Work / 2018 ·Aalborg University

Subjective Quality Perception of 3D Printed Objects

An exploratory study into which physical and perceptual characteristics influence how people judge the quality of 3D printed objects — in partnership with Create it REAL.

Role
Researcher
Year
2018
Organisation
Aalborg University
Expert Panel TrainingConsumer TestingSensory AnalysisExperimental DesignStatistical Analysis

Outcome

Identified a set of physical and perceptual attributes that reliably predict perceived quality, providing Create it REAL with actionable guidance for product quality benchmarking.

3D printing is increasingly used for consumer products — but what makes a printed object feel high quality to the person holding it? This project, conducted in partnership with Create it REAL, explored that question through a rigorous mix of expert evaluation and consumer testing.

The research questions

  • Which physical characteristics of a 3D printed object (surface finish, layer visibility, weight, rigidity, etc.) drive perceptions of quality?
  • Do trained experts and everyday consumers weight these characteristics similarly?
  • Can a repeatable quality evaluation framework be built from these findings?

Method

We used a two-track approach:

Expert panel (n=5) — recruited and trained a panel of five evaluators in sensory analysis methodology. Panel training involved calibrating shared vocabulary for describing physical attributes, reducing individual bias, and building reliable inter-rater consistency.

Consumer study (n=50) — a broader sample of participants evaluated a set of printed objects, rating perceived quality across multiple dimensions without the structured vocabulary of the expert panel.

Comparing expert and consumer responses revealed where domain knowledge changes perception — and where it doesn’t.

Findings

Surface finish and layer visibility were the dominant drivers of perceived quality for consumers, but experts weighted structural consistency and dimensional accuracy more heavily. The gap between these profiles has direct implications for how manufacturers should prioritise quality control depending on whether a product is end-user facing or functional/industrial.

Why it’s relevant to my practice

This project gave me a rigorous foundation in perception-driven design — understanding that the experience of a designed object isn’t in its spec sheet, it’s in how it’s perceived by a real person holding it. That lens translates directly into UX: what users feel about an interface is as real as what they do with it.

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