Overcoming the knowledge gap - future roadmap for
Team:
Cas Sunderman, Carlo van Gilst,
Lisa Maschmeyer, Maciël van de Weg
Year, Duration, Course:
2018, 12 weeks, Design Roadmapping,
TU Delft
Mentors:
Lianne Simonse
Role:
Primary and secondary research and analysis, Trend analysis, Technology scouting, Future visioning, Concept development and detailing, Roadmapping, Visualisation of the roadmap (graphic design), Report writing, Project management.
Project category / tags:
Business Strategy, Design roadmap,
Future visioning
Context
Ultimaker identifies several barriers that prevent their potential customers from adopting 3D printing in several different markets. One of the barriers is the knowledge gap on 'How to design for 3D printing'.
To bridge this gap, Ultimaker provides online seminars and on-site workshops. These methods cater to a small, focused target group and require special
arrangements or efforts to be made which do not prove to be a long term solution. Thus, Ultimaker is in the pursuit of long-term, innovative solutions to overcome this knowledge gap.
Design brief
To develop new value propositions to overcome the knowledge gap while developing a future vision for Ultimaker; and capturing these in the form of a design roadmap.
Concept
Future Vision / Design direction
The insights from the client's brief and user research led to the formulation of the following design goals:
1) To relieve Ultimaker’s employees of the pressure and responsibility of educating the users about the latest developments in 3D Printing.
2) Expanding the number of users who avail Ultimaker services and experience the Ultimaker devices.
3) Making the learning environment more engaging to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty.
4) Making 3D printing knowledge and process more accessible to all types of users.
Keeping these goals in mind, a future vision was devised.
Minimize the threshold of knowledge required for
3D Printing.
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Strategic horizons
Upon devising the future vision, the team carried out in-depth research about adult learning trends, 3D printing and manufacturing market as well as emerging technologies. This was followed by several ideation sessions that involved developing concepts using the emerging technologies to achieve the future vision. The concepts were shortlisted mainly based on technological maturity and time to market, amongst other factors. These were then translated into three horizons with short-term, mid-term and long-term goals / visions. The concept for each horizon was detailed in terms of the value(s) it provides to different stakeholders, the key transactions, infrastructure, resources and partnerships required to implement it.
Horizon 1 - Personalised Microlearning
The current long format video tutorials and blogs are replaced by short byte-sized content (building on the current trends of microlearning) in order to capture user’s attention. These communicate latest developments in 3D printing technologies, new product development & efforts by Ultimaker, specific software and hardware updates and tips & tricks about features and plug-ins. The bite-sized content is mainly targeted at the current 3DP users (Professionals from different fields) having basic knowledge of 3D printing, but unaware about latest changes/features. Being shared through the social media platforms, the byte sized content can permeate to different audiences and attract a wide range of users - from novice to experts; enhancing the brand acknowledgment and loyalty in the market.
Horizon 2 - Social learning enabled by an Ultimaker platform
This horizon includes developing a service market platform to form a 3D printing community and connect different types of users - Professionals, experts, makers and 3D printer owners. The platform offers employment to the experts and 3D printer owners, guidance in terms of expert feedback and assistance to the professionals and accessible hardware to all the makers. Different features like reviews and ratings can ensure superior quality services. Further, instead of Ultimaker being incharge of educating the users, experts create content and share knowledge. Ultimaker can provide certifications and educational programs for these experts. The platform complements Ultimaker’s values of promoting local digital manufacturing and being reliable whilst creating a strong community for collaboration.
Along with the platform, Ultimaker also introduces chatbots in the second horizon to validate the disintermediation strategy for the third horizon. These can answer primary level frequently asked questions about 3D printing, since it is not necessary to find an expert for all topics. Databases from current learning platforms and forums can be used to build the chatbots. Both, the Ultimaker platform and chatbots would serve as a
knowledge and content database for the third horizon which includes creating intelligent assistants. The data from this horizon helps Ultimaker recognize user patterns, areas of knowledge gap and scope for intervention.
Horizon 3 - Immersive Learning enabled by Integrated CAD software plug-in
This horizon includes developing a new universal software plug-in for mobile CAD softwares. This software platform shall have three features :
1) AR projection on product
2) 360 Immersive viewing
3) AI Personal Assistance
When looking at the environment through the device’s camera lens, the 3D model of the maker is projected in the space that is currently visible on the screen. The user can see it in all angles, zoom in, or even ‘walk’ into the model to look at it from the inside. In this way the user can review the 3D mode at any stage, in a fun, easy to understand manner. The immersive experience creates a long lasting effect on the user since it involves all the senses, capturing the users attention and enabling easy grasping. While modeling, the integrated AI assistant can give suggestions to adapt the model for a more compatible and useful 3D print. Thus, lowering the threshold of knowledge required for 3D printing.
Illustration by Wei lun chen
Strategic & Tactical Roadmaps
Design Process
The entire process can be divided into two key phases - 1) Research and 2) Concept development. The research phase started with an initial brainstorm to understand each team members familiarity with 3DP, pre-conceived notions as well as aspects that need to be studied. Subsequently, the team carried 3 interviews with experts, DESTEP and trend analysis to define the future vision. This was followed by technology scouting activities. The concept development phase included identifying potential technologies and seeing how these can be incorporated into Ultimaker's ecosystem to overcome the knowledge gap. The promising ideas (and technologies) were further detailed and translated into the roadmaps keeping in mind the time pacing.
Initial brainstorm- understanding the team's pre-conceived notions of 3D printing; exploring possible directions
Initial brainstorm- understanding the team's pre-conceived notions of 3D printing; exploring possible directions
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