--- title: "When functionality lost to design" url: https://www.voxelmatters.com/when-3dprinters-functionality-lost-to-design/ date: 2025-01-11 modified: 2025-01-11 lang: en author: "Pawel Ślusarczyk" description: "The years 2010–2015 were a time of grace for 3D printing, which, freed from the constraints of patents, burst into the world of new technologies with great force and sometimes..." categories: - "3D Printer Hardware" - "Decision Makers" - "Editorials" - "History of 3D Printing" tags: - "Featured" image: https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/When-functionality-lost-to-design-00-PS-640x427.webp word_count: 3271 --- # When functionality lost to design The years 2010–2015 were a time of grace for 3D printing, which, freed from the constraints of patents, burst into the world of new technologies with great force and sometimes with a rather extravagant design. 3D printers were hailed as “the next big thing” and were expected to herald the third industrial revolution, spearheaded by companies specializing in consumer 3D printing. Additive Manufacturing owes its great popularity to affordable 3D printers targeted at individual users. It was this market sector that set the pace for the development of both the technology itself and the industry. Consumer 3D printers were supposed to stand in every home, enabling users to 3D print anything they desired — everyday items, home accessories, gadgets, toys, and spare parts for broken electronic devices. **Everyone is maker — this was the guiding slogan of this movement.** ![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/When-functionality-lost-to-design-01-PS.webp)Source: Pawel Slusarczyk archive Of course, it ultimately didn’t succeed. The first consumer 3D printers were either of poor quality or very demanding to operate, which was beyond the capabilities of the average user. Or both. **The initial run began to lose momentum. Excitement gave way to disappointment.** ![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/When-functionality-lost-to-design-02-PS.webp)Source: Pawel Slusarczyk archive As a result, after 2015, all startups specializing in consumer 3D printing began to fall like flies. The few that survived did so only thanks to a clever pivot to the industrial market. So the great revolution of consumer 3D printing ended as quickly as it began. Its victims were both the investment funds that burned a lot of money on this and the ordinary users who became disillusioned with 3D printing. **But this does not change the fact that those times had their charm and good moments.** One of them was the race towards the best possible design of a 3D printer. Just as some tried to stand out with the quality of work, others with the lowest possible price, there were those who focused mainly on the appearance of the device. This made sense, as the first amateur projects stemming from the RepRap project looked simply awful. ![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/When-functionality-lost-to-design-03-PS.webp)Source: Pawel Slusarczyk archive It was a tangle of wires, screws, and threaded rods, connected by pieces of 3D-printed plastic often in garish, bright colors. Or the casing was laser-cut from plywood. ![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/When-functionality-lost-to-design-04-PS.webp)Source: Pawel Slusarczyk archive Although in those early days the FDM/FFF technology dominated among cheap, desktop 3D printers, the first company to put design on par with functionality was Formlabs — the manufacturer of the photopolymer Form 1 SLA 3D printer. Following them was the industry pioneer MakerBot, who, with the Replicator 2 model, set a high standard for other companies. And then it started… Subsequent manufacturers competed in designs, often overlooking the functional or cost aspects (i.e., adding elements that contributed nothing but aesthetics, driving up the cost of the 3D printer). **So, I invite you on a short journey through time and a review of the best-looking 3D printers of the 2010s…** A few notes about the principles of my ranking: - it is subjective - it does not include the biggest, well-known brands — it promotes companies that never moved beyond the scope of a small startup - the 3D printer had to exist in physical form — renders do not count. And last but not least: except for the 3D printer in first place, I have seen all the others live, and I have personally used half of them! **Let’s go!