The 2015 awards received
152 submissions
from 26 countries.
See the 25 winners.
Throne (Gold_2014) / Throne(Silver_2014) 2014 mixed media
photo : Nobutada OMOTE|SANDWICH © Kohei NAWA|SANDWICH
YouFab is a global design competition
that recognizes excellence in the
field of digital fabrication.
Calling for submissions of fab machines, and products made using digital fabrication tools
such as 3D printers, laser cutters, and CNC milling machines!
You may submit all types of creative works made using digital fabrication tools such as the 3D printer, laser
cutters or CNC milling machines, or you can create your own digital fabrication tool itself and submit that. The
entry must be in it's completed form, not in the conceptual phase, to be accepted for submission.
Submissions can be something that has already been launched, or something yet-to-be unveiled.
Products made using digital fabrication tools
Artwork, illustrations, artistic activities, performances, and live acts using digital fabrication tools
Inventions and development of unique digital fabrication tools
This category is for entries of existing product that have been customized
This category is for entries that do not fit into the other categories or that are a combination of a number of categories
Product Designer
Product designer
Trained at the Lucerne School of Art and Design and the Escola Massana in Barcelona, Swiss-born Luki Huber has been living in Spain since 1994, and has collaborated on a regular basis with innovative firms such as Cerabella, Lékué and elBulli. From 2004 to 2010 he has been teaching product design at the Eina school of Barcelona.
In 2009 the studio moved to its actual location in the center of Barcelona, which has been set up as a space for the fomentation of creative teamwork, for which the studio also developed their own tool called Manual Thinking.
Principal of Architectkidd
Principal of Architectkidd
Luke Yeung is principal of Architectkidd, an award-winning design studio based in Bangkok, Thailand. After his studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Luke along with Architectkidd has directed research on design and materials at Kasetsart University.
Architectkidd’s projects are expressed in a wide range of materials such as re-used timber, metal, plywood and plastics. Often these materials are readily and locally available, but through Luke's interpretation they are given a radically new sense of purpose.
Among Architectkidd's recent projects are the Hard Rock Cafe in Siam Square (2011), with its shimmering black facade; VR Museum at King Power (2010), exhibiting one of the most valuable Buddhist sculpture collections in the world; Lightmos Showroom at Thonglor (2009), with its speckled, light-filtering facade; and the Bridgestone Pavilion (2012).
Co-founder of Zeczec
Co-founder of Zeczec
Graduated from the Bartlett School of University College London. He started his career as an urban designer in Dar Group London. In 2012, he co-founded the first Taiwanese crowdfunding website, Zeczec, and joined a London-based innovative skateboard brand, Allrover. Zeczec is well-known for supporting creative and innovative products. Its featured projects include the 8 wheeled skateboard, Stair-Rover by Allrover (raised 1.3 mllion USD), Atom 3D printer (raised 560K USD), and the 4 Dimensional Watch. Zeczec is also a channel for foreign makers or designers introducing their projects to Taiwanese audience. Looking Glass, a USA-HongKong based tech team, launched their 3D LED display, L3D Cube, on Zeczec in April 2015 after their remarkable success at Kickstarter. With his enthusiasm for design and technology, Quake not only leads the operation of Zeczec but also volunteers to supervise and help the creators forming their ideas from scratch.
