Desktop Organizer
Defining the Problem
The goal of this project is to design a custom organizer that will help a specific individual stay organized. The most common requests for the design are something that can hold small items like pens and pencils, as well as papers and notebooks. This means that the organizer must have sections large enough to hold 8.5″ x 11″ papers, but also have some smaller compartments. Other restrictions include the size of the desk on which it will sit and the use of 1/4″ plywood to construct it. One of the challenges will be making sure the organizer does not take up too much space on the desk and make the desk dysfunctional.
Interview
What do you think is the biggest challenge that you have in terms of organization?
- Starting; it’s hard for me to start organizing but once I get into, it gets easier. Procrastinating, also.
Describe the current state of your desk right now.
- It has been worse, but I do have a lot of books and papers on it. However I don’t have any trash on it right now, which is good.
Do you find that you have trash on it often?
- Yes, that would be a problem I’m looking to fix.
Describe your ideal desk state.
- No trash, all books in drawers, computer out, pencils neatly arranged on top.
Do you have places for all the stuff on your desk?
- Yes, but I’m too lazy to put them into those places.
What do you think would be most helpful for you as a desktop organizer/what do you think would be most beneficial?
- Something to put my notebooks in that also a has bunch of small compartments because I always have small things lying around and nowhere to put them, such as hair ties, pencils, and rings.
Concept Sketches
Of these sketches, I expect that #3 or #6 will be the most successful for my client, because they both are easy to access and have compartments in a variety of shapes and sizes.#3 is essentially a box with an open front face and little bins on top for pens and pencils. #6 has the same basic box shape, but rather than having the smaller bins, it has a tower on top that holds items vertically. Also, both designs have a special flair (#3- the 3D printed hand, and #6- the Stanley-themed antler ring holder), which I think my client will appreciate.
This is the revised version of my concept sketch that I created after meeting with my client and soliciting feedback. She reviewed all the sketches and selected #3 as the one which would be most useful to her needs. We altered the design a little bit, making it “as tall as a tissue box” and making the palm of the 3D printed hand functional storage space too.
3D Model
This is the constructed version of my 3D model. I will also print out a 3D hand to place in the top large compartment.
Preparing to Cut Cardboard Prototype
The size of the sheets of cardboard that we are cutting from are 30 by 20 inches, and so I made two rectangles that size and laid out my pieces across them.
Cardboard Prototype:
These are photographs of the first cardboard prototype that I made of my desktop organizer. All the joints fit together well, although it’s a little wobbly right now because the cardboard is thinner than the plywood. The only problem with the design is that the compartments on top are too short to fully fit pencils and pens. This is why we make prototypes- to find issues with the design and address them before creating the final project. To fix the length problem, I extended the top compartments by 1/2 inch. I also had to move several joints down so that the pieces will still fit together easily.
Dry Fitting:
After remodeling my cardboard prototype, I printed the pieces out of wood. The next step was to dry fit them together to confirm that every piece is still the right size. Dry fitting is also important because it helps us establish the order that the pieces should go together in. This is what my wooden organizer looked like when it was put together before being sanded and glued.
Sanding: Before and After
3D Hand:
Mr. Brodie helped me scale the 3D hand up to a larger size that can hold jewelry effectively. This is the final product. It will sit on the top of the organizer in the large compartment on the right. It is able to hold rings, necklaces, earrings, and any other miscellaneous items that my client decides to store there.
Final Organizer:
This is the final product of my organizer. I am really happy with how it came together and excited to show it to my client. I think that she will find it very useful for storing her notebooks, pencils, and jewelry. Overall, this project taught me a lot about how to formulate and execute a useful design.
Luminary Process
Step 1: Defining the Problem
We need to design a luminary made of plywood that has a thickness of 0.22″, a height of 22″, and width of 12″. First we have to make concept sketches and select a design for the project. Then we have translate this design into a 3D model using Rhinoceros. We have to create a balance between the positive and negative space in the design. The curves must be large enough for the laser printer to be able to cut them without lighting the plywood on fire. Then, we need to make a light holder for the lamp that will sit inside our luminary. The diameter of the lamp is about 1.484″ and its height is about 0.692″. The lamp holder must be slightly larger than these dimensions so that the lamp can easily be placed in and taken out.
Step 2: Finding Inspiration in Background Research
I started by looking at the window designs of Frank Lloyd Wright. His designs reminded me of a restaurant in London called The Ivy, which has similar geometrical stained glass designs in its architecture. The Ivy was designed by MJ Long. From looking at the designs of MJ Long and thinking about how both she and Frank Lloyd Wright incorporated stained glass, I thought of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The windows in Notre Dame are some of the most vivid and beautiful designs that I have ever seen. The composition of colors and the way that the pieces come together as a sort of mandala or medallion is fascinating. Therefore, I want to channel the same type of thought about color and shape into my concept designs as Notre Dame.
Step 3: Concept Sketches
I selected motifs from stained glass that I saw in pictures of windows from Notre Dame and other cathedrals and then translated those into my concept sketches. On two of the sketches I tried making symmetrical designs, on one I gave each panel a similar design, and on the last sketch I gave each panel a unique design.
Step 4: Final Concept Sketch
I reworked my last concept sketch because I liked the idea of having different designs on every panel that only slightly match each other, but I wanted to make a cleaner version. This is the final design that I will be using as the basis for my 3D model in Rhino.
Step 5: Prototype
The first step in creating the prototype was transferring the final sketch to a 2D model in Rhino. The dimensions used for the design in Rhino had to match the constraints on the size of the luminary (12″ x 24″ x 0.22″). One of the challenges was creating the curves on the panels. After finishing the design, the next step is to extrude it into the 3D prototype. These are screenshots of both the 2D design from the Top view and the 3D prototype from the Perspective view.
Step 6: Designing and Making the Light Holder
We need to make a holder for the light that will sit in the luminary and make it glow. It needs to fit securely in the base of the luminary. To address this, it was recommended that we make a circular base with four support beams around it. The measurement would be the diagonal length of the luminary base. This is the design that I came up with:
Step 7: Sanding cut pieces
It’s important to sand the wooden cutouts so that there is even color on the luminary. There was discolor created originally by the heat of the laser machine. Here is a before and after comparison of one of the sides:
Step 8: Dry Fitting
Dry fitting the wooden cutouts together to check that the joints fit together.
