Say hello to Tijs, Our New Community Manager

With over 10 years at Shapeways, Tijs brings deep 3D printing knowledge, passion for design, and a real love for helping creators thrive.

From Shapeways to Thangs

Tijs joined Shapeways over a decade ago, starting in the distribution center before leading multiple production teams. Along the way, he built up expert knowledge of 3D printing materials and tech — and always jumped into events, workshops, and marketing projects just for fun.

“I actually started out as a Shapeways customer,” he said. “I placed my first order almost a year before joining the team — and hundreds more since.”

What He’s Most Excited About

At Thangs, Tijs is excited to work directly with designers:
“Just helping out any designer to be successful, regardless of what they are designing for. It is rewarding to enable somebody to be successful, grow their business and improve their designs.”

He’s also hoping to bring his love of cars into the mix: “I would love to work on some car-themed projects, and to join some events to meet the community and chat about all things 3D printing.”

On Why 3D Design Stays Inspiring

“The creativity from designers all over the world. It is so accessible to anyone now” Tijs said. “You can create new designs without having to be an engineer, without up front investments and without the need for serious training. This all means that anyone can design something, and that brings in so many new perspectives, cultures, use cases etc.”

Even after seeing thousands of prints, Tijs said “I still get surprised by a completely new approach or design. New creative designs just keep coming.”

A Maker, Too

Tijs has been designing functional prints for years. “I do design parts myself, but I am in no way an expert. Only recently I started learning Fusion360 and everything I’ve designed and printed so far has been made in Tinkercad. I am pretty good at finding all the workarounds in Tinkercad now though, haha!”

Tijs really appreciates the ability to make his own replacement parts and see them actually work. “It is very satisfying to see that success.”

A Few Fun Facts

Tijs has a long list of hobbies. “I like cars, both real ones and scale models, but I also like interior design, specifically mid-century modern and space age stuff. I’ve collected and restored really cool lamps from that era.” he shared. He grows hot peppers on his balcony, goes to heavy metal shows most weeks… and is also a huge Taylor Swift fan.

“I basically like to nerd out about anything and everything.”

Tijs is already jumping into the Thangs community — cheering on designers, supporting Makes, and helping shape what’s next.

Welcome to the team, Tijs!

Designer in Focus

From 3DWorkbench to FORMAStudios, Juri Pranjic continues to show just how playful and versatile 3D design can be. Here are some of our favorite dopamine decor picks from his collection.

Join our Thangs Discord community to chat with your team (say hello to John and Tijs!) and share your feedback!

Also, remember to include @Thangs3D in your social media posts. Posts with this tag receive an automatic boost from Thangs Marketing, enhancing your engagement at no extra cost.