I wanted to make something that would both be useful and express my interests so that I would want to use it, rather then have it sit around being useless. Therefore, I chose to make a pencil/writing utensil holder, since it is something that I currently do not have on my desk and can easily be designed to be a fun decoration.
When looking at different types of pencil holders, I decided I wanted something simple and practical. I chose to make it rectangular shaped so that it would fit easily with my other stuff. There is a divider in the middle of it so that it would allow me to organize my writing utensils into different categories.
I decided to go with symbols from the anime Code Geass. Their simplistic design fit with how I wanted my pencil holder to look, while adding a meaningful personal touch. Its also an anime which has some science fiction elements to it. A rectangular prism shape ties well to that due to geometric shapes often being associated to science fiction.
I started off my project by sketching out a rough drawing of the front and top of the holder. Then I moved to Fusion360 to create a CAD file. By sketching, extruding, and patching, I was able to make the holder, then importing an stl file in order to add the decorations.
From this project, I learned about the different thoughts and processes that occur with the making of an object. Ideas do not come from nowhere, but are typically inspired from the surroundings. My design decisions should have meaning and purpose. If I did this again, I would want to try to make one of the emblems have slanted edges, like a double bladed sword, that I didn't have time to try and make due to time constraints.
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