Bobby Pin Demo Print

prusaprinters

<p>When I read the blog post for the “Quick and Useful Prints” contest I saw it as a cool opportunity to design a Maker Faire booth demonstration print and giveaway item. One of my favorite memories from my first Maker Faire was getting there early in the morning and as the day went on gradually noticing more and more attendees with cool booth giveaways, going up to them and asking where they got them from, and then running all over trying to find the right booth with my friend. It was kind of like a giant scavenger hunt.</p><p>I wanted to recreate that experience with this print and have written out a marketing plan outlining my ideas on how it could be used at Maker Faires and other expos and conventions. At the end I will also include some ideas on how it could be used as a print for home users to share with their families.</p><h4>&nbsp;</h4><h4>Maker Faire Plan:</h4><p>The 3d printing community (and maker community) is largely male and I wanted to design a demo print that men could have made at the Faire and then take home and give to their girlfriends or wives, sisters, daughters, and nieces. It was also important to me to make something that they would actually keep and use and not just end up as landfill fodder. (Unfortunately, the end destination of many event giveaways.) I chose a bobby pin because most women will know what they are and have used them at some point in their life. Their shape is iconic and instantly recognizable.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>What is a bobby pin? </strong>For the bald and otherwise uninformed: bobby pins are a widely used hair accessory. They are not just a decoration - they also have a purpose - which is to hold hair in place.&nbsp;</p><p>My intention is to have a printer set up so that attendees could come to the booth, ask for a pin to be made for them, and during the duration of the print (only 7 minutes!) have a quick conversation about 3d printing. Additionally, you could make them customizable by offering to print in their girlfriends' favorite color. This will simultaneously allow you to &nbsp;show off the Multi Material Upgrade and different types of filaments - as well as how 3d printers work from start to finish.</p><p>A successful booth giveaway is visible - something that attendees will wear so that others will see and go find your booth to get one for themselves. Female attendees and other long-haired folks may want to wear their new bobby pins in their hair (or beards?). You could encourage everyone else to keep their pins safe by sticking them on things like their event badge or lanyard, name tags, neckties, shirt pockets, or hat brims.&nbsp;</p><p>Once home, they can give the bobby pins to their significant other or family member as a souvenir from the Faire. I expect that most would be puzzled by randomly being given a single bobby pin - which will allow the gift giver an opportunity to explain that it was 3d printed just for them.</p><p>And maybe it could also be used as a way to start the “So I've been thinking about buying a printer…” conversation.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4>Home Users:</h4><p>For home users I wanted to design a print that was simple and super fast. Something that didn't need supports, had no overhangs, and was pretty certain to be successful as a first print.&nbsp;</p><p>My experience with family members that are not into tech stuff is that they have a hard time understanding how machines like 3d printers work and what they do. This print is only 7 minutes long which is short enough for them to sit and watch it being made right before their eyes from start to finish.</p><p>I also thought it would be nice for dads (and moms!) to make these with their daughters. Most 3d printers look kind of intimidating (at least in my opinion). It is a good thing to show young girls that this technology is for them too and that they can use it to make anything they want. And maybe they will wear them to school the next day and tell the other kids about how they 3d printed them with their dad.</p><p>+++++++++++++</p><h4>Build Tips:</h4><p>Standard bobby pins are approximately 2 inches long (51 mm) so please be sure to check the dimensions of your print files before printing.</p>