In this world of growing space constraints, more and more designers are creating furniture that can be altered, which is the case for the Inside Out collection by Rotterdam designers Minale-Maeda.
Currently on show at Dutch Design Week 2011, the Inside Out collection features furnishings that are 3D-printed, meaning that their dimensions can be edited to suit anyone's tastes or needs. Customers just have to download the furniture's blueprints first. The pieces are also designed to be easily put together--that is, the "inside out" design allows for the pieces to be simply constructed.
According to the designers, this innovative collection aims to reduce environmental issues such as cost of transportation and inventory. It also aims to explore "collaborative design and distribution."
3D Printed Reverse Furnishings
The Inside Out Collection by Minale-Maeda is Downloadable
Trend Themes
1. Customizable Furniture - The Inside Out collection features 3D-printed furniture that can be easily edited to suit customers' tastes or needs, offering a disruptive innovation opportunity for the customizable furniture trend.
2. 3D Printing Design - The Inside Out collection utilizes 3D-printing technology to create unique, easily-constructed furniture, offering disruptive innovation opportunities for the 3D-printing design trend.
3. Collaborative Design & Distribution - The Inside Out collection aims to explore collaborative design & distribution, offering a disruptive innovation opportunity for companies tapping into this trend by allowing customers to download blueprints for self-construction.
Industry Implications
1. Furniture Design & Manufacturing - As the Inside Out collection demonstrates, furniture manufacturers can take advantage of 3D-printing technology for customizable, easily-manufactured pieces.
2. Interior Design - Interior design companies can offer customers the ability to customize furniture using 3D-printing technology, and tap into the trend towards personalized design.
3. E-commerce - Companies that offer downloadable blueprints for self-construction of customized furniture via their e-commerce sites, such as the Inside Out collection, offer disruptive innovation opportunities in the e-commerce industry.