{"id":1729,"date":"2012-11-02T19:05:00","date_gmt":"2012-11-02T19:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/archives\/1729-shop-owner-holiday-tips-series-2-function-form.html"},"modified":"2017-04-17T12:44:47","modified_gmt":"2017-04-17T16:44:47","slug":"shop-owner-holiday-tips-series-2-function-form","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/shop-owner-holiday-tips-series-2-function-form","title":{"rendered":"Shop Owner Holiday Tips Series: #2 Function & Form"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n
<\/blockquote>\n

We’re back with the second in our series of Shop Owner tips to help you get your shop ready for the holiday season. <\/span><\/p>\n

1. Master the Basics: Making your shop shine<\/a><\/div>\n
2. Function & Form: Which materials for which products?<\/a><\/div>\n
3. Discovery: Getting found in search<\/a><\/div>\n
4. Personalization: Put a name on it!<\/a><\/div>\n
5. Merchandising: Design for the occasion<\/a><\/div>\n
6. Promotion: Go where your audience is<\/a><\/div>\n
7. Fan Engagement: Put down the bullhorn and have a conversation<\/a><\/div>\n
8. Data is your Friend: Statistics, Tracking and Analytics<\/a><\/div>\n
9. Pay for Play: An introduction to the advertising world<\/a> <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
    <\/ol>\n
    <\/blockquote>\n

    <\/p>\n

    This week we’ll be sharing suggestions on function and form, namely how to choose the right materials for your products. If you are making a product for yourself, it’s great to have unlimited choice and to be able to experiment with various materials. But if someone is buying your product, you want to help them choose the best material for your product so they have the best experience possible. For example, your customer probably wouldn’t want a ceramic iPhone case or a wedding ring in Frosted Ultra Detail…<\/p>\n

    To get started, <\/strong>when you upload your model to your shop, all materials are automatically
    \n enabled. It is important to check if all the materials are
    \nappropriate. Ask yourself:<\/p>\n

    \n
    \n

    1. Does my design meet the design rules for this material?
    2. Would this product make sense in this material?
    3. Do I have all materials selected still? If so, can I help customers decide by limiting the choices?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

      <\/ol>\n

      To select materials for your product, the easiest thing to do is to make a material selection when you are editing your product page for markup, description, or other details.<\/p>\n

      Overall, there are three things to keep in mind: design with the material in mind, use images that reflect the material options, and less is more<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

      <\/p>\n

      Design with the material in mind<\/strong><\/p>\n

      This is the most
      \nimportant rule for 3D modeling. Each material is printed using a different
      \nprocess, and often a different 3D Printer. As a result, design rules
      \nvary! <\/p>\n

      Details like minimum wall thickness or whether you can have
      \nmoving or interlocked parts vary among materials. The guidelines can be found in our Materials Hub<\/a>. Each material has specific advantages that
      \n make it appropriate for different applications.       Ceramics<\/a> are glazed and food-safe so are perfect for cups and vases, full color sandstone<\/a>
      \nis a great option for making toys,       steel<\/a> and silver<\/a> make great choices
      \nfor jewelry pieces. <\/p>\n

      So think about what you want to make, which
      \nmaterial would be appropriate, check the design rules and get creating!
      \nDon’t forget. we have a beautiful range of       polished color nylon<\/a> options
      \navailable now and they are a great material for stocking stuffer gifts:
      \nbright, colorful and cheap.<\/p>\n

      Use images that reflect the material options<\/strong><\/p>\n

      Ideally, your
      \nproduct page has images of the model printed in the material(s) that you
      \n want to offer it in. This way, customers will know exactly what to
      \nexpect when they order that model. This is also a great way for you to
      \ntest you product. <\/p>\n

      We recommend ordering your model in the materials you would like to
      \noffer it in and testing the results: Are they what you expected? Does it
      \nmakes sense to offer something in multiple materials?

      Less is more<\/strong><\/p>\n

      Over the holiday season,
      \nShapeways sees a lot more customers who are not as familiar with 3D printing and are used to traditional e-commerce sites, where what you see is what you get. They might not be familiar with 3D printing, or might not be aware of all the intricacies of different material options for 3D Printing. <\/p>\n

      Research has shown that customers can
      \nget overwhelmed with too many choices. So use your judgement and prune the material
      \nchoices for your product. It’s
      \n your design, so you dictate the options. And we’ll do our best to give your customers the right context. <\/p>\n

      Best practice example<\/strong><\/p>\n

      For inspiration, check out Museum of Small Things<\/a>, whose jewelry is offered in all metals to match their form and function.<\/p>\n

      <\/a> <\/p>\n

      Stay tuned for next week’s tip on discovery and getting found in search.<\/p>\n

      Any questions or things you’d like to see in the series? Share a note in the comments field below. We’re here to help you!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      We’re back with the second in our series of Shop Owner tips to help you get your shop ready for…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":13617,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[489],"tags":[607,815,479,944],"class_list":["post-1729","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-products-and-design","tag-how-to","tag-shop-owner","tag-3-tutorials","tag-whats-hot"],"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Screenshot2012-11-02at3.14.13PM-625x437.png","yoast_head":"\nShop Owner Holiday Tips Series: #2 Function & Form - Shapeways Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We're back with the second in our series of Shop Owner tips to help you get your shop ready for the holiday season.  1. 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