As a key advantage over conventional manufacturing technologies, 3D printing has the ability to create complexity and variety at no extra cost. This fact indicates the possibility of a mass customization culture in which we personalize designs according to our needs and preferences and fabricate them at home on a 3D printer. But while there is already a thriving market of consumer-level 3D printers, the tools that would empower average users to design 3D-printable content are still largely lacking.

In this talk, I will highlight a number of challenges that arise when creating such tools and illustrate some key concepts on the example of physical characters such as mechanical toys, robotic creatures, and other mechanically-functional models. I will also talk about our work on design tools for physical surfaces such as balloon-like inflatables and structures made from interlocking elements.