GENERATIVE DESIGN & 3D PRINTING. Complex geometries for customised production

Contemporary design is undergoing a profound transformation, determined by the increasingly close integration between generative design and additive manufacturing. This contribution examines how these tools redefine the design process towards adaptive, efficient and customisable solutions. Central to this approach is the use of complex lattice structures, with a focus on Digital Foam: algorithmically generated internal geometries that integrate form and performance in response to specific data and constraints. The validity of this approach is demonstrated through a case study in the footwear sector, which highlights the transferability of these methodologies to agile manufacturing contexts, such as SMEs, proposing a scalable operational model for the adoption of generative design. Thus emerges a new design culture, where variability is coded as a resource and the product becomes a targeted and dynamic response to the needs of the user and the market.