** ### #10. Robo 3D R1 ![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/When-functionality-lost-to-design-05-PS.webp)Source: Pawel Slusarczyk archive The American [Robo 3D (yes, it's still around)](https://www.voxelmatters.directory/company/robo3d/) was one of the most well-known, low-budget 3D printers on the consumer market. The company’s journey began in February 2013 with a successful Kickstarter campaign, where they raised nearly $650,000 in funding. From the start, the 3D printer was characterized by its (relatively) low price and its original, very distinctive white casing. It was targeted at home users and small businesses wanting to easily and adopt FDM/FFF technology. ![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/When-functionality-lost-to-design-06-PS.webp)Source: Pawel Slusarczyk archive The Robo 3D R1 had a relatively large build volume (25 x 22 x 20.3 cm), contributing to its size. At the same time, it was very light and handy — the casing was made of plastic, and when removed, it revealed a traditional Prusa i2 design. ![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/When-functionality-lost-to-design-07-PS.webp)Source: Pawel Slusarczyk archive This had a significant advantage because it made the R1 a very simple and accessible device to service. I had the opportunity to use the Robo 3D R1 for over three years. I would never have chosen this 3D printer to produce parts, but it was invaluable at all trade shows, events, and conferences promoting 3D printing. **It made a colossal impression on people seeing a 3D printer for the first time.** ![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/When-functionality-lost-to-design-08-PS.webp)Source: Pawel Slusarczyk archive It was really large and aesthetically pleasing, and it glowed with blue or red LEDs. It’s amazing how much a simple plastic casing could achieve, beneath which was a very straightforward construction. ![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/When-functionality-lost-to-design-09-PS.webp)Source: Pawel Slusarczyk archive The subsequent models — C2 and R2 looked even better, but it was the debut R1 that became the company’s hallmark. Besides, C2 and R2 entered the market when Robo 3D underwent significant organizational changes, eventually blurring the lines between the 3D printing and education sectors. ### #9. Leapfrog Creatr ![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/When-functionality-lost-to-design-10-PS.webp)Source: Leapfrog press release [Leapfrog (also still around)](https://www.voxelmatters.directory/company/leapfrog/), alongside Ultimaker and FelixRobotics, was part of “The Big Dutch Three” that laid the foundations of European 3D printing. Its debut 3D printer — the Leapfrog Creatr, was a large, majestic machine that stood out from the competition with its sturdy metal construction. It might not seem impressive today, but its biggest competitor at the time — Ultimaker — had a plywood casing… Leapfrog really made a difference! The massive, white structure with a beautiful design and a large colorful logo on the front looked like Apple products compared to other 3D printers. The device had a build volume of 20 x 27 x 23 cm and came with one or two print heads. ![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/When-functionality-lost-to-design-11-PS.webp) Leapfrog never achieved the same level of success as its local rival (Ultimaker), but for many years it remained among the most popular European 3D printer manufacturers. Its debut Creatr set new standards in the design of such devices. 3D printers no longer just had to print — they had to look good too… ### #8. be3D DeeGreen ![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/When-functionality-lost-to-design-12-PS.webp)Source: Pawel Slusarczyk archive It may seem unbelievable today, but the first Czech manufacturer to achieve global success in the 3D printing market was not Prusa Research… **It was [be3D](https://www.voxelmatters.directory/company/be3d/).** The company’s international career began in the fall of 2013 at the 3D Printshow in London and Euromold in Frankfurt, where it garnered significant interest with its debut compact 3D printer, the DeeOrange. Over the next year, the company introduced two more 3D printers — the DeeGreen, which replaced the DeeOrange, and the semi-professional DeeRed. Then, it set out to conquer the USA, and in November 2014, it received $2 million in funding from the domestic IT company YSoft. Then it completely sold out, and its trace vanished… Let’s go back to the 3D printer… ![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/When-functionality-lost-to-design-13-PS.webp)Source: Pawel Slusarczyk archive The DeeGreen was a large, compact machine with a fully enclosed design made of sheet metal and plastic. It consisted of two parts: a larger section occupying about two-thirds of the device’s surface, which housed the printing chamber and filament guide system, and a smaller section containing the filament. The casing was very aesthetic and professional — it had two pairs of magnetically closed doors: at the front providing access to the working chamber, and on the right side, providing access to the filament. The top cover of the device, featuring a large printed be3D logo, was also removable, providing access to all the mechanisms of the 3D printer. ![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/When-functionality-lost-to-design-14-PS.webp)Source: