The purpose of this project is to create an object to help in the prototyping process using laser cutting. I decided to make a stand for my cell phone that would allow me to film what is directly underneath without using my hands. This would particularly come in handy when filming usability tests on 2-D prototypes (ex. paper prototypes).

My constraints were as follows:

• Cut from a single 18″ x 24″ piece of chipboard
• Must not use glue, tape, or other fastening materials
• Must be able to disassemble flat

From my initial sketches, I knew I wanted to put together something that was simple, that would work well enough for my purposes. As a result of that, the sketches themselves are not very thrilling. The idea is that I wanted to to look similar to a breakfast tray that would be brought to you if you were having breakfast in bed.

Initial sketches. Sketches are very flat to reflect material that will be used.

My next step was to create a 3-D model using cardboard to figure out how I wanted it go to together before modeling anything using software. I tried out a couple arrangements of the legs before deciding that the four leg model would be much more stable than using only two legs.

Cardboard test of idea from sketches.

Image of Rhino file to define cuts.

Upon finishing the cut, I found that the material was less rigid than I was expecting. I should have implemented some sort of horizontal supports so that the legs would only slide out a certain amount. The test I did with the cardboard model worked well, and I think it was a result of testing on carpet. I think my design can work well when standing on a high friction surface like carpet or on a bed, but does not work as well on the relatively frictionless surface of work tables. I would also add more elements of fun design on future iterations, as my idea was very simple but a bit boring. One trade-off I found was the desire to have small legs so that there would not be a shadow, but making sure that the legs would be strong enough to hold the top platform and the phone.