Sprint 1:

Utilizing 3D Printing to Integrate and Fulfill Market Desire for Sustainability, Athletic Clothing, and Same Day Shipping

Renée Weisz, Edgar Uribe, Ajay Menon, Grace Patel, Jonah Sinclair, Katherine NicholasI&E Capstone Spring 2021

The Individual Markets in Sustainability, 3D Printing, and Athletic Attire are Primed for Symbiotic Innovation

SustainabilityGrowing desire within Generation Z and Millennials to buy sustainable products

In 54% of Gen Z and 50% of Millennials are willing to spend an incremental 10 percent or more on sustainable products

3D Printing Developments in 3D printing will continue growing

Tech companies have had growth of 165% over the past 5 years and 3D printing is expected to grow at a CAGR of 14.6% from 2020 to 2027

Athletic AttireIncreasing interest in purchasing athletic attire

The global running gear market is expected to grow at a CAGR of ~6% during 2019-2024The sports apparel market was valued at $167.7 billion in 2018 and is estimated to reach $248.1 billion by 2026

Why now?3D printing for clothes started in 2010s. It used to take 7 days to print an item - now, it can take minutesRise in sustainable fashion is being driven by Gen Z

Current Product Lines Address Sustainability, Style, and Performance Independently

Popular Sustainable BrandsYoga, Lifestyle &

Athleisure Brands

High Intensity Athletic Brands

Customers address their desire for Sustainability with other methods

Buying Used Athletic Clothing

Buying Carbon Offsets for Shipping Along with

a Purchase

Delivery with Electric Vehicles

Customers address their desire for Rapid Delivery with other methods

Ordering and Delivery from Local Stores

Rapid or Same-Day Shipping for an Additional Fee

Going to a Retail Store Instead of Ordering

Online

Customers address their desire for High Performance Athletic Attire with other methods

Sacrificing Style for Performance (e.i. neon

athletic attire)

Using Personal Fans while Running

Using ‘hot hands’ Warmers or Layering

Our Three-Pronged Value Proposition Benefits Both our Customers and the Environment

Sustainability

● 3D printing leaves a smaller carbon footprint than traditional manufacturing (less waste and electricity used)

● Leaves no room for labor rights violations seen with other companies

● Decentralized manufacturing lowers carbon footprint from shipping

Athletic Performance

● Temperature-regulating fabrics; useful for both high and low temperatures

● Style and quality does not suffer

● Efficiency; less steps to yield high quality athletic wear

Faster Shipping

● Decentralized manufacturing allows our product to reach the customer faster (design sent directly to 3D printer with printers in many locations)

● At the same time, shipping prices remain unchanged

3D Printers can manufacture products with customized materials that have Temperature Regulating Properties

Material: PVA/boron nitride core filament

- Reacts to body temperature and cools/heats accordingly

- Currently in development for greater production

Demand among College Students is Evident, however, because 3D printing is a newer technology, many consumers don’t understand the benefits

Test: Ask college students to buy their athletic clothing with a 3D printed manufacturing option. Approximately half are provided with no context, while the other half is given information about the benefits of 3D printed manufacturing methods.

Overall Positive Rate of Response:

70%

Positive Rate of Response with Background:

96%

If the market is interested, how can we reach them?

More excitement surrounding temperature regulating clothing, however both questions showed high levels of interest from college-aged audience

Social media marketing proved to be a low cost, effective way to quickly reach our target audience

In each test, we noticed high activity in the form of:● Large percentage of interactions

among impressions● Many follow up questions &

positive feedback

There are several main risks that need to be addressed before going forward

Consumers don’t understand the benefits of 3D printed manufacturing

An educational effort is necessary

Creating a decentralized manufacturing networks and establishing a brand

name

Partnering with a large company could be best

Robotic manufacturing, including 3D printing, may increase unemployment

Create programs or partners for creating meaningful work

Our data is limited to related products/markets and peer networks

Demand tests with greater scale and scope of audience are needed

Reflections

- Many 3D printing operations currently exist as rapid prototyping and services-type business models

- We must grapple with the idea that this may not be a standalone company but rather a prototyping/services oriented operation

- While our peers responded enthusiastically to our value proposition, we haven’t proved that we can actually fulfill that value proposition

- Saying “sustainable, high-quality, and faster shipping” is different than actually creating that product

- Even if we have a product, we don’t yet have an audience - If we follow through with this idea, we need to think about creating an audience and potential

market demand. Without that, we can’t monetize. - Assigning roles based on our own strengths and weaknesses before beginning our work was

pivotal to our assignment running smoothly