“3D
Printing is going to be way bigger than what the 3D printing
companies are saying” (Credit Suisse, 2013) This huge projected
growth will have an impact on New Zealand, just as much as the rest
of the world. The result will be interesting to project in terms of
the ripple across the different sorts of cultures in NZ, particularly
the clash it might have with “small town NZ”. How might
latest-generation 3D printing (wood cellulose printing) revolutionise
small-town life in a way that requires and creates a meaningful brand
of products and services?
Technology
Scion's
bio polymer research places them almost in the realms of science
fiction, and yet the position Scion places itself in is an inherently
NZ position. The research facility seeks to make technological
advances through research into our forests. This scientific alignment
appears simultaneously hyper modern and astoundingly ancient, and
subsequently fits well into the NZ story. Developing new technologies
while having the foresight to never lose track of where you come from
and how you got there is both a recipe for success and a sound way to
keep the press happy. The mission statement “Forests – Products –
Innovation” (Scion, 2014) harmonizes well with the Maori cultural
and spiritual connection to the whenua;
the land,
and fits a strong NZ story connected to our multiculturalism.
Wood fibre based 3D
printing – 3ders
Scion's
current uses for bio polymers are interesting yet few in number.
Current uses are limited to low-design items such as kitchenware and
small-scale 3D printing, yet the potential for more diverse uses
certainly exists. The advanced material 3D printing exhibits certain
surface qualities that speak of a naturalistic NZ identity, a concept
that has been explored in some designed forms including the curious
kiwifruit “Spife” (Scion, 2014) as well as light explorations by
David Trubridge. The phrase “wood-based
materials could be the next big thing in 3D printing” (3ders, 2013)
is becoming more ubiquitous as the media realises the potential in
making more degradable and materially interesting polymers. The
benefits cost- and material-wise of wood-based filaments has yet to
be fully developed, but the future for them is promising and bright.
New Zealand
Resource
New Zealand shows time and
again that its most important resource is not natural or refined
materials, but the people who live here. The culture that NZ has
cultivated is one that is more than ready for the world stage now, as
it has evolved extensively while still maintaining a strong
connection to its roots. NZ has joined the global vanguard in
creative industries and scientific research, allowing us to make
large strides in a world so often dominated by money or power alone.
The innovation and capabilities that NZ brings through its culture
stand out, despite the fact that NZ's most defining and enduring
cultural feature is the small town. In global terms, the small town
is not traditionally associated with “cultural melting pots” or
“centres of innovation” (Leading Edge, 2014). Despite the stigma,
this is a definitive part of our history and the physical make-up of
our landscape. Historically speaking a lot of our best cases of “Kiwi
Ingenuity” have stemmed from these small towns.
Queenstown – Alexander
Sac
The
outcome of NZ starting as a sporadic assembly of small towns resulted
in a lot of wares and technology being of limited or no availability,
subsequently forcing inhabitants to “Do It Yourself” (Leading
Edge, 2014). DIY culture should be celebrated and given the tools to
produce and develop meaningful solutions for real problems in small
communities.
Brand
Apple
as a brand commands a high level of respect in the consumer
electronics area, and not without good reason. The qualities and
emotive responses associated with Apple and their products are
astonishingly far-reaching as well as exceedingly controversial.
Apple has cultivated an extremely alluring brand identity and has
created “an emotional response to its products that other companies
just can't beat” (Boone, 2011). Apple's products can elicit
high-process brain responses that mimic those of religious faithful
(Boone, 2011).
Apple Product Connectivity
– Jordan Kahn
The
key aspect of their products however isn't necessarily the product
itself, but what the product comes with and or is capable of.
Applications, accessories, all of the products are designed to work
seamlessly with each other, and this is where a lot of the power of
the brand lies. Apple products are designed to work perfectly with
the iTunes store, as well as use the iTunes store as a one-stop-shop
for all the digital needs of the devices. This fully integrated,
holistic concept for product integration and cross-platform usage
sets the products up as being part of a family of products, rather
than separate entities, and creates a highly successful, desirable
product line that defines the brand. The synergy between products and
services is the best means of keeping the customers coming back for
more.
Project Brief
Small
towns are an integral part of New Zealand's cultural, historical, and
physical make-up, and as such, a well-designed brand that presents a
successful combination of products and accompanying services could
have a strong and positive influence on the future of NZ. A brand
identity centred around the development of 3D printing systems and
services in the cultural landscape of the small town would meet
little resistance at present. A fifteen-year plan developing said
brand with a holistic, all-encompassing, sustainable approach to the
technological advancement of small town communities would align well
with the explosion of public and cultural adoption of 3D printing. By
focussing intently on the small town, the brand would be able to fill
a specific niche that 3D printing could meet as an agent for
self-sufficiency, independent repair, production, and problem
solving. Integrated with a wide-reaching supply and a mobile
support/service network with backing from product retail brands, this
would guarantee a step forward in the NZ DIY mentality and ensure a
brighter, easier tomorrow.
Bibliography
3ders.
(2013). Could
wood-based material lead 2014 3D printing priorities?.
Retrieved from http://www.3ders.org/
Boone,
A. (Producer). (2011). Technology [Episode 3]. In Secrets
Of The Superbrands. London,
United Kingdom: BBC.
Company
Watch - Apple. (2014, January 6). AirGuide
Business.
Retrieved from
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA357066562&v=2.1&u=vuw&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&asid=66483d6850a010ab71bc1e4ca3b9eccb
Kahn,
J. (2014). Apple brings Multipeer Connectivity to Mac, enables
cross-platform nearby networking w/ iOS. Retrieved from
http://9to5mac.com/
Scion.
(2014). Scion
Research.
Retrieved from http://www.scionresearch.com/
Sac,
A. (2012). Queenstown. A voyage to Queenstown, New Zealand, Pacific.
Retrieved from http://traveladventureeverywhere.blogspot.co.nz/
Wheeler,
A. (2006). Designing brand identity: A complete guide to creating,
building and maintaining strong brands. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley.
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