3D Printer Exploration

Empathize:

A problem I have noticed is while video chatting with my friends on FaceTime while my phone is low battery, I am unable to vertically stand it up to face me while it is connected to the charger. Normally I would just hold it with my hand but my arm gets tired and I prefer to multitask while socializing with my peers. Overall, I am trying to help those who enjoy being face to face with peers while being at a distance so both parties can see each others presence without having to worry about a dead phone or a broken charger.

Define:

With access to a 3D printer I think there are few major barriers or limitations. However, with modern phones being greater in size, depending on the printer it may not be able to print it large. Also, if I want to incorporate my idea to more devices there may need to be several variations of the product. I've noticed that a lot of phone holders are just on the tables surface and do not put any space that considers the fact that devices need to be charged sometimes. So overall, I think other designers don't always consider certain ergonomic needs of their buyers.

Brainstorm:

Process:

Result:

Reflection:

I built a phone holder because I've broken so many phone chargers because I would have to balance my phone on them vertically during video chats so my phone wouldn't die mid call. This has costed me lots of money spent on new chargers much more often. Therefore, I wanted to make a vertical phone holder with a space in the middle for the charger to fit. The initial design was pretty simple to come up with since there are many similar products. However, moving it from the computer to the 3D printer did take some more thinking. In the end, I decided to print it in two different pieces then glue them because that seems more practical to me. Overall, I am very happy with my result and I think it turned out exactly how I wanted it. If I were to do this project again, perhaps I could try to create a design that I could print in one piece as opposed to two separate pieces. I think this project was very fun and I am most definitely much more confident with using our schools maker space to extend my classwork as well as assist in my personal life.