ABSTRACT
The Introduction presents the premise of the book: that the professional application of 3D printing by a product designer to a business can be mapped onto a continuum from new starter, through confident user, to business innovator. The book describes this continuum in terms of the strategies product designers and businesses would ideally follow to build skills, understanding, and buy-in from different levels of an organisation. Each stage requires a different mindset, and within each stage there are steps for the cumulative development of design knowledge on effective design for 3D printing. This Introduction helps to set the context for this strategic plan and provides an overview of each of the chapters.
