The Next Wave of E-Commerce Innovation: Shapeways 3D Printing and the Rise of Creative Commerce

We all know that 3D printing is changing the world, radically. But what is it doing for the way we buy and sell things? Check out a piece I wrote for Forbes' Techonomy blog about how the Shapeways community is fueling the rise of creative commerce. Snippet below...

However, e-commerce is likely to go beyond better of the same; it will be different. Looking at creative trends and the emergence of 3D printing communities, we can expect the rise of "creative commerce" (c-commerce).  It will be a shift from a two-sided marketplace (BUY and SELL) to a dynamic makerplace (CREATE, BUY and SELL).

People of all tech backgrounds are already involved in the creation of the content they consume - from music to art to news to video. Take blogging, for example. With easy-to-use tools like WordPress, Tumblr or even Twitter, writing and sharing ideas became easy for everyone. The desire to be involved in a creative process before the purchase extends beyond digital content and into the objects that populate our lives.