October 2023 - Mr. Schmitt’s Multimedia and Design students were challenged with the task of designing a 3D print project that in some way incorporated a pencil. Several students of course thought of modern spins on the classic pencil cup, but a handful of students got more creative.
The students used Tinkercad to think through and bring to life their designs, but with 3D printing, there were challenges to navigate. The students created their original concepts, and then presented them to a panel to receive feedback. One of the panelists, Chris Cooper, is a master of 3D printing, so he was able to guide the students on what aspects of their designs would cause trouble when printing and how to fix it. Students then went back and revised their designs, and a top three were selected.
The twist pencil holder was thought up by Muslima Dadanova. Muslima had previously seen this design, and she wanted to make it her own. On the base of the design, she added a flower. The design consists of small cylinders to hold the pencils at an angle, creating a twist. Muslima said, “We had to print multiple times, but seeing it now, I’m just really happy I’m in the top three.”
The next design was created by Hayba Osman, and it is ready for the holiday season. Her snowman design, named Gerald, was inspired by a project her sister was working on that incorporated snow. This led her to the snowman, and with help from her friend and fellow finalist Muslima, she decided to put the pencil in the middle of the snowman to represent his arms. She took feedback from the judges and also designed his top hat to be open to store paper clips as well. Hayba’s design printed on the first try, and she was surprised and happy that she had created a design that was so successful.
The last, but certainly not least design, was a huge fan favorite named Kroger. Kroger was designed by Maegan Mcrae, and her fellow classmates, and the panelists alike, loved the design. Kroger is a small figure with a party hat, bowtie, and big shoes, and he holds the pencil in his mouth. One of her classmates thought up the name Kroger. This design was one of the most creative, and Maegan worked to ensure that when printed, the weight balance would be correct so that her design could stand.
Each of these students worked hard on their design, took feedback well, and ultimately created successful designs that truly came to life with 3D printing. Mr. Schmitt was proud of his students as they have learned to evolve in their designing, and we can’t wait to see what project comes next!