Pawel Slusarczyk archive Unfortunately, the DeeGreen printed exclusively with PLA and, despite its large size, had a very small build volume of 15 x 15 x 15 cm. Moreover, it was equipped with a range of great features for its time: automatic bed leveling with a magnetically mounted worktable, an illuminated working chamber, a fully colored touch display, and a MicroSD card. ### #7. CEL Robox ![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/When-functionality-lost-to-design-15-PS.webp)Source: Pawel Slusarczyk archive CEL Robox is an example of a 3D printer where all the effort went into design, leaving little for technological considerations. In terms of appearance, it looked stunning from the start. It was the first 3D printer that, at first glance, resembled a desktop paper printer. Identical size, identical shape. The idea was for it to have identical ease of use. **Well, that part didn’t work out at all…** ![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/When-functionality-lost-to-design-16-PS.webp)Source: Pawel Slusarczyk archive CEL Robox was another Kickstarter star. The small, compact 3D printer by the British company C Enterprise Ltd. raised £280,891 in December 2013, nearly three times the requested amount. What set it apart from other similar devices was a range of unique features characteristic of solutions found in professional Stratasys-class machines. A closed (though not heated) working chamber, an innovative dual print head system, chipped dedicated filament, proprietary, super intuitive software, and the ability to 3D print at a layer height of just 20 microns (0.02 mm). And all this for just £999. Unfortunately, it quickly became apparent that Kickstarter promises are one thing, and reality is another… CEL Robox was undoubtedly one of my biggest disappointments in working with 3D printers. ![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/When-functionality-lost-to-design-17-PS.webp)Source: Pawel Slusarczyk archive Using it, I had my first serious dilemma about which model to test, as practically everything I printed on the Robox came out poorly… or not at all. There is a real possibility that the unit I had was simply defective — the multitude of problems I experienced while using the 3D printer was extraordinary, which, in the context of very positive articles about it on various industry sites, left me confused and embarrassed. Robox was a 3D printer full of contradictions — on one hand, it had truly fantastic features that made working with it very easy, but on the other hand, those same features ruined prints, ultimately making it unusable. ![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/When-functionality-lost-to-design-18-PS.webp)Source: Pawel Slusarczyk archive It was a very small and lightweight device, which unfortunately was reflected in its rather small build volume (21 x 15 x 10 cm). A big plus was the way the 3D printer was packaged, as well as the range of accessories and gadgets included. It was the only device of its kind that, in addition to a very solid tool kit, came with a branded jacket, fleece, and even a special fabric bag for easy transport! ### #6. flexFORM ![Top 10 desktop 3D printers from the past, when design and appearance became bigger priorities than performance](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/When-functionality-lost-to-design-19-PS.webp)Source: 3D Proto Over the years, many comet-like companies have flashed through the industry. They appeared, shone brightly, amazed everyone, and then… disappeared forever. Such a company was the Polish 3D Proto and its 3D printer, flexFORM. FlexFORM was, on the one hand, a very nicely packaged Prusa i2, but on the other hand, both the design was beautiful, and the additional features were interesting. ![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/When-functionality-lost-to-design-20-PS.webp)Source: Pawel Slusarczyk archive The structure was made of openwork sheet metal, CNC cut and powder-coated. It was truly very solid. The 3D printer was equipped with a compartment at the bottom for inserting filaments. It was operated via a tablet and an Android app (in 2014!). The whole setup was fancifully illuminated in red. ![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/When-functionality-lost-to-design-21-PS.webp)Source: 3D Proto The 3D printer did not stand the test of time and, just as it suddenly appeared, it suddenly disappeared. But it looked phenomenal. ### #5. Zmorph ![Top 10 desktop 3D printers from the past, when design and appearance became bigger priorities than performance](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/When-functionality-lost-to-design-23-PS.webp)Source: Pawel Slusarczyk archive [Zmorph (yep, still hangin' on)](https://www.voxelmatters.directory/company/zmorph3d/) was one of the first and most important 3D printers made in Poland. Moreover, it was one of the first multifunctional devices in the world, combining 3D printing, CNC