Divider Box

INTENTION

I like collect a lot of small items like washi tape and polyhedral dice. Since all these items are part of a set and I need them for specific situations, it is important they all stay together and organized. However, currently all my items are scattered around my room, making them inconvenient to use. To solve this problem, I wanted to make a holder that could both hold small items and keep them organized.

CURRENT PRODUCTS

I researched different kinds of boxes with dividers. I specifically wanted dividers that could be removed and rearranged depending on what I was putting in it: for example, I would need larger compartments for washi tape than dice, but I would need more compartments for dice.

To design the dividers, I remembered that as a kid, I used to make cardboard crafts out of no-glue DIY kits, parts would slot together through cuts that went halfway through the piece and would fit with other pieces. So, I designed my dividers similarly.

AESTHETIC INSPIRATION

I don’t like putting stickers on my laptop but I also like collecting stickers. So, this container can also serve as a container for my sticker collection.

SKETCHES

I decided not to do a vertical holder because it could only be used to store washi tape.

PROCESS

 Initially when designing the holder, I was specifically thinking of how to organize washi tape. So, I took inspiration from vertical washi tape holders I found online. However, I did not like this approach because that would limit this holder to washi tape and it would be inconvenient to remove washi tape from the bottom of the stack.

My second design was simply a box. I made the design a simple, flat box so the dividers could fit easier in the compartments and so I could put stickers on the surface. Also, this project was the first time I was 3d modelling and printing something by myself, so I wanted to keep the design simple.

To start, I sketched out the box on paper and determined all the dimensions. I then modeled the box and dividers separately.

REFLECTION

In the end, I only made 2 dividers that fit into the box. I had two other dividers, but they did not fit because I did not take into account allowance in measurements.

This was a great learning experience and first step into 3d modeling and printing. Like mentioned in class, I believe this project would have been better suited to acrylic cutting or wood because it was mostly flat surfaces instead of complex shapes, which is what 3d printing is better for.

On one hand, I think this project was good for me as a beginner because I was able to learn the whole process of 3d printing without needing to deal with supports or small, complex shapes. However, I will eventually need to learn how to model more complex things so it might have been better to challenge myself more.