With the wondrous digital fabrication technique that is multimaterial 3D printing, product designers can create one-piece mockups of complicated objects:

Educators can commission incredibly detailed teaching aids:

Industrial designer Jiani Zeng and computational designer Honghao Deng, however, see in multimaterial printing an untapped ability: Lenticularity. To demonstrate its potential, they've printed a series of objects collectively known as Illusory Material:

"The technique used relies on several different functioning layers of material, with information embedded into each three-dimensional pixel to create interactive objects. The designs consist of two basic layers: the top layer with lenticular lenses, and the colors or pattern embedded into a base layer. The technique can be used to create a variety of 3D lenticular designs, such as shifting patterns, interactive written content, and even touch-sensitive visual effects."

"Nseen, a truly minimalist perfume bottle, appears entirely transparent, but when viewed from a particular angle, essential information about the contents can be read."

"Loopop, a prototype for lollipop moulds, provides textural experiences and colour that can only be created with a digital skin suggestive of the possibilities for play in the food industry and ability to bring digital experience into the physical world."

"Unream is a sculptural lamp that demonstrates the possibilities for furniture and interior designers."

Illusory Material from Jiani Zeng on Vimeo.

For their efforts, the duo won a 2020 Core77 Design Award in the Strategy & Research category.