SFC associate professor/
FabLab Japan Founder
SFC associate professor/
FabLab Japan Founder
Born in 1975 in Sapporo, Hokkaido. Design Engineer & Social Engineer. B.S. in Integrated Human Studies, Kyoto University (1998), M.S. from Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University (2000), and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, University of Tokyo (2003). In 2005 he was hired as a Full-time Lecturer at the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies at the Shonan Fujisawa Campus of Keio University, and in 2008 was promoted to Associate Professor within the same Faculty. In 2010 he was a visiting researcher at the Department of Architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In 2011 he opened in Kamakura the first Fab Lab in Japan and in Asia. Presently he is research leader for the Keio group of the International Digital Fabrication Research Center, a COI-T satellite of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
Creative Curator
Creative Curator
Creative Curator based in Tokyo. Seeking “Expanded Notion of Curating”. She is a guest professor at Tama Art University and Tokyo Zokei University, lecturer at IAMAS (Institute of Advanced Media Arts and Sciences) and Meiji University. Director of media art festival
“AMIT (Art, Media and I, Tokyo)” since 2014. She curated many exhibitions and projects such as at Canon ARTLAB (1990-2001), Mori Art Museum (2002-04) and NTT InterCommunication Center [ICC] (2004-10) as well as independent projects. Her latest works include: SIAF2014 (Sapporo International Art Festival) (Associate Curator), AMIT2015. Shikata participated as a jury to many art and media art awards, published books on media art research (co-author).
Rhizomatiks/
Creative & Technical Director
Rhizomatiks/
Creative & Technical Director
Born in Kanagawa in 1975, Mr. Saito began his career in New York in 2000 after graduating from Columbia University with a Master of Science degree in Advanced Architectural Design (MSAAD). Since then, he has been active in creative work at the Arnell Group, and returned to Japan upon being selected for the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial event. He produces works in the commercial art field which are three-dimensional and interactive while also being based on the firm grounding in logical thought that he cultivated through architecture. Mr. Saito has won numerous international awards at the 2009-2014. He currently serves as Director of Rhizomatiks Co., Ltd., while also lecturing part-time at the Department of Architecture in the Faculty of Science and Technology at Tokyo University of Science. 2013 D&AD “Digital Design” Jury, 2014 Cannes LIONS “Branded Content and Entertainment” jury. Milan Expo Japan pavilion theatre space director, Media Art Director at Roppongi Art Night 2015.
We've received messages of support for the applicants from experts in
many different fields who are paying close attention to these awards!
Sculptor /Associate professor at Kyoto University of Arts and Design
YouFab brings together the expertise, technology, information and ideas of creators from a myriad of disciplines while acting as a catalyst for their growth and development. I have high hopes that it will also open the doors to a new era for digital fabrication.
YouFab Global Creative Awards Chairman, Osaka Art University Professor, 777interactive CEO & Creative Director, FabCafe co-founder
Just as various tools like pencils and painting knives have revolutionized the art of painting, digital fabrication tools are the paintbrushes of this new era transforming our creative output. Whether these tools turn out to be extraordinary or not all hangs on how talented the users are at discovering creative gems and amusing and capturing the hearts of people. I am hoping that we will see a number of creators who are not willing to just sit back and accept these tools as being the latest most advanced tools, but are the kind of people that have what it takes to really push the limits of these cool tools.
Loftwork Inc. Cofounder, Japan Liaison to the director of MIT Media Lab
I like the word "Serendipity."
We cannot expect it, neither plan it.
It comes suddenly, but sometimes changes one's entire life.
It is a dynamic force to be reckoned with.
It sweeps in when we least expect it and changes our fate.
In this sense, it is similar to the boundless possibilities of digital fabrication.
May the YouFab awards bring such a serendipitous moment to you!
Fab Lab Barcelona
Open Source and DIY projects need to be supported by larger communities. YouFab is a great showcase of excellent projects being developed around the world, we hope many of these get scaled and distributed manufactured in many cities.
Make:Taiwan Deputy Editor-in-Chief
As a pioneer of the Marker Movement, Make:Taiwan has long been a keen observer of the possibilities of creation. For us, digital fabrication tools such as 3D printers, laser cutters and CNC milling machines are not just simply tools, but form a platform to bring our ideas to life. I cannot wait to see what possibilities to come out of YouFab. I think we will get a glimpse into the future of the Maker Movement through the interaction between makers. I can’t wait!
