specifically the degree and mode of reuse improvement.…”

“…A number of the SI articles adopt a design‐science approach, exploring novel ways of working in real‐world settings as a basis for theory development, exemplified by insights on the implications of general‐purpose manufacturing for capacity pooling across manufacturing networks (Hedenstierna et al, ) and reuse for economies of scale in design (Friesike et al, ). The contributions extend beyond proposals for operational practice and toward theoretical insights that serve to strengthen and extend the corpus of OSCM theory (Oliva, ).…”

“…Three research articles and two technical notes comprise the special issue and collectively focus on one specific digital technology: additive manufacturing (AM). Friesike, Flath, Wirth, and Thiesse () investigate the emerging practice of design remixing in AM, exploring how a more fluid boundary between product design and manufacturing processes shifts economies of scale from manufacturing to design. Hedenstierna et al () propose a novel mode of operation for additive manufacturing that facilitates capacity pooling in a network of general‐purpose manufacturers.…”

Systematic review of sourcing and 3D printing: make-or-buy decisions in industrial buyer–supplier relationships

“…Hasan et al ( 2013 ) conducted interviews and found that 30% of companies only partly owned the CAD data for the products they sell. Rogers et al ( 2016 ) showed that a design file can either be retrieved from scanning an existing part, making a new construction or downloading the file from a database such as Thingiverse (Friesike et al 2018 ). In this way, either the customer, the manufacturing firm or a generative service provider can create the CAD file by themselves or in collaboration.…”