The final design concept for the Form 4 communicates reliability, drawing inspiration from traditional tool design and prosumer products with a minimalist aluminum base and clear user touch points. The design, while striking, also recedes from view when a print is present, acting as a stage to celebrate the user's part. It pushes Formlabs' hardware design language forward, emphasizing robustness and reliability.

My contributions to the exterior design centered on the front and rear shells of the machine. The rear shell is curved, reducing the apparent depth of the machine and improving its stance on the user's desk. It incorporates all of the I/O and power ports of the machine, as well as a filtered air intake for the the cooling system.

The front shell is a single piece of die-case aluminum, half of which angles inward to create a more visible and accessible surface the touchscreen display.
The bisected form encapsulates the theme of the entire machine - bare, solid material on one side, and intuitive interaction on the other.

The Industrial Design team collaborated with the engineering and manufacturing teams on every cosmetic and UX-critical part. This included the creation of production CAD, technical drawings, surface quality standards, and inspection documents.

We developed a new palette of minimal greys that provide sufficient contrast between parts while remaining subdued and sophisticated. This included a chemical-resistant silver powder coat inspired by bead blasted & clear anodized aluminum that we use on much of the exterior shell. We also improved our orange cover material to maximize internal visibility and formalized the use of Formlabs Touchpoint Blue on key areas of user interaction.

The final design concept for the Form 4 communicates reliability, drawing inspiration from traditional tool design and prosumer products with a minimalist aluminum base and clear user touch points. The design, while striking, also recedes from view when a print is present, acting as a stage to celebrate the user's part. It pushes Formlabs' hardware design language forward, emphasizing robustness and reliability.

My contributions to the exterior design centered on the front and rear shells of the machine. The rear shell is curved, reducing the apparent depth of the machine and improving its stance on the user's desk. It incorporates all of the I/O and power ports of the machine, as well as a filtered air intake for the the cooling system.

The front shell is a single piece of die-case aluminum, half of which angles inward to create a more visible and accessible surface the touchscreen display.
The bisected form encapsulates the theme of the entire machine - bare, solid material on one side, and intuitive interaction on the other.

The Industrial Design team collaborated with the engineering and manufacturing teams on every cosmetic and UX-critical part. This included the creation of production CAD, technical drawings, surface quality standards, and inspection documents.

We developed a new palette of minimal greys that provide sufficient contrast between parts while remaining subdued and sophisticated. This included a chemical-resistant silver powder coat inspired by bead blasted & clear anodized aluminum that we use on much of the exterior shell. We also improved our orange cover material to maximize internal visibility and formalized the use of Formlabs Touchpoint Blue on key areas of user interaction.

I worked closely with the engineering team on the leveling mechanism, squeezing every millimeter of space so that the handle could fit within the user's hand. After dozens of iterations, I arrived at a handle design that maximized comfort, manufacturability, and ease of use. I also designed Build Platform Flex, and extension of my work on Build Platform 2L, bringing our best part removal workflows to the Form 4.

The Form 4 Build Platform prints 30% larger parts than Form 3, and includes a new integrated leveling system to ensure part quality. These factors, combined with the frequency of build platform interactions, led me to completely redesign the handle and flexible print surface.

The tank has a totally new design, so it needed a totally new method of insertion. We explored various methods, from electro-mechanical arms to electromagnets, but ultimately settled on a set simple, robust latches that borrow their UX from Tupperware lids.

The new latching mechanism and RFID sensors make tank insertion and identification significantly more reliable than any previous Formlabs printer. The Form 2 mixer also returns, with a similarly updated latch. Additionally, my tank redesign no longer requires a case for storage, eliminating a major source of plastic waste from the ecosystem.