Introducing: Making Good

We live in a fascinating time when, increasingly, technology enables everyday people to make their voices heard. From the Ice Bucket Challenge to Kickstarter, you, me, and our friends and family can very easily jump online and find a resource that could help us raise money for a cause we care about, fund a new product, raise awareness, and more.

Shapeways has a unique place in this new world: We bring products to life. That means that you can turn your passion for a cause into a product for sale — a source of fundraising — with zero investment. And Shapeways designers are doing just that. Designing keychains, pendants, rings, and objects that have a special meaning to their makers and their causes. In our new series, Making Good, we’ll tell the stories of those who are leading the way. Today, we’re excited to kick things off with three Shapeways designers who are already making (for) good on our platform.

When Marjolein van der Vleuten and her family faced the challenge of her mother’s breast cancer, it inspired her to go beyond the boundaries of her family’s struggle and help raise funds to find a cure. Not only did she work with Shapeways designer Debbie Claxton to design swag like this gorgeous Pink Ribbon pin (benefitting Pink Ribbon), she and her Shapeways-sponsored team tackled the toughest cycling course in the French alps in support of the Dutch Cancer Society.

Taking a broader approach to philanthropy, LikeSyrup is a longtime Shapeways shop owner who channels all of his proceeds to a range of causes. Scott Denton, the designer behind LikeSyrup, explains that he’s “decided to donate all of the funds from purchases on Shapeways to charities in line with furthering our common goal to peace and prosperity.” Scott makes lovely, imaginative everyday jewelry pieces that each make their own statement. And now, behind the scenes, they also make a statement in terms of where your purchase makes an impact.

We also recently learned of another designer, Melanie Palishen, who uses Shapeways to create beautiful, meaningful products for charitable initiative the Battle Axe Project. She doesn’t offer the necklaces she creates through her Shapeways shop, but rather 3D prints the basic shape with us, then personally adds a touch of sparkling bling to polish it off. As her site details, the base design “is based on a found antique brooch of a battle axe that had it roots in the Suffragette Movement.” The Axe is available in a variety of Shapeways-printed metals, to which Palishen adds chains and Swarovski crystals. All profits from sales of the necklaces go to the National Organization for Women.

This isn’t the first we’ve seen of our designers using 3D printing for good. On Giving Tuesday, we covered five designers using Shapeways to give back. And, we spoke with Michiel Cornelissen during the 2014 World Cup, whose KXX ring’s sales benefited social good projects in Brazil’s favelas.

Whatever cause you feel passionate about, why not use your design skills and Shapeways shop to make your voice heard? If you’re already donating all or part of your profits, we’d love to hear about your social good projects. Leave a comment below, or post your project in our Feature This forum for a chance to be featured in a future Making Good post.