The issue that most 3D printable model marketplaces are trying to address is that either they offer a lot of relatively useless and unappealing designs or they must accept having an extremely limited selection of products. With consumer 3D printing being a very new means of production, not many designers have yet found the way to fully exploit it.
Formsfield, a new Poland-based 3D printing boutique, may represent the sign that something is changing. Like other marketplaces, including 3DShook and even MyMiniFactory, it has launched to provide consumers with a curated selection of home-office products. The news is that it already offers as many as 200 3D printable models and it has only officially launched today.
The 3D models are mainly focused on home offices, and customers visiting the online boutique can find them divided into three categories: Organize, Accessories, and Art. “The problem with existing marketplaces is that they peddle lots of poor-quality designs and lack any sort of focus,” explains Formsfield Founder & CEO Oskar Lis. “We want to give our customers an elegant, friendly, specialized boutique experience to make it easy and fun to find terrific home-office designs.”
To meet quality, presentation, and compatibility standards, each design must pass through a 48-hour verification process, which benefits designers – via quick turnaround of their creations – and provides customers with higher quality products, through rigorous screening. I must admit that – contrary to most 3D model shopping experiences I’ve had – some of the products I saw were really enticing.
Shoppers have two simple options to purchase items: they can either stream a design onto their own 3D printer or they can use Formsfield’s partners to print and deliver the product to their doorstep. The secure streaming option is an especially convenient and useful feature for designers, with whom Formsfield works to ensure fair and transparent collaboration.
Founded in 2014 by Oskar Lis, Gustav Groth, and Adam Osiński, the company went through the RevUp startup acceleration program in Poland, raising $250,000 in funding. With bases in Krakow and Warsaw, the site currently showcases designs by an assortment of talented designers from around the world who receive 80% of royalties, and have the opportunity to negotiate exclusive arrangements. As designers continue to understand that 3D printing can help them exponentially grow their business we are going to see more and more products made specifically for 3D printing make the Formsfield bloom.
