  Despite the increasing availability of personal fabrication hardware and
services, the true potential of digital fabrication remains unrealized due to
lack of computational techniques that can support 3D shape design by
non-experts. This work develops computational methods that address two key
aspects of content creation:(1) Function-driven design synthesis, (2) Design
assessment.
  For design synthesis, a generative shape modeling algorithm that facilitates
automatic geometry synthesis and user-driven modification for non-experts is
introduced. A critical observation that arises from this study is that the most
geometrical specifications are dictated by functional requirements. To support
design by high-level functional prescriptions, a physics based shape
optimization method for compliant coupling behavior design has been developed.
In line with this idea, producing complex 3D surfaces from flat 2D sheets by
exploiting the concept of buckling beams has also been explored. Effective
design assessment, the second key aspect, becomes critical for problems in
which computational solutions do not exist. For these problems, this work
proposes crowdsourcing as a way to empower non-experts in esoteric design
domains that traditionally require expertise and specialized knowledge.
