How designers benefit from free 3D design sharing

Abstract

3D printing has been described as a technological revolution, and it has already changed the way how some low-demand items are designed, produced and delivered to the customers. The threshold for new players entering the 3D business is lower than ever; the lowering costs of printers and the availability of free planning software provide new opportunities for entrepreneurs. However, at the same time, the availability of free 3D designs has exploded, and there is an enormous selection of them available. This raises questions: what kind of designs in particular are being uploaded and downloaded, and can the designers benefit financially from sharing their work for free? Based on former literature, this paper identifies four different strategies how to benefit financially from free 3D design sharing. By analysing the data gathered from Thingiverse, the largest free 3D design repository, it describes how these different strategies realise in the case of Thingiverse.