The Proposal of a Small-Size Business Model based on a 3D Printer : Focused on Sunglasses for Children

Recognizing the shortage of information about business models to generate profit despite the designers’ recent interest in 3D printers as a new creative tool, this study set out to make sunglasses for young children, which lacked diversity in sizes according to age due to the small market scope under the old mass production system, by taking advantage of 3D printers’ strength in the small batch production of customized products and propose a practical example to be expandable as a small-size business model. For these purposes, the investigator summarized the basic information about the 3D printing technology and the basic structure of sunglasses and made a size table to manufacture sunglasses for young children by analyzing the size table for vision correction. After this series of work, the study presented final product with the production costs and demonstrated that sunglasses for young children made with a 3D printer could be a practical case expandable as a competitive small-size business model in the market.