CMO, Formlabs
Nothing is more important than learning how to turn your inspiration into reality. It changes the way you think, and the way you relate to your world. The people who dare to create new ideas are ones who will can change the world.
Artist/Designer, Assistant Professor at the MIT Media Lab, Head of Design Fiction Group
What do you make when you can make anything? What do you say when you can say anything? What do you fight for when you can fight for anything?
Limitless potential does not equal true empowerment. What matters most is what you do with it.
In YouFab Award, I look forward to seeing mind-blowing, eye-opening projects created from this ocean of limitless potential.
Make, Think, Talk, Make - and surprise the world! :)
DOKI DOKI, INC. Founder CEO and Telepathy Fellow
Art, technology and science bring about dynamic changes to new business, the way we work, social structures, schools of thought and philosophical movements. Up until now, this change occurred through software, information, or by cloud technology. However, we have now entered an age in which the vehicles of change take on a physical form in the shape of tangible objects, smart devices, interactive gadgets, mechanisms and systems. Now it is about the dynamics that drive diversity in software and networks, the ability to ignite change, and shape perceptions and ideals. Now, the vehicles of change can be created in a physical form, operated, and sent off in to the world in a tangible form. This award ambitiously paves the way for forerunners in this field. It is for those with a courageous pioneering spirit. It allows us to give form to our imagination and change the narrative of the world around us and how we see it. These “things” add a new dimension to our optimistic and forward-thinking spirit. I think people who can imagine and share appreciation for these “things” this should take part in these awards. Giving things a brand new dimension—Bring it on!
Cofounder of Gifpop
As explorers of the new technologies that digital fabrication provides, we are wandering into new territories. We come from everywhere. We've called ourselves many names — architects, designers, sculptors, engineers — places where roles have been clearly defined and worn down over generations of discourse and work. We've called ourselves many names but we are beginning to call ourselves something else entirely.
We are the additivists and generative artists, the makers and fabricators. We are something which is not entirely clear. There are buzzwords and labels as well as arguments over the lines between software and sculpture, but it is only at these vague borders and heated discussions that we know that we are finally standing in the present, facing an exciting future.
Platform Builder FabCafe Global, TEDxTokyo
Going for opportunities like YouFab often leads to serendipity and growth better than could have been planned. YouFab is a very supportive, celebration of the blossoming movement around digital fabrication and making. So go for it and share your passion, creativity & fab by applying for the YouFab Global Creative Awards!
Director of FabLabKamakura
These days we hear people talking about FAB everywhere, even on the train. Slowly but surely it is becoming part of our everyday lives and a well-established creative avenue. I think YouFab acts to massage all the tension from our brains. Can it overturn what we have taken as givens, and bring ideas to life? Can it be incorporated into various fields and tell its own story? Perhaps the true allures of YouFab are that it brings with it many of these encounters and balance. I look forward to seeing all the untapped possibilities it has to offer.
Co-founder at The Social Coin
We are very fortunate to be living during the time of the Makers' Revolution, where everyone has the power to learn, build, and create almost anything they can imagine. In a society where everything and everyone are connected, knowledge is public, and it is our duty to contribute to their growth. Technology is in your hands, now it's your turn to take advantage of the enormous responsibility of this competition and surprise the world!
Sound Coder and Producer at Ciclo.io
Learning, thinking and building make people happy! I never had a bad day while working on our creations, it doesn't matter if we cut wood, code some beats or solder some wires, when you step back and take a look at your installation all your effort is worth. But to do so you need a goal, a deadline, which will set the launch moment. Explode in YouFab sparks!
Partner of noiz/ Assist Professor at NCTU Taiwan/ Adjunct Professor at Art Media Center, Tokyo University of the Arts
First, we were able to freely create on our screens, then gradually digital fabrication allowed us to bring these designs to life, then we were able to get feedback through various sensors, and there will likely come a time when we can easily transform our thoughts to output. I have great expectations for this technology and its undeniable potential to bring ideas to life.
