This project has been bouncing around the internet a little but it is well worth mentioning here on the Shapeways blog.
A couple of guys designed an iPhone 4 accessory with two primary functions: mounting your iPhone to a standard tripod, and acting as a kickstand to prop your iPhone up at an angle. They made their first prototypes with Shapeways (having to order a couple to make the minimum $25 order).
Cool idea, nice design, they were interested in taking The Glif into mass production so they put it along with a quick video on Kickstarter seeking $10,000 in backing to get it into production. Those who pledge $20 or more get an injection molded plastic version when it goes into production, those who back $50 or more get a 3D printed version (way cooler).
As you may have guessed by the image above they have been totally swamped with 3947 backers, raising over $100,000 with 19 days still left to go. This project shows the amazing potential for a couple of guys, (sure they are experienced designers), getting their product to market without licensing out their design to a ‘branded’ manufacturer, retaining their IP, reaching an eager market and proving the product in the field using 3D printing. Perhaps to even take it into mass production is the wrong the direction and they could instead 3D print the product, keeping lean and agile so they can design for the iPhone 3 & iPhone5 without the cost of retooling.
Anyway, congrats to Thomas Gerhardt and Dan Provost on 1004% funding 🙂 Now what ideas do you have that could be 3D printed and then Kickstarted into the stratosphere?
yea, i’ve been following this story and am excited to see how the process goes for them. I had been wondering about going this route w/ some products and am thrilled to see a potentially great success story w/ the glif. I wonder how many new products will now follow this path to production.
Exciting times for independent designers with the combination of online tools such as Kickstarter, and Shapeways.
Please let me know before you go to kickstart a project and I will do everything I can to help…
cheers
Duann
A crew called Electromagnate out of the Chicago’s hackerspace Pumping Station: One are putting together a documentary that explores the state and direction of the Maker and Hackerspace movement in America entitled ReMade: The Rebirth of the Maker Moveme
Check out the video article from the BBC on the Glif and how it was realized through Kickstarter and Shapeways.
How to succeed with Kickstarter and Shapeways 3D printing. We mentioned Joshua Parker’s Kickstarter project a few days back where he was looking for $500 worth of backing to get his intricate skull sculptures out into the world but with 34 days to go