Rachel Dickey

Harvard University, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Rachel Dickey is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of digital fabrication, material science, and design theory. Her work fundamentally challenges deterministic approaches to 3D printing, exploring how material indeterminacy can be harnessed as a creative force rather than a limitation. In her seminal paper "Objects of Rotation" (2014, 4 citations), Dickey established foundational concepts for understanding how rotational fabrication techniques can produce unexpected formal and structural properties. Her most influential contribution, "Soft Additive Fabrication Processes: Material Indeterminacy in 3D Printing" (2019, 2 citations), redefines additive manufacturing by embracing the unpredictable behaviors of soft materials during deposition, opening new pathways for adaptive, responsive structures. Though her citation counts are modest, Dickey's work is highly regarded among specialists for its conceptual rigor and practical implications. She has been recognized for bridging craft traditions with computational design, and her research continues to inspire a generation of designers and engineers seeking to move beyond rigid, predetermined fabrication paradigms toward more fluid, material-driven processes.