MakerBot Thingiverse

"The 3D Design Community for discovering, printing, and sharing free 3D models."

THE CHALLENGE

Integrate a community of makers with the MakerBot brand while retaining its vibrant, dynamic nature.

MY ROLE

Through design, Thingiverse was transformed from a database of models into a digital property fully integrated with the MakerBot brand and aligned with its core values and business goals.

I re-architected the site to address the needs of a thriving community, improving its usability while increasing the amount of quality interactions between users.

As Thingiverse evolved, I worked with community managers, business partners, and other stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition into the broader product ecosystem.

Thingiverse remains the top destination for 3D printing enthusiasts to share their models, even in the face of numerous competitor sites. Under my design leadership, the community grew from 27k members in 2012 to 270k in 2014. The number of shared models has grown from 25k in 2012 to 429k in 2014.