Designer Spotlight: Ian Dwyer - Shapeways Blog

Designer Spotlight: Ian Dwyer

April 9, 2015

This week’s designer spotlight features Ian Dwyer of Nvenom8! International TableTop Game day is this weekend so we thought it would be fun to talk to a designer who specializes in a popular game accessory – dice!

What is the inspiration behind your dice?

The first die I ever designed (my elvish D20) was inspired by my own love for tabletop RPG’s like Dungeons & Dragons and my girlfriend’s love for the works of Tolkien. I’ve always felt the elvish writing system from Lord of the Rings was pretty, and was delighted to find that it is actually a working writing system. It was the first design I ever uploaded to Shapeways, and it remains my sentimental favorite.

The real surprise was my “Modern Art D3/3-Sided Die.” I designed it on a whim because the idea came to me in a dream. I think it took about two hours to build a few versions of the model and decide on one that I liked. I uploaded the design and expected nothing from it. It was, after all, a throwaway idea. Imagine my surprise when it almost immediately went super-viral and became my top seller! To this day, I’ve sold more of that die than any other model. There was so much demand on social media that I ended up making a five-piece set using the same aesthetic. I may eventually return to that idea and make a few more.

I try to make dice and other products that I, as a huge nerd, would want to own. The defining characteristic of nerds is that we unapologetically and wholeheartedly love things. They’re my favorite demographic to serve, and my favorite demographic in general. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

What has customer feedback been like?

Tabletop gaming fans are the best, and they seem to like my dice. I get regular PMs about them, and the social media response has been overwhelming. I have even had requests to make certain dice available in precious materials because customers want to give them as jewelry to their significant others. I’ve left these options open, and I still occasionally get orders for them.

When did you realize you had created something really special?

When the “Modern Art D3/3-Sided Die” got huge on social media. I really didn’t see it coming. It was the product that established me as a dice designer, and I wish I could somehow thank the internet as a whole for making it happen.

Can you tell us about your next project?

I’m actually working on some products related to Magic: The Gathering. I don’t want to reveal too much, but let’s just say that you’ll never look at tokens the same way again. My initial designs were rejected for being too delicate, so I’m still very much in the iteration process.

What is your favorite thing about 3D printing?

My favorite thing about 3D printing is how much it has allowed me to translate my ideas into reality. As a person with an active imagination, it’s made me give more credit to the crazy ideas that pop into my head and actually consider modeling them instead of just forgetting about them. I’ve had multiple products originate as late-night musings and scrawled notes on my nightstand.

WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT THIS SHOP:

Thanks, Ian! Keep up the amazing work, can’t wait to see more great dice! Follow along for new product releases and other projects by Ian on Reddit and Facebook.