Great designs, as well as great products, grab customers at an emotional level first, then at the economic level.

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Designs are signature Otero, curved lines, subtle details combined with artisan-level craftsmanship and hints of technical innovation.

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The presenter mentioned the idea on air and said he was overwhelmed with the level of positive response, with people ringing in to his show and sending in their designs.

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On a narrative level, the picture is refreshingly patient, slowly peeling back the curtain to reveal its grand designs, with neither the need to rush into action or spoil all of its major story beats at one time.

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But for those not yet willing to shell out thousands of dollars for their own home 3D-printer, Shapeways offers another path to bring software models into reality, asking consumers and retailers to upload their designs shipping the results back to them, printed on high-end machines with a level of precision and in materials that no consumer 3D printer can yet achieve.

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