Duc Tran was the driving force behind the foundation of 3D Print Design Studio FormByte. The team of Vietnamese 3D print designers has formed just last year, but their work has already gained a lot of traction and interest in the industry. Their unique, visually impeccable designs continue to conquer people's hearts and wallets, so we decided to chat with Duc about their best design practices and future plans. Some really deep philosophical thoughts are being shared in the interview, so put on your thinking hat. Just kidding. It's all fun.
Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you got into the 3D industry?
Hello, CGtrader! My name is Duc Tran. I'm an architect in Vietnam. I use some 3D softwares in my work and this gives me an opportunity to be acquainted with 3D industry. In 2013, I read an article on internet about 3D printing and was interested in this technology. After doing some research, I created several 3D printable designs and uploaded to sell them on 3D printing marketplaces such as CGTrader, Sculpteo, Shapeways, etc. About a month later, some of my designs sold and I was very excited with the first little reward, which somehow brought me into the 3d industry. In August last year, with some support from BTIC, a started a company in Vietnam, I teamed up with my friends to found FORMBYTE. Since then we have been working together to create many 3D printable designs.
What kind of research process do you have?
Our research process starts from our observations, then design ideas will come from connecting different views. We (FORMBYTE) work together to learn from each other. We highly respect others' opinions. This team-working process is extremely helpful not only for developing the design, but also generating more ideas or finding solutions to tackle technical problems. The design process will be carried out by sketching up the idea, 3d modeling the object, and optimizing the model structure for 3d printing. Then the prototype will be 3d printed for testing to make sure the final product is coming out without any mistakes. Final works are photographing (or rendering), making descriptions and then uploading to sell on marketplaces.
How do you market your products? Can you share some tips and tricks?
Honestly, we have to admit that we haven't done this job well. So far, we've been introducing our works on 3D marketplaces and posting some images of our designs on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter. Some 3D marketplaces such as CGTrader, Pinshape, Cults3D try to help us with marketing and we appreciate their promotions. We have no tricks in this job. We come from Vietnam with no connections, so the only way we could get noticed is winning in competitions.
What do you enjoy most about working in 3D industry?
The most enjoyable thing about working in 3D industry is that you have no limits for your creations. If we compare 3D industry with other creative industries such as architecture, for example. Architecture puts the designer in the constraints of construction techniques, investment budgets, planning policies, clients' tastes, and responsibility for safety or even political attitudes of governors. In 3D world, everything is possible and the designer is free to create anything he or she can imagine.
What's the hardest thing being a professional 3D designer?
The hardest thing being a professional 3D designer is to keep up-to-date with 3D technologies. We all know how fast technologies change and develop, and so it is with 3D, which is one of the fastest changing industries.
What software do you use?
Currently, we use 3DS Max, AutoCad, Sketchup, and Rhinoceros.
What are you working on next?
We will create designs which mostly target 3d printing technology. Things that only 3d printing can make. Let's see how far we can go :)
Please finish the following sentences (being as honest as you can : )
My greatest inspiration is…nature. I've learnt a lot from the Mother Nature.
I abandon some of my works because… I realize their infeasibility.
When I catch myself procrastinating, I… narrow down my targets to keep focused on the most important ones while having more time to figure out the cause, which holds me back. There must be some problem, which needs to be tackled before I could move forward.
I'm most productive when… I have only one thing to do.
I take a break from my work when… I feel like I'm hitting a wall. A break gives me a chance to break through it later.
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