UK Startup fiilo Plans to Deliver 3D Printed Planters and Minimalist Lifestyle Products

As 3D printing becomes less expensive and the technology becomes more accessible to designers and businesspeople, both of those groups are seeking ways to bring products and ideas to customers via what might be called “consumer direct d-manufacturing.”

Now a London-based startup, fiilo, plans to launch a line of geometric and faceted planters this Saturday, March 14, with that sort of business model in mind. The call themselves a “minimalist contemporary lifestyle brand,” and they plan to manufacture a line of stylized products which are exclusively 3D printed. Sam Dickie, co-founder of fiilo, says the time has come for a revolution in how consumer products are built and delivered to customers.

Dickie is an environmental consultant who is currently working on large scale urban regeneration schemes based in London. He’s the founder of the Sustainable Glasgow Project, an environmental social enterprise to introduce innovative projects aimed at improving the environment.

“3D printing seems like a technology on-which the future of consumer products will be built, that said, it still exists in somewhat of a vacuum,” Dickie says. “With fiilo, we aim to break down barriers and excite people with beautiful products and exceptional customer service.”

The idea is that, by making the customer experience as simple as possible, fiilo will offer them the opportunity to either order a “print” online and have their product delivered, or as an alternative, order a product in digital form and print it out at home if they already own a 3D printer.

Co-founder Euan Plater says integrating 3D printing and the ordering process were key to the company’s process.

“It was important for us from the start to really consider how 3D printing can best be integrated into the mainstream consumer model: we don’t want it to seem out of reach,” Plater said.

Customers will get a “Tweet” when their product is ready, are the company says they’re looking to create a partnership with a local plant store to offer customers hand delivered plants in a 3D printed planter. While the service is yet to go live, potential customers can sign up online at their website or connect with @fiilo_designs on Twitter or Instagram.

Will you buy a planter from fiilo? Can you think of any other business ideas based on 3D printed products? Let us know in the fiilo 3D Printed Planters and Minimalist Lifestyle Products forum thread on 3DPB.com.