Ann Marie Shillito (United Kingdom) - Designer

Brooch 3D printed in multicolour polymer

Ann Marie Shillito, MDesRCA: designer maker/jeweller, living and working in Scotland. She began designing digitally in 2D in 1990 in order to laser cut her refractory metals, titanium and niobium. Eight years later she moved to learning 3D Computer Aided Designing (CAD) for 3D printing. Frustrated with standard CAD programmes she became a research fellow in 1999 at Edinburgh College of Art to investigate why she struggled with it and to then research systems more suited to how designer makers work. Haptic technology proved pretty good for designing digitally in 3D. Haptics means touch: in this context, using a force feedback device to not only feel virtual things three dimensionally but also to navigate three dimensionally..

She co-founded software development company, Anarkik3D, specialising in affordable haptic 3D modelling software which is easy, quick and enjoyable to learn and use. Ann Marie uses ‘Anarkik3DDesign’ to design her own jewellery collections. Her digital models are 3D printed in various materials, ranging from paper and polyamides to steel and titanium, all hand finished at the bench.

She is the author of the book: ‘Digital Craft: Industrial Technologies for Applied Artists and Designer Makers’ and runs masterclasses on using Anarkik3DDesign.

Paper necklace: beads 3D printed in multicolours in paper

Purple bud necklace, 3D printed in polyamide and dyed.

AMS Variations ring series prototyping. 3D printed in different materials (Paper, polyamide, sandstone, steel).