Market Dominance Improvement Suggestions

Discussion in 'Suggestions & Feedback' started by bruceanon, Jun 27, 2017.

Would you like Shapeways to offer "setting," installing lab-created diamonds/stones in objects?

  1. Yes!

    66.7%
  2. No!

    33.3%
  1. bruceanon
    bruceanon Member
    Dear SW Crew,

    So, after only one print experience (a relatively high detail ring design in "premium silver" that was then set with diamonds and a lab grown center stone -- photo attached), my crew is absolutely in love with the Shapeways platform, and its potential. My wife and I remember watching Peter Weijmarshausen in the Verge documentary explain that he saw the incredible potential of Shapeways when he noticed folks designing engagement rings and other extremely personal objects. In that vein, here are four suggestions that will cement your place as the dominant player in the market for a generation. First two are small, last two are larger projects.

    (1) Post Sample Object Prices

    For folks who haven't created an account, allowing casual users to see recognizable objects along with sample prices for just the 3d print would be very encouraging. So, instead of a rotating showcase of many of the wonderful SW designers, with their respective markups (some small, some handsomely large), just a few basic objects with a few basic prices, especially if it's clickable where someone can actually go and print a sample item -- something like a woven ring, with customizable sizes, engraving/embossing, etc. -- would be a very easy way to get people without 3D design backgrounds into the game. It doesn't have to be tacky (design team can come up with dozens of sleek stylized ways of doing this -- I'm thinking anime-style cartoon figures with text bubbles, but that's for y'all to decide), nor does it have to undercut the effort of the independent designers (it can make clear that it's a demo object). But it will get people excited! A custom engraved premium silver ring for under $30 or $50 -- you'll have thousands of new users who have never even thought of 3D printing.

    (2) Explain How to Bring Prices Down

    For novices, there is a fairly steep learning curve with bounded boxes, and printable areas, and even XYZ axes. We were fortunate to upload an STL that produced a price list that stunned us in a positive way. A highly intricate ring in a precious metal for under $50! -- wow, we were stunned and immediately went through the order process. While waiting for delivery, designed a basic 5"x7" photo frame with custom text in the frame in honor of a best friend's newborn daughter. Uploaded the STL and my jaw hit the ground when we saw the prices, $900+ in stainless steel, $2400 or something in aluminum, etc. Had this been the first file I'd uploaded, I'd have closed my Shapeways account and never stepped further on the 3D printing path. Having a basic banner disclaimer that announces, "Prices too high? Here are three tools to compress the size, and to compress the print price." The idea is very simple, and it could mean something as simple as -- "go back to the model, and scale down to 25%, which in our experience brings the costs down significantly." Y'all get the point. Ultimately, a few widgets that manipulate the model to bring prices down would also help customers. Key thing is this: this seems like it hurts SW's bottom line, but in actuality, it promotes customer loyalty, and drives higher adoption rates, and happy customers mean repeat customers and referrals. Versus a DIYer who has hardcore sticker shock because they made a mistake of including an unnecessary back of a photo frame, and is so discouraged they'll turn away from an amazing service.

    (3) Partner with Major Jeweler to Offer Stone Setting or Automate Stone Setting In-House

    This would be a game changer. As Mr. Weijmarshausen notes, folks are steadily shifting to SW to design true one of a kind rings. But right now, you only get a metal ring or jewelry piece (pendant, etc.). Giving customers a chance to set melee grade diamonds (G-H, VS, at <$10/per stone) or other stones would open up huge pools of creativity, rendering Shapeways the premier jewelry design and production portal online. From a customer's perspective, they would be free to get a semi-mount diamond ring at a fraction of the cost of a traditional jewelry offering ($200-1,000 vs. $2,000-10,000) and design earrings, pendants, etc.

    For even more of a splash, Shapeways can source their melee diamonds and other stones from labs, in the style of Ada Diamonds or Brilliant Earth, making the entire object "lab grown," but, of course, human inspired. Craftsmanship remains key in design and in the final finish, final setting, so the human element is still there. Indeed, Shapeways can/should create a partnership program where local jewelers can become a "Shapeways Partner," which tells a customer that they can take their $458 semi-mount ring to so-and-so store in Dayton, Ohio, and that store will gladly sell a premium center stone diamond, as well as "service" the melee diamonds that Shapeways had set (i.e., standard dealer-type contractual warranty relationship, where if a customer's stone falls out, they can get another stone reinstalled at a local jeweler "under warranty.").

    (4) Host an Opensource Browser-Based 3D Editor
    SilverDiamond.jpg

    SW already permits some editing of a model, but adding to the editing suite will increasingly make SW attractive alongside Rhino, etc. The ability to make very intuitive edits, along with "clipboard like" functionality, will make it easier to crop, clip, snip and paste together objects. The in-app experience will make customers very happy.

    Happy shaping! I'm glad to help develop these ideas further. Please don't hesitate to write.

    BM
     
    virginia_gordon likes this.