- Jason Nicholson
- Birmingam Uk
- United Kingdom
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Does the rapid development of digital design (RP/SLS/3D printing etc) spell the end to analogue processes and techniques?
The emergence of 'democratic' design opportunities through the use of 3D printing and Selective Laser Sintering has an impact on the more traditional means and methods of creating bespoke products and craft objects. If designs are created purely through 3D software packages does this produce a sterile and soulless objects that lacks the tangible connection with the physical environment?
Complex and otherwise impossible forms can be produced using these emerging technologies but are we seeing the aesthetic driven by software capabilities?
Answers from anyone interested in craft/product design - traditional makers/designers and digital designers would be great - that confirm either a celebration of new design opportunities or question our move into a pure digital design arena.
Analogue vs Digital
Lejan . 30+
thank you for sharing this interesting question.
Even though the rapid prototyping technology is around for quite some years, I would still consider them in their 'toddler' stage, with no offence to all of those brilliant minds who contributed to it.
So by scaling and speeding up the timeframe of imagination, I assume RP to end many of the known analogue processes and techniques as we know them today. And it also bears the potencial to even change the whole industry we have today in many respects.
Increasing numbers of interweaving materials, increasing resolution in surface accuracy below visual and tactile perceptibility, decreasing time to finish part creation, increase in high quality and useful object data-sets (hopefully free of charge), and a decrease in cost of RP equipment will be able to continously widespread this technology.
And thinking even more SciFi I can imagine the RP working even on atomic levels, creating new forms of metals and alloys without high temperatures yet superior properties (e.g. monocrystalline). Leather, flesh, fruits... you can see where this is heading for...
Yet if it comes to the 'soul' of an object I would say we already passed this line with anything not 'handmade'.
And taking a closer look to this 'soul' of an object, it can not to be found in the material it is made of, as this can be the same. I would say it is a combination of 'imperfection' in form and 'knowing' about the origin of the creation.
So regarding to 'imperfection', may this be within the surface quality, deviations off symmetry, proportions, repetitions, etc., I could imagine a software dealing with it to 'destroy' this mathematical perfection which not always pleases our eyes and perception.
So what may remains of this 'soul' would be the 'knowing' how a product was made only. So here we are entering the vast kingdom of emotions and therefore the importance of it will become individual to each of us only.
Personally I wouldn't mind