Safecast co-founder and Japan director. MIT ML affiliate researcher. Monex Inc CTO.
YouFab is a great opportunity to try something new, deploy it and learn from it! At Safecast we always experiment with new ideas and by trying them out in the field we learn to make our designs better. So don't hesitate to make a mistake or two - "you need to break and egg to make an omelet". So with all the amazing tools like 3D printing, Open Everything, CNC, Laser cutters, etc. I expect you to make something you will LEARN a lot from and, most importantly, have FUN doing. Ganbatte ne!
Miyagi University of Education, FabLab Kannai Director
Since 2011, there has been a sharp rise in the number of places where you can use digital fabrication tools, as well as an increase in the number of people in Japan who use these tools including 3D printers and laser cutters. I am confident that this movement will not fade out, but I think we need someone to create something outstanding so as it give the category the push that it needs. It can be something simple. But it needs to be something that opens our eyes to the potential of digital fabrication and something that is inspiring to the young, up-and-coming creators wishing to make a name for themselves in this field.
BBC TV Presenter / Classical Musician / Audience Experience Specialist
We truly enjoy looking at imagination made real - whether it’s art, music, or great design. But every creative person knows it takes courage to show your work to an audience, which is difficult. I used to compose music and invent devices but keep it quiet. I'd never release my work because I wasn’t fully happy with it. It took time to discover that publishing my creations and experiencing feedback is a vital part of artistic development which also improves my future work. I think my recognition in the field of music technology is partly due to my efforts to show my ideas in a public arena. Please have the courage to show your work, I would love to see it!
Professor, Research Center for Industrial Culture, Institute of Advanced Media arts and Sciences [IAMAS]
In 2015, we are hearing a lot more about Fab and places to Fab. Considering the fact that we are working on creating a small business platform where handicrafts meet digital fabrication, then it will come as no surprise that we are intently interested in these Awards. We cannot wait to see the selection of products in high-quality finished form that will give us a glimpse at just how much digital fabrication can take creation to new heights in the future.
Research Engineer
This is the best moment. We are surrounded with challenges that need solutions where the key of the success is an idea that combines technology, art and science. Digital fabrication allows us to create solutions in that intersection, in an easy and fun way. Don't have fear to fail. We have no limits now.
Founder & CEO, Normal
Never be afraid to build a product to solve your own needs. Truth is, you're probably not alone in this problem and if you solve if for YOU , you'll be solving for many! KEEP CREATING.
AgIC/Co-Founder | YouFab 2014 First Prize Winner
People who have never sculpted or molded anything in their lives have recently started to create via the use of 3D printers. Circuits that have been designed for the first time can be produced by simply typing Ctrl+P. Just as the democratization of the Internet has revolutionized daily life, digital printing looks set to liberate peoples' "desire to create" and transform the world. Through my involvement in digital fabrication, I have a renewed respect for traditional craftsmen, furniture makers, circuit designers and other professions who involve themselves in “Maker’s spirit" regardless of current fads. The "desire to create" is something that everyone has but may have been forgotten in this age of mass production and consumption. Let's use this new technology to set it free!
Artist | YouFab 2014 Grand Prize Winner
Taking home the Grand Prize for YouFab has given me the opportunity to meet a lot of new people. Thanks to YouFab, I have also been offered more chances to exhibit my works and received requests to present at talk shows, and I can see how it has changed the face of what I do. I think this is a really interesting time for creators. Every day I am excited and inspired by all the new opportunities that surround me. I have so many ideas that I would like to bring to life, and I cannot contain how happy I am to see innovative new technology being developed that will allow me to bring my ideas and plans to fruition. And of course, there have been times when these new technologies have inspired creations as well. I am looking forward to seeing all the entries in YouFab this year. And just in case you were wondering, I will be sending in an entry again this year!
