A STAND DESIGN FOR MX3D @FORMNEXT

Dec 1

Experiential Design

Project Management

BOLD, INDUSTRIAL, AND ADAPTABLE — the design for MX3D’s stand at FormNext, the leading international trade fair for additive manufacturing, had to match the impact of the technology that would be on display. MX3D is a leader in metal 3D printing technology. Based in Amsterdam, they have been on the cutting edge of innovating ways to bring WAAM (Wire Arc Manufacturing) to their industrial partners.

During my internship, I translated MX3D’s product line into a bespoke stand design and a series of animated shorts. With limited space, MX3D wanted a look that would stand out from other more sterile looks of competitors at FormNext. The answer was to lean into METAL.

BOLD, INDUSTRIAL, ADAPTABLE

Walking into the booth evoked the sensation of watching a WAAM system in action. Visitors to MX3D’s stand in 2022 found themselves walking through an arena of equipment housed in steel walls made of welded industrial piping and expanded mesh; all of which was illuminated by neon or flashes of welding videos on a massive video wall.

PROCESS

Defining early on that it was important to deliver a varying depth of information based on a visitor’s time in the stand led to the decision to bring the large video wall to the front. The video wall also provided a physical representation of the depth of information a viewer was getting. The wall defined an “inside” and “outside” of the stand which could entice a passerby to venture further to see what was out of view from the aisle.

The final stand was the result of a highly iterative process (over two dozen versions) that was aided by hand sketching, CAD in Rhino and Fusion360, and renders. Since the stand was essentially produced in-house, there were limited resources and time.

It was necessary to consider these limitations at every step of the process and create a priority list of features and goals early in the process as a guide for decision-making.

Rhino renders of the final booth concept

MODULARITY FOR LONGEVITY

MX3D is on its 5th consecutive showing at FormNext as of 2024. Depending on the year, they may be provided spaces that vary in size and shape. The bespoke nature of the stand design from 2022 resulted in a large amount of material and design investment in assets that would have to be utilized for several more years. For this reason, physical and digital assets associated with the stand were made to be modular. For instance, the main walls are composed of reconfigurable 3-meter tall units that can be used to mount any decorative elements (lighting, signage, and print samples).