This weeks designer spotlight focuses on David Lobser of HiLobster, an animator who let his creations jump off the screen and into real life!

I've been living in NYC for 15 years, long enough to call myself a New Yorker.  Most of that time has been in Brooklyn. 

I am an animator as an avocation and vocation.  I always wanted to be an experimental film maker like the Brothers Quay or Stan Brakhage.  I still love it but I've been thinking a lot about new mediums lately, I want to learn new things, do new things, and make art in new ways. Of all my designs I think a couple of them are successful.  The elephant, one of my friends remarked, is perfect (nothing is perfect, but let's say it works nicely).  The elephant was actually the result of a few weeks of struggling with curves so it really was an organic process.  One thing about 'photo realistic' computer animation is that it looks like quite a lot of work, whereas with design, if you do it right, it appears nearly effortless.In the end the elephant can be reconstructed from scratch with very little effort using a birail.  The heart apple is also lovely, but not quite perfect. I also have a soft spot for 'five horns' - they are the elephant's and bird's little cousins (and they unscrew!).  All this is to say, you have to make a lot of stuff before you can make anything really good.I will say that making a good thing is one of the most wonderful experiences.  If you give love to your art, and you stick with it through the tough times, the rewards are as boundless as your heart and your imagination.

I taught myself by just plunking buttons until things started to happen! I've been working with 3D animation tools for twenty years (gasp), which puts me maybe one generation back from the leading edge of the field.  I've been working in the field for the last 12 years, mostly in NYC, and I've been exceptionally lucky in that I've had opportunities to pursue my own work and my own vision.  My dream was to make films, and I wound up making films on the computer.  Printable sculptures are a small step from where I was.  I love the idea of actually having a physical object in my hand, and I also love the idea of unlimited reproducibility.  Thirty years from now I can order one of the prints I made today, and I'll be able to order it in a huge variety of materials.

The service is great, the price is great, it's tailored to artists rather than engineers, the quotes are instant, deliveries are on time, good customer service.  I love Shapeways! 

What intrigues you about 3D printing?

3D printing presents an array of issues to consider from a design standpoint.  For starters, what is the necessity of it?  Most of my sculptures could in theory be produced in other ways, so the only real necessity is that I want an object but don't want the hassle and expense of mass manufacturing.  It's good for prototyping of course, but I'm interested in figuring out what 3D printing will always be able to do better than standard manufacturing processes.  The structural possibilities blow away casting techniques, the ability to print something inside of something else is huge in terms of expressive potential.  Aside from that I really think that the ability to customize objects is really where 3D printing will shine.  The models in my shop represent a large investment of time, so over the course of a year I'll only be able to add so many different works.  If I can come up with a tool that would allow users to alter my work then it would become a collaboration.  This is the most exciting aspect of printing to me right now and I'm presently immersing myself in code so I can learn how to make that happen.  With tools like processing or open frameworks and the libraries available within them it seems like not such a huge stretch to get to that point.

A shiny new brain, maybe just a little one to augment my own ... or a monkey that would type for me. 

Check out David's colorful designs at his Shapeways Shop or his website. You can also come and see some of his designs in person at the Shapeways booth at MakerFaire this weekend in New York!

This week's Designer Spotlight focuses on Andrew Walker of UniquePlastique, a self proclaimed tech guru who turns his love of technology and typography into unique plastic designs.

I'm a tech geek working in London, living in Suffolk.   I've always been a passionate early adopter of digital tech - I started out as a web designer and online game developer back in the early 90's, spent 12 years building up an award winning digital agency called www.thinmartian.com and then in 2008 set up Tweetminster.co.uk - the first UK news feed company on Twitter.  I'm now a data mining, social media self-proclaimed tech guru .

What's the story behind your designs? What inspires you? 

I like using typography, symbols, chemical formulas and stuff like that in my designs. They're the universal elements of human life.  We take them for granted because they're everywhere but they're magical, they express emotions, deliver information and affect our lives in such an important way we should celebrate them more.  When I see words as 3D objects like jewelry they seem to take on a whole new meaning, I love that. It's like literally printing the meaning of life.

What brought you to 3D printing with Shapeways?

A friend of mine had this awesome keyring he'd designed and printed via Shapeways.  As soon as he explained how he'd turned a flat black and white image into something he could actually hold in his hand I knew I had to try it out for myself.  3D printing is seriously addictive, the first time I got my designs in the mail it was like birthday, Christmas and winning an Oscar all at the same time.  I love it! 

I did a postgraduate degree in digital design back in 1995 and got into using Specular Infini D on the Mac.  After that I'd moved much more into interface design and graphics, so I got pretty rusty. When I wanted to try 3D printing I went on some forums and got recommended  to use Blender.  I use that for the modelling and Adobe Illustrator to make the raw artwork.  There's a lot to learn, you need to drink lots of coffee and shut yourself in a cupboard until you get your head around it.

I've mostly been testing out designs as gifts for friends and family - they're in my shop but I haven't promoted them yet.  I'm launching a new collection of typographic jewelry and vases, and also experimenting with articulating chains and joints which I think will be my first set of promoted stuff.  I'm a social media geek so I'll be hitting Twitter and Facebook when I do.

I love typographers like Saul Bass and David Carson, architectural designers like Eames, Panton, Le Corbusier and the like.  I'm a huge fan of Marc Newson.  I'm a massive comic book fan too.  There's so much cool stuff on Shapeways it's hard to pick my favorite designers but Colleen Jordan's wearable planters and Hi Lobster's elephants were the first ones to really capture my attention.

The possibilities are pretty limitless, so that's a tough question, but I'd like to build the night sky in 3D,  so you can move it around in your hands, like a 3D star map. I'm currently trying to work that one out but it's harder than it sounds!  I hope that in the future, 3D printing technology will change our dependency on logistics and resource consumption - we won't need to ship stuff around the world or fill warehouses full of unused stuff.  The environment needs tech like this to survive. 

Check out more of Andrews's whimsical designs in his UniquePlastique Shapeways Shop or his website.

Tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? Where are you located?

I am a designer living in Brooklyn, New York. I have a masters degree in architecture and fell in love with 3D modeling while working on an architectural competition after grad school. I now also design and print my own jewelry. 

The designs that are up right now on the Shapeways site were inspired by textile design, particularly from the 50s, mid century modern. I love textile design and I am fascinated by the options and possibilities involved in making a 2D image into a 3D form.  50's design fascinates me as well as it was an experimental time. I love the amorphous forms and brilliant colors.

I discovered Shapeways a few years ago at Maker Fair in New York. I am so happy I did!

I was first introduced to 3D modelling in grad school while working on my masters degree in architecture. My skills really developed while working under other designers after school. 

I sell on Etsy and at craft shows, and rely on those along with word of mouth.

I am more inspired by historical design movements than particular designers. I am very interested in mid century modern design as well as the Bauhaus movement. There are so many designers on Shapeways, I think they are all great!

I would just go larger and create furniture. It would be so much fun!

Check out Susans jewelry on her Shapeways shop or on her website.