At OpenFab, David approaches product design with consistent process and structure. Good design and good ideas should not be left to chance! With a proven design process, OpenFab’s clients, who are usually inventors or entrepreneurs, launch their product confident in the quality and creativity of our solution.

3D Printing for Niche Markets

David specializes in designing 3D printed products that reach niche markets, incorporate elements of customization, or that make things previously considered impossible. These 3D printed products span industries including kitchen tools, household goods, novel phone cases, musical instruments, and kids toys. You can see some examples on the portfolio page.

About half of OpenFab’s product design projects are intended for mass production using injection molded plastics, CNC machining, or cast metals. These products range from educational tools to footwear.

Regardless of the product being designed, David’s clients are usually individuals working to create something new. Call them an inventor or an entrepreneur – they are someone with a vision for a new and innovative manufactured product.

Design for Manufacturing

Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, enables low volume production of high quality goods. By producing objects in layers, previously impossible mechanisms and forms can be produced. 3D printing doesn’t give a license to produce anything, though, there are design guidelines and material limits, and these vary across a wide range of additive manufacturing technologies.

Designing a product or a part for a specific manufacturing method means knowing the rules for that method and how those rules can be stretched and bent. This is the art and joy of design for manufacturing! The skills needed to design and produce clever 3D printed products are transferable to other production methods. In fact, in-depth understanding and experience designing for 3D printing gives particularly valuable insight into how rules can be bent and stretched for injection molded plastics.

Why OpenFab?

It’s all about process. Brainstorming ideas should never be done without structure! David’s consistent design process ensures results. In addition, 3D printers and cutting edge digital tools allow for quick and affordable prototyping of complex designs. For a deep dive into OpenFab’s design process, check out the Process Drives Product Design Creativity blog series. Here’s part 1.

At OpenFab David combines a rock-awesome research proven design process with high expertise in digital CAD design and prototyping. The result? Very good designs that work.

What is it like to work with OpenFab? A case study.

Most of David’s work comes by referral and starts with an initial free consultation to ensure a good fit. Inventors and entrepreneurs come to David with an idea, a problem, or sometimes a design file. During the free consultation the process begins by discussing the project and its possibilities, challenges, timeline, and budget.

Trevor deVos approached OpenFab to design and prototype a 3D printed phone case with some fancy features. He wanted to incorporate a lens or mirror system to rotate the camera view path by 90 degrees — the case would act as a periscope. Hence the name — the Periscope Case.

Trevor had a clear vision of his product, but he was also open to influence – an ideal client! We prototyped the periscope sections of the case for initial testing. Once those tested out well we quickly produced a fully functioning case by leveraging existing case designs. With those first cases as working prototypes we took the plunge and did a ground up redesign of the case. This redesign allowed us to better control the industrial design (look and feel) of the case. We were also able to set up the design for easy editing down the road.

After nine months of part time development the Periscope Case launched on Etsy and Amazon with six versions for a range of phones. Working in discrete chunks with clear deliverables, Trevor was able to turn his idea into a real product at a reasonable cost and very low risk. Check out the Periscope Case website to see how it all worked out.

David’s knowledge of 3D printing processes and materials allowed us to design the best possible Periscope Case. No material is in excess, no development time or cost was wasted, and the end result is simple, robust, and clever. This means that the Periscope Case hits the target cost, works well, and feels good to use.

Get Better Design, Learn Better Process

David works closely in partnership with individuals or company teams. This close relationship results in a collaborative design process where you or your team will learn new skills and a design process that stands on its own, even after David’s services are complete.

At OpenFab, Davids’ goal is to set clients up for success — not to ensure job security.

3D Printing is Free

For most design jobs, 3D prints produced as a part of the design process are not billed – it’s much easier to crank out designs and 3D prints than try to keep track of them all for billing purposes. This also ensures that the design work David does results in successful 3D prints.

Quality Design Function

OpenFab offers flexible, high quality product design services. David won’t sacrifice design quality, which means that you can find other folks to design and 3D print something for you for less money. In the other direction, you can find full service design firms that can nail down your brand and craft incredible product design imagery.

At OpenFab, David offers the middle path with a focus on function, ingenuity, and customer service. Let’s design the best, most beautiful product we can, and let’s make sure it works.