Judge | Co-founder at zeczec
Since I founded zeczec.com in 2012, I have met more than 500 creative people who built their own ideas from scratches. The digital fabrication tools really empower those creators chasing their dreams and surprising the world with their genius. Laser cutting, CNC, and 3D printing not only accelerate prototyping, but also change the concept of manufacturing. We no longer need to give up our ideas because we do not have access to the factories. I believe ‘realizing your idea’ is a radical desire for every human being. We should all keep this desire and be brave to make it.
Judge | Creative Director / Technical Director Rizomatiks
Digital fabrication has been changing business, our life, future and the world. These are the first tools as human being we never experienced before and what we do right now is the most important phase to choose the path toward our future. I am looking forward to seeing works which you are having fun with and blow our mind.
Judge | Creative Curator
Digital fabrication is a field that can potentially transform the way in which we create. It is also a game-changer for innovation, which until now has been mostly driven by industries, government and academia. It is a place where creative catalysts, who wear many hats such as artist, designer, programmer, and artisan, can unleash their playful spirits to hack and create things that we have never even dreamed or imagined possible. The concept and phenomenon of “TAZ (Temporary Autonomous Zone)”, coined by Hakim Bey in the 80s, is diffused in our lives and brews a diverse culture that brings with it a new economy and society. I believe this Award is at the forefront of this movement, and I am very much looking forward to seeing this year’s outstanding ideas!
Judge | Director, Social Fabrication Lab Keio/ Founder, Fab Lab Japan
It probably goes without saying, but one of the main reasons that I accepted this offer to be a judge was that I want to be blown away with entries that go beyond anything I have ever seen before and that don’t look like your typical works created using 3D printers or laser cutter. The advance of globalization means that no matter where we are in the world today we hear the same kind of music, see the same kind of films, and create the same kind of things with the same kind of 3D printers. I think our various forms of creativity and artistic instincts are urgently being put into question in an attempt to break through this kind of homogenization. Most technologies are a double-edged sword, and digital fabrication is your typical example of this. I hope that this year’s YouFab will provide us with a chance to further discover the merits that digital fabrication has to offer.
Judge | Architect, Principal at Architectkidd
The world is rapidly changing. So are design, technologies and environments. Coming from an architectural background, it would be interesting to see new ideas and projects using digital fabrication that can go beyond a single, material purpose. To shift from thinking about design as a stand-alone entity to looking at multiple perspectives can open up new ways of thinking. Digital fabrication can be used to visualize, organize and connect, not only as a means to produce. I hope designers will be able to embrace this added complexity not as a barrier but as a creative platform for innovation.
Judge | Product Designer
The great thing about using a variety of tools during the design process is that each tool directly influences the development process. Today, we have access to many different technologies and methodologies that could be add on to tradition ones. Everyone sees the same project in different ways, the same happens when we make the same drawing with different drawing tools. Prototyping in multiple and diversified ways helps to innovate the creativity process.
Sculptor /Associate professor at Kyoto University of Arts and Design
YouFab brings together the expertise, technology, information and ideas of creators from a myriad of disciplines while acting as a catalyst for their growth and development. I have high hopes that it will also open the doors to a new era for digital fabrication.
YouFab Global Creative Awards Chairman, Osaka Art University Professor, 777interactive CEO & Creative Director, FabCafe co-founder
Just as various tools like pencils and painting knives have revolutionized the art of painting, digital fabrication tools are the paintbrushes of this new era transforming our creative output. Whether these tools turn out to be extraordinary or not all hangs on how talented the users are at discovering creative gems and amusing and capturing the hearts of people. I am hoping that we will see a number of creators who are not willing to just sit back and accept these tools as being the latest most advanced tools, but are the kind of people that have what it takes to really push the limits of these cool tools.
Loftwork Inc. Cofounder, Japan Liaison to the director of MIT Media Lab
I like the word "Serendipity."
We cannot expect it, neither plan it.