milling, laser engraving, and even 3D printing with clay, dough, or silicone! ![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/When-functionality-lost-to-design-22-PS.webp)Source: Pawel Slusarczyk archive Although, like the previously mentioned flexFORM, it was also based on the Prusa i2 design, in terms of functionality, Zmorph surpassed it and its Czech predecessor. A distinctive feature of Zmorph was the subtly curved, lift-up covers made of transparent plexiglass. These protected the user from material chips during CNC milling and from gases emitted during laser engraving. ![Top 10 desktop 3D printers from the past, when design and appearance became bigger priorities than performance](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/When-functionality-lost-to-design-24-PS.webp)Source: Pawel Slusarczyk archive The machine was very solid and durable despite its key structural elements being 3D printed! Over the years, Zmorph went through many iterations and generations, which increased its functionality and performance. The latest version — Zmorph Fab, was the most refined of all, combining all the best features of its predecessors. ![Top 10 desktop 3D printers from the past, when design and appearance became bigger priorities than performance](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/When-functionality-lost-to-design-25-PS.webp)Source: Pawel Slusarczyk archive Unfortunately, the company never met the financial and revenue expectations of its investors throughout its career. Ultimately, in 2022, it was sold to another Polish company — Sygnis, which buried it in oblivion within less than two years. Today, Zmorph — one of the most important companies for the Polish 3D printing industry, is suspended in limbo. ### #4. Buccaneer ![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/When-functionality-lost-to-design-27-PS.webp)Source: Kickstarter Buccaneer is one of the most embarrassing campaigns in the history of Kickstarter. In mid-2013, an unknown company from Singapore, [Pirate3D (not around)](https://www.voxelmatters.directory/wp-admin/post.php?post=1035&action=edit), announced that it intended to release a beautiful, low-budget 3D printer using FFF technology for the incredibly low price of $347. Not only did the 3D printer look amazing compared to other devices of that time, but it was also supposed to communicate via a smartphone over WiFi and be the most automated and easiest-to-use 3D printer in the world. The Kickstarter campaign was a mere formality — the requested $100,000 was raised within 10 minutes of the campaign launch. Ultimately, the Singaporeans ended the fundraising with an impressive result of $1,438,765, which was then the fourth-best result in the history of Kickstarter in the technology category and the second “most expensive” 3D printer after The Form 1. After this spectacular success, the Pirates remained silent for a long time… And a year later, it was practically over… ![Top 10 desktop 3D printers from the past, when design and appearance became bigger priorities than performance](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/When-functionality-lost-to-design-28-PS.webp)Source: Pawel Slusarczyk archive Not only were the delays in delivering the finished devices absurdly long, but it turned out that Buccaneer, despite its beautiful packaging and fantastic appearance, printed poorly, or more often, not at all. In October 2015, the company’s CEO, Brendan Goh, announced that the company was unable to deliver most of the Kickstarter orders because it ran out of cash… ![Top 10 desktop 3D printers from the past, when design and appearance became bigger priorities than performance](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/When-functionality-lost-to-design-29-PS.webp)Source: Pawel Slusarczyk archive I have a lot of sentiment for this 3D printer because it started my journalism career in the additive manufacturing industry over 11 years ago. Thanks to publications about it, my portal — Centrum Druku 3D, gained recognition, and I became known. At the beginning — like most — I believed in the Buccaneer. It was a valuable lesson. ![Top 10 desktop 3D printers from the past, when design and appearance became bigger priorities than performance](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/When-functionality-lost-to-design-30-PS.webp)Source: Pawel Slusarczyk archive Years later, I managed to see it live for the first time. It was already in poor condition because it had been used for a while, but it worked. It looked much better in photos than in reality, but still good. ### #3. HotRod Henry ![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/When-functionality-lost-to-design-31-PS.webp)Source: Kickstarter With the third entry on the list, we moved to a group of 3D printers where functionality was truly secondary—design was all that mattered. The Polish company Aye Aye Labs (no longer around) and their 3D printer, the large-format