FUTURE PRODUCT DESIGNERS

Products like LEGO, Duplo, and K’Nex engage people of all ages all over the world, inspire creativity, and are just plain fun. Most build-it-yourself sets contain all the parts you need to create an intended model, or contain a lot of parts to create many different models. But they can be complex and expensive, too!

You are a product designer, and you are going to introduce a new type of connector set into the market. You will create a low-cost Reusable Connector Kit that turns everyday objects into building materials. With your connector, materials like straws and cardboard tubes can become building materials for people to unleash their creativity and build new types of structures.

To get started, you will research different types of connector kits currently on the market, brainstorm your own ideas, then create a prototype in 3D using Tinkercad. You will then get feedback from others to help improve your design, and 3D print your connector to complete your own Reusable Connector Kit.

• What is the problem you have been asked to solve?

• What are the challenges?

• What is a user?

• What is a prototype?

• What is version control and why is it important?

• What does it take to “productize” your design to attract potential users?

Research and look into 3 types of LEGO, Duplo, K’Nex, or other building sets. Using the internet and other sources of information, complete the Research Document - this will give you some ideas for when you brainstorm your own connector ideas. Go to File and Make a Copy to Fill Out this Form

Now that you have researched different types of existing connector kits, use the Brainstorm Document to brainstorm materials typically found in the home that might be good candidates for your Reusable Connector Kit. After you decide what material will be the main component of your kit, you will also need to sketch out 3 different design ideas for your connector.

Now that you have 3 ideas mapped out, it’s time to choose which material you will use and the connector idea that goes with that material. This plan needs to have as much detail as possible and include measurements, since this is what you will use when 3D modeling your connector in Tinkercad.

Using the Plan & Design document below, you will take precise measurements of your chosen material with either a ruler or caliper, then you will design, draw, and label a diagram of your connector that will allow users to connect the materials together.

It’s time to design your connector in 3D using Tinkercad! Be sure to follow your Plan & Design Document since you will need to apply the precise measurements into your design.

When you are finished creating the 3D connector, this becomes Prototype Version 1 and should be named appropriately. Version control and proper file naming is important.

After your 3D connector model is saved, it is time to export your prototype for inspection. You need to export it as an .obj or .stl from TinkerCAD and bring it into the Merge Uploader located on the dashboard. You will use the Merge Cube and Object Viewer app to examine your 3D model.

After you login to your Merge EDU account and upload your connector object, be sure to retrieve the 6 digit object code and write it down on your Prototype Report.

Carefully examine your 3D mode using the Object Viewer app , looking for inconsistencies and imperfections in your design. Can you see any potential problems with it? Make sure you document all of this in your Prototype Report before sending it to your supervisor (in this case, your teacher).

Evaluation is very important – especially getting others to evaluate what you have created. Do not take the feedback personally, but instead listen openly to the suggestions you receive.

For this part of the project, you will need to share your connector Object Code with 2 others and ask them to complete the Prototype Evaluation Document. Once they have the Object Code, they will be able to inspect your connector. You will also need to fill out a Prototype Evaluation for somebody else.

Once you have received the evaluations back, it’s important to read over them and ask yourself if anything your classmates have suggested would improve your connector. Complete the Response Document and make the improvements you have identified.