It comes suddenly, but sometimes changes one's entire life.
It is a dynamic force to be reckoned with.
It sweeps in when we least expect it and changes our fate.
In this sense, it is similar to the boundless possibilities of digital fabrication.
May the YouFab awards bring such a serendipitous moment to you!
Fab Lab Barcelona
Open Source and DIY projects need to be supported by larger communities. YouFab is a great showcase of excellent projects being developed around the world, we hope many of these get scaled and distributed manufactured in many cities.
Make:Taiwan Deputy Editor-in-Chief
As a pioneer of the Marker Movement, Make:Taiwan has long been a keen observer of the possibilities of creation. For us, digital fabrication tools such as 3D printers, laser cutters and CNC milling machines are not just simply tools, but form a platform to bring our ideas to life. I cannot wait to see what possibilities to come out of YouFab. I think we will get a glimpse into the future of the Maker Movement through the interaction between makers. I can’t wait!
CMO, Formlabs
Nothing is more important than learning how to turn your inspiration into reality. It changes the way you think, and the way you relate to your world. The people who dare to create new ideas are ones who will can change the world.
Artist/Designer, Assistant Professor at the MIT Media Lab, Head of Design Fiction Group
What do you make when you can make anything? What do you say when you can say anything? What do you fight for when you can fight for anything?
Limitless potential does not equal true empowerment. What matters most is what you do with it.
In YouFab Award, I look forward to seeing mind-blowing, eye-opening projects created from this ocean of limitless potential.
Make, Think, Talk, Make - and surprise the world! :)
DOKI DOKI, INC. Founder CEO and Telepathy Fellow
Art, technology and science bring about dynamic changes to new business, the way we work, social structures, schools of thought and philosophical movements. Up until now, this change occurred through software, information, or by cloud technology. However, we have now entered an age in which the vehicles of change take on a physical form in the shape of tangible objects, smart devices, interactive gadgets, mechanisms and systems. Now it is about the dynamics that drive diversity in software and networks, the ability to ignite change, and shape perceptions and ideals. Now, the vehicles of change can be created in a physical form, operated, and sent off in to the world in a tangible form. This award ambitiously paves the way for forerunners in this field. It is for those with a courageous pioneering spirit. It allows us to give form to our imagination and change the narrative of the world around us and how we see it. These “things” add a new dimension to our optimistic and forward-thinking spirit. I think people who can imagine and share appreciation for these “things” this should take part in these awards. Giving things a brand new dimension—Bring it on!
Cofounder of Gifpop
As explorers of the new technologies that digital fabrication provides, we are wandering into new territories. We come from everywhere. We've called ourselves many names — architects, designers, sculptors, engineers — places where roles have been clearly defined and worn down over generations of discourse and work. We've called ourselves many names but we are beginning to call ourselves something else entirely.
We are the additivists and generative artists, the makers and fabricators. We are something which is not entirely clear. There are buzzwords and labels as well as arguments over the lines between software and sculpture, but it is only at these vague borders and heated discussions that we know that we are finally standing in the present, facing an exciting future.
Platform Builder FabCafe Global, TEDxTokyo
Going for opportunities like YouFab often leads to serendipity and growth better than could have been planned. YouFab is a very supportive, celebration of the blossoming movement around digital fabrication and making. So go for it and share your passion, creativity & fab by applying for the YouFab Global Creative Awards!
Director of FabLabKamakura
These days we hear people talking about FAB everywhere, even on the train. Slowly but surely it is becoming part of our everyday lives and a well-established creative avenue. I think YouFab acts to massage all the tension from our brains. Can it overturn what we have taken as givens, and bring ideas to life? Can it be incorporated into various fields and tell its own story? Perhaps the true allures of YouFab are that it brings with it many of these encounters and balance. I look forward to seeing all the untapped possibilities it has to offer.