HotRod Henry, are something we will likely never see again. What can be said about a 3D printer whose most important feature is its appearance, resembling a 1950s refrigerator? ![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/When-functionality-lost-to-design-32-PS.webp)Source: Pawel Slusarczyk archive It comes in a dozen different colors and serves more as an interior decor piece than a factory machine-producing parts. ![Top 10 desktop 3D printers from the past, when design and appearance became bigger priorities than performance](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/When-functionality-lost-to-design-33-PS.webp)Source: Kickstarter The people behind the company artistically approached 3D printing, and it’s a great pity that they didn’t achieve greater success. ### #2. BEETHEFIRST ![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/When-functionality-lost-to-design-34-PS.webp)Source: BEEVERYCREATIVE press release BEETHEFIRST was a stylish 3D printer with an elegant, compact casing created by the Portuguese company [BEEVERYCREATIVE (no longer around, unfortunately, at least not as an indep)](https://www.voxelmatters.directory/company/beeverycreative/). It debuted in the fall of 2013, first at a trade fair in its native Portugal and shortly thereafter at the prestigious 3D Printshow in London. It caused a real sensation at both venues, reportedly generating two thousand orders. Functionally, the 3D printer was quite weak. It lacked a heated bed, meaning it could only use PLA, and it had a relatively small build area of 19 cm x 13.5 cm x 12.5 cm. The filament spool was also placed inside the build chamber, which was more of a hindrance than a convenience. ![Top 10 desktop 3D printers from the past, when design and appearance became bigger priorities than performance](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/When-functionality-lost-to-design-35-PS.webp)Source: BEEVERYCREATIVE press release But none of that mattered because BEETHEFIRST simply looked phenomenal. It is one of the best-designed 3D printers in the history of consumer 3D printing. Best designed in terms of appearance — not functionality! Two interesting facts: - the founder of the company - Diogo Quental, has been managing the European branch of Raise3D for seven years - BEEVERYCREATIVE is now part of a team created by the European Space Agency, working on a “space 3D printer” that uses a conveyor belt in its operation. ### #1. Rapide 3D https://youtu.be/-htjL4Fogck Let me put it this way: Rapide 3D is the best-looking 3D printer in the history of 3D printing, but the rest of its story is so complicated and confusing that its appearance is the only thing justifying its presence on this list. It’s the only 3D printer on the list that I haven’t seen in person — only in photos and videos. In fact, I don’t know if anyone besides its creators actually used it. I don’t know if it worked. It seems like it did, but there’s too little source material to confirm that 100%. **But it looked amazing.** ![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/When-functionality-lost-to-design-36-PS.webp)Source: Rapide3D The design resembled the DeLorean from Back to the Future. The side doors to the build chamber lifted upwards like in that iconic car. It made no sense, but it looked cool. No one before (or since) has dared to create such an original design. ![Top 10 desktop 3D printers from the past, when design and appearance became bigger priorities than performance](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/When-functionality-lost-to-design-37-PS.webp)Source: Rapide3D There were many reasons for this — the solutions presented were beautiful but completely non-functional. The device’s dimensions were disproportionate to its build area. Moreover, the construction required the use of many expensive details that were unnecessary from the perspective of a 3D printer. ![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/When-functionality-lost-to-design-38-PS.webp)Source: Rapide3D Regardless, Rapide 3D appeared and disappeared like many other such devices over the years. At least, that’s what I thought… The story of this 3D printer is as unusual as it is unbelievable. It combines elements of low-budget 3D printer crowdfunding campaigns, innovative phones, and… the famous disappearance of a Malaysia Airlines flight in March 2014. How can all this be connected? It was accomplished by an Australian living in Hong Kong, who went by the rather unique name of Ethan Hunt. He regularly created campaigns on crowdfunding platforms — particularly favoring Indiegogo — where products never reached the backers or didn’t work as described. Rapide 3D was one of those products. There is a very complicated and confusing story behind this, which I do not want to mention here. Let’s stick with this phenomenal 3D printer! ![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/When-functionality-lost-to-design-39-PS.webp)