Fans Between Categories: Boundary Work of Making Fanart in the 3D Model Sharing Platform Sketchfab

Abstract

3D model sharing platforms have become significant yet still evolving spaces where diverse communities share, circulate and interpret digital models online. These platforms are widely used by creative industries and cultural heritage institutions, but they are also increasingly populated by fans who adapt them for their own purposes. Within the norms and regulations of professional standards set by the creative industry, platforms create a set of affordances and limitations that allow creative individuals to find alternative ways to gain visibility through acts of making and sharing. This chapter examines Sketchfab as a case study, focusing on how fans navigate its categories, tags, licencing options and visibility features. Using a dataset of 7,729 models tagged as ‘fanart’, this chapter demonstrates how fans utilise hybrid tagging systems, employ Creative Commons licences and engage with curation features such as staff picks to showcase their work. As a theoretical framework, these sharing practices exemplify boundary work, as fans operate within a multidisciplinary environment of digital platforms. By highlighting metadata practices as acts of fandom, this chapter emphasises the intersection of fan studies and design research to demonstrate how participatory culture and platform features influence creative labour within the socio-technical system of this platform.