WEEK 2

Laser Cut Object

Week two I used a laser cutter, Adobe Illustrator, and Rhinoceros to make a stand that allows me to take photos and videos of objects on a table top using my phone. Assignment constraints included that all parts of the prototype must fit on one 18x24x0.022 inch sheet of chipboard, no fastening materials (glue or tape) can be used in assembly or use, and the user must be able to disassemble and flatten the stand for transport or storage.

What specifically makes my prototype unique from phone stands that serve a similar purpose is its attention to the distance away from a table a phone needs to focus on a object of that table. The height of the legs hold a smartphone just far enough away that a whole piece of paper will fit in the photo in focus. The width of the legs of the stand are made to maximize support while still allowing for users to manipulate the objects in view of the camera and for natural light to reach the object. The surface of the stand is covered with holes to best let in natural light and the diameter of the holes are set so that a standard iPhone camera and flash will fit exactly within an individual hole.

After making the prototype I conducted informal users test of the prototype with my peers. The informal user testing showed that the prototype excelled at letting in natural light and not casting unwanted shadows of the objects being photographed. A big hurdle faced when shooting photo and video from directly above the object is shadows but this prototype handles this obstacle well. The informal user testing also showed that the support system of the prototype needed to be improved. With the current design if the user moves too fast when setting their phone on the stand it will collapse. From the informal user testing I have concluded that to improve the effectiveness of the design I would redesign the legs into triangular, hollow tubes that could better support the weight of a smartphone before making another iteration of this prototype.