With my final design, I was able to reach out to experts for user testing. I had a great conversation with David Craige, a lighting designer based in Telluride, CO. Overall he really liked the design. He said he loved its natural and organic shape, and liked how each individual lamp could be generated as a unique piece. He also liked how the translucency of the PLA material allows for interesting shadow lines to form as the light from the bulb filters through the structure. Although he had some concerns about the thermal properties of PLA. Even with a low energy LED bulb, the fixture will have to withstand a significant amount of heat, which PLA is not well equipped for. The same properties that make it easy to 3d print also make it susceptible to damage with prolonged exposure to heat. He suggested that future iterations of the lamp use a cast material that could be mass produced more easily, as well as perform better thermally. He also suggested using insulating dowels of either aluminum or heat resistant plastic to bridge across between the PLA cover and the light socket itself. He explained how one of the biggest hurdles in commercializing a design is to get it approved for fire and safety considerations, and this would be something I would need to consider if I wanted to sell this design as a product.
He also suggested that this design could be made in a variety of sizes and configurations. For example, it could easily be made into a floor lamp. Or many individual prints could be combined in a sphere shape to make a large, ballroom style fixture. Overall he was very impressed with the design and wanted to follow up with me after I graduate to discuss working with his manufacturing contacts to make it into a more commercial design.
David was the only expert I was able to interview, but I was able to ask other people for their thoughts on it. These people mostly consist of my roommates and friends that visit our house.