We are pleased to announce the winners of the Bring The Outdoors Indoors design contest! While people all over the world are practicing social distancing and spending more of their time at home, we challenged our community to design games, toys, and other inventions that would help bring outdoor activities inside.
We then invited two outdoor design experts—Will Hilgenberg of Albatross Bikes and Jeff Burga of Hydro Flask—to judge your work based on practicality, originality, and aesthetics. Also joining the judging panel is Formlabs’ own Matt Lewis, who helped bring our new Tough 1500 and Tough 2000 resins to market.
According to Matt: “I loved reviewing all the designs for the Bring the Outdoors Indoors Contest. I first started using CAD software roughly 7 years ago as an undergraduate pursuing my degree in Mechanical Engineering, so I really enjoyed seeing so many of the designs come from young innovators who are flexing their design muscles and taking the steps to bring their creative ideas to life.”
The Winner: Most Practical or Functional Design
Congratulations to Pinshape user LangeDesigns, creator of the Fort Clamp! This model, featuring thoughtfully designed angles and two types of clamping mechanisms, brings the joy of camping indoors with furniture and blankets.
“I appreciated the different types of joints and connectors the designers implemented into their parts. Everything from screw threads, to ball joints, to snap fits was a nice homage to the versatility of 3D printing.” -- Matt Lewis
The Winner: Most Original or Outside the Box
Congratulations to Kids’ 3D Academy for their miniature Zipline! This dynamic application featuring multiple parts also uses ordinary materials like string, and it looks like a ton of fun. We can’t wait to launch our favorite toys and objects around our home offices using this design.
“Thank you to all the designers, creatives, and 3D modeling enthusiasts that participated in the Formlabs design contest. In a time where we are all limited to spending much of our time indoors I appreciate the time and creativity that went into each of these fantastic submissions. I really appreciate those that posted pictures of their designs in use. Keep up the great work.” - Jeff Burga, Hydroflask
“I was impressed by how many of the designs entailed hybrid manufacturing techniques, utilizing both 3D printed parts and off the shelf components to create the final product. This is a reality that engineers, designers, and manufacturers face on a regular basis.” -- Matt Lewis
The Winner: Best Looking Design
Congratulations to Pinshape user bendaledesign for the Tabletop Corn Hole Launcher! This reimagining of a familiar backyard game features multiple resins and thoughtful labels, while cleverly blending the launcher and target into a single unit.
“It was incredible to see the response that we received and the wide range of submissions that varied from small tabletop games to inventive backyard games. Keep up the good work as we aren't done yet!” -- Will Hilgenberg, Albatross Bikes
Thank you to all the designers who participated! Your submissions got us thinking about how we can make working from home and spending time indoors a little more fun. We’re in the process of printing all of the winners’ designs, so look out for the Fort Clamp, Zipline, and Tabletop Corn Hole Launcher in action on our social media channels.
And finally, don’t forget to check out our family of Tough and Durable Resins. These new resin formulas are impact resistant, allowing product designers like Will and Jeff to create more realistic prototypes for rugged outdoor (or indoor) applications.
