For years, my backpack has been filled with pencils in various states of decay, eraser fragments, and multiple sharpeners that inevitably get lost or broken. About a year ago, I bought a 3D printer. I designed a few small, simple things but hadn't really put my 3D skills to the test. I decided to design and prototype a solution to hold my favorite ideation tools in one clean space.
I gathered my favorite pencils and erasers and purchased a set of quality metal sharpeners. Using a caliper, I took precise measurements and sketched the basic design, contemplated features, and decided how everything would fit together. I then designed and printed individual test components, experimenting with fit and function for each section. After an insane amount of trial and error, wasted filament, and the addition of a magnetic closure, I finally had a working prototype. It wasn’t pretty, but it worked.
Next came refining the shape, texture, and color. Getting to the final design took far longer than I expected and produced more failures than I anticipated. Eventually, everything slid together. Today, my tiny 3D printer can produce two of these little machines every 12 hours.
I don’t have big plans for them—at least not yet. For now, I’ll be shipping a few out to clients as a thank-you for working with me. It was a new kind of challenge and a lot of fun to turn an idea into a physical object—something people can actually hold, use, and enjoy.
