The 3D Printed Unfinished Vase

Designer Kazuya Koike, the founder of design studio Doogdesign, typically uses a 3D printer to prototype work during the design process, but his friend suggested him to use the same 3D printer to make a real object. This is how the Unfinished Vase collection was born.

“Since I use 3D printer quite often to make prototype models in my creation, I have sometimes been said by my friends visited me why don’t I make a real product with this machine.“

Normally, when objects are created for purchase, they are usually made on a high-end 3D printing machine and not the budget model residing in the Doogdesign office.

Instead of looking down on the quality of the product, the designer flipped the script and used it to his advantage, resulting in the Unfinished vase.

“I came up to the idea it might be very interesting if I dare to take this unconfirmed quality as an advantage. And the unfinished vase was born.“

The vases resemble an upside-down funnel with the spout open to hold flowers. Each vase reveals an opening that the 3D left unfinished and has a glass dish to add water.

“You can pour water and stick the cleaning brush for washing etc… in the unfinished part of the vase. The 3D printer I used to create this is starting to build this product by stacking material a bit by bit from the bottom. So all starts from the very bottom and the glass plate/cup is inserted (by my hand) while the process of this stacking job, and then it will be all completed when the flower inlet has built.

After several times of trials and errors, I reached the idea of warming the glass plate up before it inserts not to make the material deformed in the process. Also, I may say I’ve got the craftsman’s skill of an appropriate timing to insert the glass plate.”