Case Study: Karim Rashid-- Communicating Design with 3D Printing

From furniture and lighting to cosmetic products and packaging, Karim Rashid is a high-profile industrial design firm with an esteemed reputation for communicating a contemporary view of the world through its unique designs.

The firm's 10 designers use Solid Works 3D software. Until recently, designers relied on outside sources and an internal workshop to create foam models — a process that was time consuming, lacked precision, and ultimately hindered their ability to communicate designs.

After an extensive analysis of technologies, Karim Rashid selected the Dimension 3D Printer to create functional models out of durable ABS plastic. Karim Rashid used Dimension to generate more than 180 designs in its first six months of use, and 230 total projects last year.

"With a good model, we can remove any ambiguity for clients and expedite the decision making process," Rashid said. "Dimension allows us to narrow in on a design solution much more quickly, and as a result, better serve our clients. The precision of the models Dimension creates is so exact, we are able to present something very real to clients almost immediately — an invaluable communications capacity."