Co-founder at The Social Coin
We are very fortunate to be living during the time of the Makers' Revolution, where everyone has the power to learn, build, and create almost anything they can imagine. In a society where everything and everyone are connected, knowledge is public, and it is our duty to contribute to their growth. Technology is in your hands, now it's your turn to take advantage of the enormous responsibility of this competition and surprise the world!
Sound Coder and Producer at Ciclo.io
Learning, thinking and building make people happy! I never had a bad day while working on our creations, it doesn't matter if we cut wood, code some beats or solder some wires, when you step back and take a look at your installation all your effort is worth. But to do so you need a goal, a deadline, which will set the launch moment. Explode in YouFab sparks!
Partner of noiz/ Assist Professor at NCTU Taiwan/ Adjunct Professor at Art Media Center, Tokyo University of the Arts
First, we were able to freely create on our screens, then gradually digital fabrication allowed us to bring these designs to life, then we were able to get feedback through various sensors, and there will likely come a time when we can easily transform our thoughts to output. I have great expectations for this technology and its undeniable potential to bring ideas to life.
Safecast co-founder and Japan director. MIT ML affiliate researcher. Monex Inc CTO.
YouFab is a great opportunity to try something new, deploy it and learn from it! At Safecast we always experiment with new ideas and by trying them out in the field we learn to make our designs better. So don't hesitate to make a mistake or two - "you need to break and egg to make an omelet". So with all the amazing tools like 3D printing, Open Everything, CNC, Laser cutters, etc. I expect you to make something you will LEARN a lot from and, most importantly, have FUN doing. Ganbatte ne!
Miyagi University of Education, FabLab Kannai Director
Since 2011, there has been a sharp rise in the number of places where you can use digital fabrication tools, as well as an increase in the number of people in Japan who use these tools including 3D printers and laser cutters. I am confident that this movement will not fade out, but I think we need someone to create something outstanding so as it give the category the push that it needs. It can be something simple. But it needs to be something that opens our eyes to the potential of digital fabrication and something that is inspiring to the young, up-and-coming creators wishing to make a name for themselves in this field.
BBC TV Presenter / Classical Musician / Audience Experience Specialist
We truly enjoy looking at imagination made real - whether it’s art, music, or great design. But every creative person knows it takes courage to show your work to an audience, which is difficult. I used to compose music and invent devices but keep it quiet. I'd never release my work because I wasn’t fully happy with it. It took time to discover that publishing my creations and experiencing feedback is a vital part of artistic development which also improves my future work. I think my recognition in the field of music technology is partly due to my efforts to show my ideas in a public arena. Please have the courage to show your work, I would love to see it!
Professor, Research Center for Industrial Culture, Institute of Advanced Media arts and Sciences [IAMAS]
In 2015, we are hearing a lot more about Fab and places to Fab. Considering the fact that we are working on creating a small business platform where handicrafts meet digital fabrication, then it will come as no surprise that we are intently interested in these Awards. We cannot wait to see the selection of products in high-quality finished form that will give us a glimpse at just how much digital fabrication can take creation to new heights in the future.
Research Engineer
This is the best moment. We are surrounded with challenges that need solutions where the key of the success is an idea that combines technology, art and science. Digital fabrication allows us to create solutions in that intersection, in an easy and fun way. Don't have fear to fail. We have no limits now.
Founder & CEO, Normal
Never be afraid to build a product to solve your own needs. Truth is, you're probably not alone in this problem and if you solve if for YOU , you'll be solving for many! KEEP CREATING.
AgIC/Co-Founder | YouFab 2014 First Prize Winner
People who have never sculpted or molded anything in their lives have recently started to create via the use of 3D printers. Circuits that have been designed for the first time can be produced by simply typing Ctrl+P. Just as the democratization of the Internet has revolutionized daily life, digital printing looks set to liberate peoples' "desire to create" and transform the world. Through my involvement in digital fabrication, I have a renewed respect for traditional craftsmen, furniture makers, circuit designers and other professions who involve themselves in “Maker’s spirit" regardless of current fads. The "desire to create" is something that everyone has but may have been forgotten in this age of mass production and consumption. Let's use this new technology to set it free!
