3D-Printer: Opportunity or Threat for professional designers?

A decade ago, 3D-printer is a machine to rapidly print a product prototype. Recently, it is being turned to be a home machine to print a real product. There are a growing number of the marketplaces for 3D printing services in UK, Europe and USA, i.e. printing and selling 3D printed products, e.g. Shapeways, i.Materialise and Ponoko. This service has not been booming in Asia. The first 3D printing café has been launched in Shibuya district in Tokyo, named FabCafe, since December 2012. The FabCafe services include 3D printers, 3D CAD software, a laser cutting machine and a full body 3D scanner.

                                                                                                                     

3D printing technology is revolutionising product-oriented design. 3D printer can print many products, ranging from a part to the entire product in a variety of industries, such as jewelry, fashion, consumer electronics, medical products, human organs and spacecrafts. For example, in the fashion industry, it can print fashion accessories, shoes, bras, bikinis, dresses, etc. 3D printing materials are not only plastics, but also glass, steel, bronze, gold, titanium and even stem cells. In the next five years, perhaps all materials are likely to be able to be 3D printing materials. There was a news headline in the last weekend that Nasa will carry the first 3D-printer into space. There are possibilities, ranging from ‘building replacement toilet pipes to making entire spacecrafts’. Founded in 2010, Made in Space has been working on making additive manufacturing work at zero gravity. The company is in the process of testing the printer in microgravity aboard a Boeing 727.  

This raises a serious question how are professional designers in the future?  I propose an idea that professional designers need to redefine their value. How young designers will be trained for this changing future. I do not want to see design professional as Kodak film when new technology creates a new player and disrupts the old one. We need to rethink design professional value, what is the role of design professional for economy and society when 3D printing technology can be easily accessed to everyone! Perhaps, it is a transitional period. We will witness the emergence of new design professional, titled 3D printing designers. The industrial designers might be called 'industrial artisans'. 

The first ‘Value for Money’ country brand in the world: THAILAND!

Tourism industry in Thailand is forecasted to reach the value of one million million baht in year 2013. It is one of the eight predicted good industries in the current year. Thailand as a popular tourist destination is recovering from the recovery of Chinese Economy, the rise of AEC (Asean Economic Community) and her popularity in some European countries.

There are many value models of tourism industry in this world as a tourist you can get a hint. For instance, some countries sell cultural heritage, e.g. Kingdom of Bhutan and Egypt.  Some countries sell natural resources, e.g. New Zealand. Some countries sell services, e.g. Monaco. Some countries sell experience, e.g. USA and Singapore. Some countries sell value creation, e.g. Japan and England. Some countries sell a bit of all.

According to FutureBrand, Country Brand Index 2012-2013, all the countries around the world have been evaluated as recognised country brand in five main categories: Value System, Quality of Life, Good for Business, Heritage and Culture and Tourism. Not surprisingly, we can assume that the countries are good for business (including the areas of Advanced Technology, Investment Climate, Regulatory Environment and Skilled Workforce) is not Thailand. However, Thailand is ranked as the 11^th Tomorrow’s Leading Country brands in the 15 future countries.  It is shown that ‘Thailand has a potential to be Southeast Asia’s next major manufacturing hub’.  According to the five main categories. Thailand is ranked number 1 as ‘value for money’ in the dimension of a country brand in tourism. This raises the question what Thailand sells tourism in the country. The reflection of the research of the Country Brand Index suggests Thailand has been perceived by many tourists as a service country. We provide better services with Thai Sensibility! Without any bias, how to turn Thai sensibility to be value creation?  It is very sad when looking at the ranking in Heritage and Culture, including Art and Culture, Authenticity, History and Natural Beauty, Thailand is not in the Top fifteenth rank.

                                                      

According the reflection of this research, Thailand needs to go through the reformation process, what is the core value in the country? It is a strategic design process to set the direction of the tourism in the country. What would be the next number one of Thailand as the country brand?