Engineering the user experience in a new category for HP

I was on the team of designers and engineers responsible for all the user touch points and cosmetic parts For HP’s future 3D Print product line. I work side-by-side with the industrial designers and user experience team to understand design intent and ensure the design vision is properly executed. Our most recent product is the HP 300/500 series MJF 3D printers.

HP Multi Jet Fusion Technology. Now in Full Color.

Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) technology creates parts by fusing micron-thin layers of plastic powder, precisely sprayed with specialized agents. Behind the scenes, there are complex, closed-loop subsystems working in sync to monitor and adjust the process, all along the way. 

User Experience + Industrial Design + Engineering

Understanding design intent requires engagement with users and team members early on, testing and architecting in parallel. We tested early and often by focusing on user workflows, using physical and digital simulations rather than fully-integrated, functional prototypes. This enabled us to increase the number of design iterations and allowed us to hone in on the right solution, separate from the prototype builds—which were finite and limited in number due to the high costs of low-volume, prototype manufacturing.

A Range of Materials & Manufacturing Processes

Ultimately, a design needs to be released, manufactured and assembled. I worked on a majority of parts visible to the user, including doors, handles, light pipes, labels, covers and case parts, as well as non-visible assemblies like locks, latches, sensors, brackets and frame members. Each of these parts required tolerance analysis, robust GD&T, and working through DFM/FAI/CPK reports with vendors.

Validation & Testing

Over the life of the machine, the number of printed layers can easily enter into the millions. In addition to the user experience and industrial design team, I worked closely with the firmware, EE, and safety teams to design and engineer the locking and presence-sensing systems for all of the doors and internal panels. All of these systems needed to be characterized and qualified over the life of the machine.

Making it Real: Execution at the Factory

I moved to Singapore with my family for two months to help support the factory production ramp of the product. I was the representative for product design, and worked along side many teams—Operations, Procurement, Quality Assurance, Contract Manufacturing partners—to help deliver the product according to schedule.