If you read yesterday’s post, you’ll know about the controversy regarding BfB’s attempt to address the younger female market. We pondered this situation: how to get more children (including female) to learn about, experience, desire and grow into 3D makers as they get older? Discussing this with a friend who has both a 3D printer and young female offspring, we realized that the children don’t care so much about the printer or the hardware. No, instead they are focused on the experience; the result from using the hardware.
At that age they just want to get cool stuff that they like – such as jewelry, buttons, pins, etc. Young girls have such a desire for these things you will find huge chain stores (e.g. Claire’s with 3,000+ worldwide locations) dedicated to addressing that specific need.
That’s what the girls want to make. They don’t care that the printer is pink; they want the experience you get from using one. For the majority of girls, the experience is receiving an object they like, not building a printer.
So we think an answer to attracting young girls to 3D Printing might be to create a repository of things they can print.
Things They Like. Not things that engineers like to print.
Imagine a ten year old girl surfing through today’s version of Thingiverse looking for something she might like. That’s right, she’d have big trouble finding anything of interest, although she would find tons of sophisticated engineering items. Now instead imagine her surfing through a branded site specifically designed for young girls containing hundreds of appropriate items to print – perhaps more items than she would find in her local Claire’s.
This is not unlike the hundreds of websites offering similar visual services for young girls, where girls create different looks by selecting from options presented. It works for these sites; why not for 3D printing? If girls were attracted in this way they would become very familiar with the notion of printing things you need, and this concept would be carried with them forever. They will expect to print things.
Which company will be first to make a targeted 3D print repository? How about this one?
My childhood was exactly like this. As a young girl, I was always flipping through Dick Smith Electronics catalogs (the BIG ones with all the parts in it). It was my dad who got me into computers and machines and engineering. He didn't have a gender bias and showed me how easy it was to have fun with stuff when you're interested in having a go.
I think it's about allowing someone to find something that excites them. That thirst to create and conquer.
I actually wrote about this on my blog recently here
There are more and more things being created from 3D printing that directly appeals to women. We're seeing some very clever jewellery and everyday accessories produced this way so I think it's only a matter if time. Most still don't know these services are out there. Perhaps just spreading the word would help most?
My childhood was exactly like this. As a young girl, I was always flipping through Dick Smith Electronics catalogs (the BIG ones with all the parts in it). It was my dad who got me into computers and machines and engineering. He didn't have a gender bias and showed me how easy it was to have fun with stuff when you're interested in having a go.
I think it's about allowing someone to find something that excites them. That thirst to create and conquer.
I actually wrote about this on my blog recently here
There are more and more things being created from 3D printing that directly appeals to women. We're seeing some very clever jewellery and everyday accessories produced this way so I think it's only a matter if time. Most still don't know these services are out there. Perhaps just spreading the word would help most?