Pen Holster
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Ready, Set, Draw
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Pen Holster \\ Ready, Set, Draw \\
Mission
During my last year of college, I noticed I was drawing a lot. To be prepared on the go, I started carrying my three most important pens with me everywhere: a Micron fine line pen, a Sharpie for contrast, and a Copic marker for adding highlights and shading. With these pens, I could quickly sketch any idea that came to mind in a visually appealing way. These sketches became the starting place for many projects I later did, including this one.
Process
This project had unique challenges related to translating digital to physical. The designs were 3D printed and tested in real-life scenarios, which helped me understand what worked and what didn't. The main challenge was making sure everything fit correctly. The design needed to be sturdy enough to hold pens but not too sturdy that the pens couldn’t be removed. The attachment to the webbing straps was also challenging as it had to apply a sort of “spring-loaded” pressure while still being 3D printed. Another challenge was the orientation in which the device was printed. With different orientations, strength and points of failure would change which created unique outcomes.
Versions
Each iteration showed both good and bad areas of the design and helped me further refine it until I was happy with both the functionality and strength.
V1
The first version was barely a proof of concept, a lot of the problems I was having were solved by thickening areas which helped strengthen those parts.
V2
The second version helped me refine the size and shape of the slots for each pen but was still lacking structure and support. The primary problem was that pens would fall out of the bottom or slide down making them hard to reach.
V3
In the third version, most of the problems were fixed. I designed the clips to be sturdy and easy to attach, I added support at the bottom for all the pens, and I adjusted the slots to have the perfect amount of resistance. This way, the pens can be removed when necessary and won't accidentally fall out.
Final Design
The final design was functional, easy to access and would go on to be used by me every day for months without fail. This design was both a personal point of pride that I could wear around as well as a highly functional tool that would assist me in day to day life.
