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Design Challenge

Activity 1: Brainstorm

(20 minutes)

 

So now you are ready to make something of your own design. Good designs begin with good ideas. Start by asking yourself these questions:

  • What do you need?

  • Is there something small that you broke recently that you could replace?

  • Have you discovered something that is missing, like a button or a game piece?

  • What is something small that could help someone in a big way?

  • What is an existing object that could be modified to make it better and/or more efficient?

  • What is something that is particularly useful when it is customizable, like dog or cat tags?

 

Spend a lot of time batting around different ideas. Think about fulfilling a need, rather than just making something because it is cool. How can you use 3D printing to make something better, instead of just adding more plastic odds ‘n ends to the world. Ask other people what they would find helpful in their daily lives. Maybe it is something as small as a custom-made toothbrush holder or as complex as a prosthetic arm, like you see in this inspiring video.

 

As Dr. Seuss said, “Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh. The things you can think up if only you try.”

Activity 2: Draw

(10 minutes)

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Use paper and pencil to draw your design. Draw several variations and from different angles. You may want to draw on graph paper so you can set a scale, for example, one square equals 10 millimeters. Consider the intended purpose of the object and how the design fulfills that purpose. Draw until you have a design that you are satisfied with.

Activity 3: CAD

(20 minutes)

 

Use Tinkercad to move your design from your 2D drawing to a 3D computer model. Use all the skills you learned in Tinkercad 101 and 3D Design Project. If your design calls for an advanced Tinkercad feature, experiment with the program. Most designers learn by doing. You can also look for a tutorial or do a search to see if someone else had a similar question. But first, don’t forget to ask other club members sitting around you. Share the knowledge in your community before turning to online support.

What You'll Need: 

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Create a Useful 3D Printed Object 

Activity 4: And Print!

(15 minutes)

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Go through the pre-printing check list outlined in Press Print. When you feel confident about the printability of your design, print it!

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What you are holding in your hand is a completely original object. Nothing else in the world has ever been created exactly it. Now that is something to be proud of!

 

Go back to your original idea. What need or purpose did you create your object to fulfill? Give it a try. Does it work? Is there a way you could improve it for future versions? If so, don’t stop. Keep designing!

Try doing these modules in order: 

From 2D to 3D > Tinkercad 101 > 3D Design > Press Print > Design Challenge

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If your club doesn’t have a 3D printer there are still ways you can print your design. You could find out if a local library, museum, or science center has one that is open to the public.

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Still Interested? 

 

Video: How to Print Bigger Things

Article: The World's First Freeform 3D Printed House . . .

Article: How to Build a 3D Printer from Scratch

Activity 5: Submit and Share!

(5 minutes)

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Take a photo or video of your 3D Printed Object and upload it! If you haven't printed it yet, show us a video of your design in TinkerCAD. Include the reason why you designed this or the problem your design could solve in the description! 

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