Hasta La Ideas

It’s interesting how technology can erode barriers in creative fields. When Macs and the attendant desktop publishing software first came out, suddenly anyone could (try to) be a graphic designer; you no longer needed to buy Letraset or have X-acto knife skillz.

When digital cameras came out, suddenly everyone was a (would-be) photographer. No more film, developing, and trying to figure out the correct exposures.

Ditto with iMovie and filmmaking: No more AVID machines necessary.

But there’s always been a rather insurmountable obstacle to becoming an instant industrial designer–ID is by definition tied to manufacturing, and manufacturing means factories and big, expensive machines.

A New Zealand company called Ponoko has been trying to erode that latter barrier, and after two years in business they’ve produced more than 10,000 objects designed by…you. The company offers to produce (and sell!) any product you design that can be manufactured by their laser cutting machine in wood, bamboo, MDF, cardboard, felt, leather, metal, polarizing film, acrylic, or styrene. FAQs walk you through the process and provide a crash course in basic laser-cut production methods and materials.

Of course, that’s a long way from being a full-fledged make-anything factory, but Ponoko plans to add more machinery to their repertoire, promising 3D printers, CNC routers, and a vague “more” in the near future.

Check ’em out here.

via 3 news new zealand

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