Distance Learning School Organizer

thingiverse

Project Statement This design is intended to help students who don't have a desk and only have a laptop they use for their distance learning classes. Many of my friends and family members who are adjusting to a distance learning environment and don't have desks feel frustrated that their supplies are haphazardly spread out on their bed, couch, or chair they work in. This product would allow their supplies to slide into the base of their laptops and relieve the stress they feel when preparing for their day in virtual classes. The lightness of the organizer would allow heavier items typically used in distance learning like a phone, pencils, pens, and Post-Its to be placed in the product without disrupting the weight distribution of the laptop. Because the organizer is compact, someone with an inexpensive 3D printer would be able to print this for themselves and use it at home. 1. What issues did you come up against? One issue I confronted was deciding what school supplies should the product be able to hold while being compact and lightweight. In order to solve this issue, I asked my sister who does not have a desk and is completing her classes solely online what supplies she would want closer to her laptop. She gave me a list of supplies she uses often for her classes and I included the main supplies as part of my design. Another issue I encountered was the placement of the product on the laptop. Originally, I planned to have the product attached on to the monitor of the laptop, but I realized that this would allow the screen to bend forwards or backwards easily. Instead, I placed it on the base of the laptop so that it could be held on to the laptop with the person's legs, specifically on the right side of the laptop. I noticed that when placing your fingers in the position to type, one has more space on the right hand side of the laptop than on the left. Placing the product on the right hand side would allow the user to type freely without the product disrupting their typing. 2. If you could redesign this again, what would you change? I would have made the spacing in the C-shaped base adjustable so that the product can fit perfectly for any laptop. The space in the design is supposed to slide into the bottom right hand side of a laptop and stay attached by placing the laptop on one's lap. The space designed on the product fits my laptop, however other laptops are much thinner and would benefit from an adjustable spacing. Also, I would have further considered the effects of the extra weight on the laptop. I would have included another attachment to the product that would balance out the laptop and prevent it from tipping over, such as a copy of the product on the other side of the 3. How would 3D printing help strengthen your design? 3D printing would allow me to innovate aspects of my design so that it can be used by people with different laptops. Using different materials for 3D printing my design would change its weight, flexibility, and hardness, which would allow the design to change based upon the material used. #studentchallenge