In our profession, we don’t talk too much about failures. One often gets the impression that all design projects run smoothly and the result satisfies everyone involved. I would like to show you a project here that was well thought out in terms of its idea or intention, but failed completely when it was implemented. 

In March 2021 found an old paint roller at a flea market that is used to paint patterns on walls. A simple technique with which you can cheaply replace wallpaper. However, I thought instead of using the old traditional roll, it would certainly be interesting to 3D print a cooler and modern one. At that time I was living in Görlitz, Eastern Germany, where I could use the creative labs of the Rabryka cultural center. The first draft of the 3D roll had too many elements that were too fine and the green material was way too hard. Accordingly, I was not satisfied when applying the color. I ordered a softer and more elastic material. To save time I just printed out one thin plate and wrapped it around a wooden roll.

The result was better but not really satisfactory. Then I thought of 3D printing a stamp instead of a roller, since the pressure is greater when pressing than when rolling. But the material was not suitable for this either. To be honest, the result was miserable. Finally I gave up. As mentioned, the idea is certainly interesting, but the implementation just required more work, which I wasn’t willing to do. Sometimes you just have to do things to find that they don’t work. And no work is for nothing. You never know when I might revisit this idea or when it might be worth exploring again.