Business start-ups from graduates coming out of MIT are prolific, a testament to the superior education and grounding that these students get at this renowned institution centred on technology. Indeed many of them are working around 3D technology and 3D printing.
At 3DPI we have been made aware of another company, established this year, via one of the founders Reginald Raye.
Reggie told us that he, along with two of his friends from MIT, had come to the realization that “there is no easy way of getting affordable, beautiful product design for 3D-printable products.” United by their frustration with the difficulty of finding affordable product design services and excitement over the expanding possibilities of 3D printing they have come together to form a new business venture — 3D Nation Design — to address this anomaly. The central premise is that 3D Nation Design will provide cutting-edge product design, cheap 3D-printed prototypes and Kickstarter consulting should any clients seek additional funding.
3D Nation is running “a range of proprietary 3D printers” – but these are not specified, apart from the fact that they have a 9” x 9” x 9” build chamber. And they obviously have collaborations in place with 3rd parties because they can also fulfil “prototypes out of aluminum, steel, silver, foam, ceramics and plastic with multiple colors.” However, this does come with a disclaimer that “the turnaround time and cost of these materials will not be comparable to 3D-printed plastic.”
The design and prototyping services that are being offered are not unique in any sense, but the premise for launching the company and the ideals behind it are appealing if realized for a much wider audience seeking professional design services. The company also lays out its pricing plans in black and white (well, actually it’s more colourful than that, but you know what I mean!) The extra twist is rather nice too, consultancy services for crowdfunding campaigns.
Reggie sums up the ultimate goal for 3D Nation: “If 3D printers are democratizing production, 3D Nation wants to be the company that democratizes design.”
