Utensil Holder- Eileen Lee

Intention

Write about the big ideas behind your project? What are the goals? Why did you make it? What are your motivations?

My roommates and I have a cup where we place all of our utensils- forks, spoons, knives, spatulas, etc. However, they are all mixed together, causing a bit of trouble when choosing a utensil to take out. People usually organize their utensils and items in a kitchen drawer with sections, and I would prefer to have them easily accessible next to the kitchen sink. Unfortunately, I do not have an empty kitchen drawer to use, and I cannot place my large dish rack between the kitchen sink and the gas stove. When my roommates and I wash our dishes and utensils, we take the wet utensils to the living room table where we keep our dish rack, yet this is incredibly inconvenient and causes the floor to get a bit wet. So, I got the idea of combining a utensil rack and a utensil holder so that my utensils can be cleanly organized and more easily accessible for me and my roommates.

Research + Context

[How does your outcome relate to other work in the field? What makes it similar or different to other objects of the same genre? How have other objects failed to solve the problem you have identified?]

My current utensil holder is simply a metal cup where I put all my utensils together. Other utensil holders that are popularly used are organized separated cups (which take up too much space on my kitchen counter), or dish racks (which are meant to dry other things as well, such as large dishes, bowls, and pans.) My holder will also have a section for chopsticks, since most holders fail to have a distinct space for chopsticks.

Aesthetic + Inspiration

[What influenced your design? Is there a specific style, art movement, or natural phenomena? Include at least one example. Can be a still image, video, or music.]

I want to have a simple, clean, and modern design that will fit well with my kitchen and living space. Upon looking up examples of utensil holders online, I saw that some were labeled in separate cups in simple manners, usually engraved symbols of forks, spoons, and knives. I would also like to do this because the spaces of the holder will be specified for each different utensil, and I will be able to sort them well.

Process + Procedure

[Outline your approach to the project. What steps did you take to design, model, sketch, and prototype this projects? What ideas did you generate and how did you refine or reject them? What challenges were encountered and how did you resolve them? Detail what you created. What methods or techniques did you use? What tools and technologies were involved? Include photos of prototypes, redesigned sketches, design worksheets, and failed trails.]

First, I will measure the height, width, and depth of my utensils in order to get an estimation of what size I want the holder to be. Then, I will design my holder in my sketchbook, sketching up different ideas and adjustments. I planned to make the holder as tall as my current cup for holding utensils, which will be less than the height of my fork, spoon, knife, and chopsticks. I made my holder into a cube to more easily divide the holder into compartments, and I estimated the size of the grids in order to make sure my utensils did not slip through. I also lifted the holder to provide for proper drainage. Another consideration I made was whether it should be printed in a rectilinear or honeycomb pattern.

I refined my ideas by continuously sketching and thinking about the model and looking at it from different angles and perspectives. I also had to refine and reject some ideas while making the sketch in Fusion360. For example, I had trouble making the grids so I had to find another way to do it, and I decided to add a bamboo design to my simple box holder in order to add interest and aesthetic. 

I will need a ruler to measure my various household utensils, and I will need to sketch, pattern, combine, construct, and insert SVG designs on Autodesk Fusion360. 

Reflection

[Reflect on the process of making this project. What did you learn? What would you do differently?]

It was my first time independently creating a model on Autodesk Fusion 360. Overall, I gained more familiarity with the program and discovering how to bring my ideas into fruition. I realized how important preliminary design and sketches were because the creation of the model on Fusion was surprisingly very simple after having a plan of what I want to make and how I want to do it. I learned how to insert and use SVG files in order to create designs and engravings on my model, and how to create grid-like spaces (rectangular patterning, extrusion). 

If I could do something differently, I would reconsider the type of material I use for printing my utensil holder. Although I knew that the 3D Printer uses PLA, I also considered making this model as a prototype for a final product that will be made out of wood instead. I think that this will complement my bamboo design well, and it will add much more interest and cohesiveness to my design. I will consider next time how I can make this into a prototype instead for actually creating my design out of wood. 

Photos

[Five semi-professional photos with care given to context, lighting, staging, scene]

Sketches