Additive manufacturing (AM) provides engineers with nearly unlimited design freedom, but how much do they take advantage of that freedom? The objective is to understand what factors influence a designer’s creativity and performance in Design for Additive Manufacturing (DFAM). Inspired by the popular Marshmallow Challenge, this exploratory study proposes a framework in which participants apply their DFAM skills in sketching, CAD modeling, 3D-Printing, and a part testing task. Risk attitudes are assessed through the Engineering Domain-Specific Risk-Taking (E-DOSPERT) scale, and prior experiences are captured by a self-report skills survey. Multiple regression analysis found that the average novelty of the participant’s ideas, engineering degree program, and risk seeking preference were statistically significant when predicting the performance of their ideas in AM. This study provides a common framework for AM educators to assess students’ understanding and creativity in DFAM, while also identifying student risk attitudes when conducting an engineering design task.