Artist | YouFab 2014 Grand Prize Winner
Taking home the Grand Prize for YouFab has given me the opportunity to meet a lot of new people. Thanks to YouFab, I have also been offered more chances to exhibit my works and received requests to present at talk shows, and I can see how it has changed the face of what I do. I think this is a really interesting time for creators. Every day I am excited and inspired by all the new opportunities that surround me. I have so many ideas that I would like to bring to life, and I cannot contain how happy I am to see innovative new technology being developed that will allow me to bring my ideas and plans to fruition. And of course, there have been times when these new technologies have inspired creations as well. I am looking forward to seeing all the entries in YouFab this year. And just in case you were wondering, I will be sending in an entry again this year!
Judge | Co-founder at zeczec
Since I founded zeczec.com in 2012, I have met more than 500 creative people who built their own ideas from scratches. The digital fabrication tools really empower those creators chasing their dreams and surprising the world with their genius. Laser cutting, CNC, and 3D printing not only accelerate prototyping, but also change the concept of manufacturing. We no longer need to give up our ideas because we do not have access to the factories. I believe ‘realizing your idea’ is a radical desire for every human being. We should all keep this desire and be brave to make it.
Judge | Creative Director / Technical Director Rizomatiks
Digital fabrication has been changing business, our life, future and the world. These are the first tools as human being we never experienced before and what we do right now is the most important phase to choose the path toward our future. I am looking forward to seeing works which you are having fun with and blow our mind.
Judge | Creative Curator
Digital fabrication is a field that can potentially transform the way in which we create. It is also a game-changer for innovation, which until now has been mostly driven by industries, government and academia. It is a place where creative catalysts, who wear many hats such as artist, designer, programmer, and artisan, can unleash their playful spirits to hack and create things that we have never even dreamed or imagined possible. The concept and phenomenon of “TAZ (Temporary Autonomous Zone)”, coined by Hakim Bey in the 80s, is diffused in our lives and brews a diverse culture that brings with it a new economy and society. I believe this Award is at the forefront of this movement, and I am very much looking forward to seeing this year’s outstanding ideas!
Judge | Director, Social Fabrication Lab Keio/ Founder, Fab Lab Japan
It probably goes without saying, but one of the main reasons that I accepted this offer to be a judge was that I want to be blown away with entries that go beyond anything I have ever seen before and that don’t look like your typical works created using 3D printers or laser cutter. The advance of globalization means that no matter where we are in the world today we hear the same kind of music, see the same kind of films, and create the same kind of things with the same kind of 3D printers. I think our various forms of creativity and artistic instincts are urgently being put into question in an attempt to break through this kind of homogenization. Most technologies are a double-edged sword, and digital fabrication is your typical example of this. I hope that this year’s YouFab will provide us with a chance to further discover the merits that digital fabrication has to offer.
Judge | Architect, Principal at Architectkidd
The world is rapidly changing. So are design, technologies and environments. Coming from an architectural background, it would be interesting to see new ideas and projects using digital fabrication that can go beyond a single, material purpose. To shift from thinking about design as a stand-alone entity to looking at multiple perspectives can open up new ways of thinking. Digital fabrication can be used to visualize, organize and connect, not only as a means to produce. I hope designers will be able to embrace this added complexity not as a barrier but as a creative platform for innovation.
Judge | Product Designer
The great thing about using a variety of tools during the design process is that each tool directly influences the development process. Today, we have access to many different technologies and methodologies that could be add on to tradition ones. Everyone sees the same project in different ways, the same happens when we make the same drawing with different drawing tools. Prototyping in multiple and diversified ways helps to innovate the creativity process.
READ MORE
