PRINT3D - Your handheld 3D printer

Project Overview

Currently, many companies offer 3D printing services at a consumer level mainly through websites. However, the user requires prior 3D printing knowledge before placing an order. This creates a struggle for the user because they get confused, frustrated, and sometimes discouraged from placing an order. Due to this misunderstanding between 3D printing service providers and users, the idea of PRINT3D came to be.

PRINT3D is an e-commerce product that allows users to 3D print and customize a publicly available 3D model or a design of their own. It also serves as a platform for users to learn more about the technology as they complete their order. This way users have more control over the ultimate purpose of the print (aesthetic vs functional).  

PRINT3D was designed as part of my Capstone project for the UX Design Program at BrainStation. 

• Completion time: 8 weeks
• Platform: iOS
• Roles: UX Researcher, UX/UI designer
• Tools: pen & paper for sketches, sticky notes, whiteboard, POP app, Sketch, and InVision.

So, What is the Problem?

Currently, there are many online sites that offer 3D printing services to the public.  These sites require the user to have prior knowledge about 3D printing. So, when users new to 3D printing come along they go through a confusing and sometimes poor experience when ordering a print. In other words, the user’s 3D printing process gets affected by the complexity of the technology, terminology, and their limited 3D printing knowledge.

The goal of the preliminary research was to investigate people’s first encounter with 3D printing, summarize their experiences, and identify the positive and negative aspects of said experience so that they can eventually be adopted and/or improved by an online digital product that allows users to 3D printing an object of their choice.

Four different people were interviewed, and the main research method used was interviews that were conducted either face-to-face or through video calls. Interviewees needed to have 3D printed at least one object and be able to recall the experience.

After concluding all the interviews, the information obtained was broken down into bits of data and the following project insight was developed:

“The 3D printing experience of new users is influenced by their knowledge, or lack thereof, of basic 3D printing principles. The more they know about the technology, the more positive their experience is”.

After concluding the preliminary research, the synthesis of the collected data started. The first step I took was to create a primary persona, Megan. She was created based on the people I interviewed, which are a representative sample of my  target audience.

I created Megan’s experience map to empathize and visualize the end-to-end experience that she goes through when she orders a 3D print online. The experience map displays Megan’s emotional experience, feelings, and thoughts; as well as, the opportunities to address Megan’s pain points at each stage of her journey.

Design Question

User Stories

In order to capture product functionality from Megan’s perspective, I created over 50 user stories to meet Megan’s goals as someone looking to use an online 3D printing service. I, then, organized them into epics to properly guide design thinking.

The following epic (learning about 3D printing) was selected because it best responds to the initial design challenge and it has the most compelling narrative:

Task Flow Selection

When selecting the task flow that Megan would like to accomplish, the following information was taken into consideration:

1. Megan's goals
2. Opportunities from Megan’s experience maps
3. User stories from the “Learning about 3D printing” epic

The following task flow diagram comprises the customization of settings when ordering a 3D print. It also contains a learning component in case the user is not familiar with a particular setting: 

After reviewing many e-commerce websites such as Etsy, Hudson’s Bay, eBay, and Amazon I was able to bring together the low fidelity wireframes for the PRINT3D app. The first prototype encapsulates the task flow mentioned before.

The biggest challenge when designing the low fidelity wireframes was introducing the customization of the 3D printing settings process. I reviewed similar step-process products to get a basic idea on how to lead the user through a variety of customization settings.

The main user feedback obtained from the usability testing is presented below:

• Users expected to see an explanation page before embarking in the customization of settings process.
• Cost change for each setting needed to appear on each screen to inform the use of the economic impact of their choices.
• Text heavy sections were simplified by either reducing the information into bullet points or sending the information to another screen as additional information.
• Progress bar was needed to inform the user how many steps they will have to complete before ordering their print.

After completing the usability testing, the visual identity ideation process was next. I brainstormed different words that were representative of the PRINT3D brand and the one that resonated with me the most was “contrast” because, in my mind, the product should stand out away from other competing services.

Next, I created a moodbord that would comprise the feeling and brand colors I envisioned.

The blue-purple and white colors were chosen as primary colors because they embody the themes of simplicity, elegance, and completeness that the PRINT3D brand represents. The light teal color was chosen as an accent color to emphasize actions and highlight relevant information.

The app background color will be white because it contrasts well with the color font and information provided, specially pictures.

When developing the product name, wordmark and icon,  many keywords and fonts that are representative of the brand were used and tested. Ultimately, the selected product name was PRINT3D. In order to make the name unique, I replaced the "T" with a 3D printer's printing head which then became the icon.

After gathering and including the usability testing feedback and completing the visual identity component of the project, I designed the hi-fidelity wireframes. In this version I also added a few screens to add context to the main task. The splash, home, and search screens were added to complement Megan’s 3D printing experience.

At this point, the prototype would take Megan from the home screen to ordering and paying for her 3D print. The final wireframes can be found in the image below:

Marketing Website

I created a marketing website to complement the PRINT3D app. This site would give potential users a tool to evaluate the app before they commit to download it and try it out. 

The availability of a digital product such as the PRINT3D app will allow users to have access to unique and affordable products that are available only through 3D printing. The app will also allow them to bring their own ideas and designs from the digital to the real world by connecting the users with 3D printing services.

Additionally, this product would be a very solid first step towards that not-so-distant future where we invision ourselves at home 3D printing whatever is needed to meet our needs.      

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