May 31, 2012
Ultimaker released UltiController in April, a control panel with a single button interface to ensure real-time control over the 3D printing process.
What is the story behind the UltiController? Bernhard Kubicek, designer of UltiController published his write-up describing the design process of the UltiController.
"Why hardware hackers should investigate design, or, the tale of the UltiPanel." is more than just a man telling a story how an idea is converted from a weekend-hacking-project into a product. Kubicek mentioned in many places what he has learned from all the people and what has been improved during the whole process.
You may like or not like all his points, but you would agree learning by doing things develops our maturity - Kubicek has gained experience by listening to the voice of people, analyzing his failures and keeping improving the products. Maybe, dear reader, this document could also give you some insight into what's really going on in a product developing process.
Before:
After:
The document is available here: http://kariert.org/design/hackersdesign.pdf
"It is my current believe that industrial design saved my panel. And it would have saved me a lot of trouble, if I understood some design concepts at an earlier stage. Personally, I think that a general knowledge of design should be part of each hardware hackers portfolio.
Not only to to create better objects, but also to being able to speak with a dedicated industrial designer at eye level, and to understand their remarks. On the other hand, also industrial designers can deliver better results if their knowledge about the technical function
and options is increased. Both sides need to communicate, also outside of a product cycle." - Bernhard Kubicek
Thanks Florian for the tips.
Posted in 3D Printing Technology
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