Project 2.1.

5 Redesign a Protective Case Design Brief

PLTW Engineering

Redesign a Protective Case Design Brief

Client Earbud manufacturer

Target Earbud customer

Consumer

Designer(s) Jeremy Carter and Caitlyn Garvey

Problem What is the problem? The current design of the earbud protective case is
Statement susceptible to damage to the 3D-printed hinge.
Who has the problem? Earbud (or other device) customers.
Where is the problem happening? All markets across the world report similar
issues with the hinge.
When is the problem happening? After repeated opening and closing of the case.
Why is the problem important? The problem has impacted customer satisfaction
resulting in damage to the brand.
Design Redesign construct and test an earbud case that won’t make the cord break/ bend,
Statement abiding by hinge, insertion time, air hole constraints, three components, stores and
protects ear buds, not open when in pocket or other area, increased aesthetic,
different visually, and an extra criteria.
Criteria 1. The new case must be composed of three components: a top, a bottom, and a
metal pin (specified by teacher).
2. The design must allow easy insertion of the ear buds into the case such that it
requires an average user seven seconds or less to secure the ear buds in the
case.
3. The case must securely store and protect the earbuds from damage and not
break or open when carried in a pants pocket or carried loosely in a purse or
bag.
4. The design will include vent holes to allow air circulation into the case but not
allow any part of the earbud(s) to protrude through the hole(s).
5. The design should be noticeably different (visually) than the existing protective
case and increase the aesthetic appeal of the product.
6. Add a hook to hang the earbuds off of.
Constraints 1. A design must be submitted for critical review by the due date.
2. A 3D printed prototype must be submitted by the due date.
3. Due to limitations in production,
• The maximum volume of prototyping material is 5 cubic inches.
• The maximum print time is 2 hours

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Deliverables Phase I – Proof of Concept Only

• Initial conceptual sketches – at least three
• An accurate assembly model of the case
• A set of working drawings to include:
o An annotated Multiview drawing for each component of the
preliminary redesign including tolerances for all dimensions
o An annotated assembly drawing of the design
• A 3D-printed prototype of the design
• Documentation of total material volume and print time for prototype
• Proof of Concept Statement
• Project Reflection

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Project Grading Criteria:

Project (100 pts): Yes Kind of… No

1. Are all established project criteria met? 20 10 0

2. Are all established project constraints met? 20 10 0
3. Are all deliverables submitted by the deadline? 20 10 0
4. Is the product design appropriate? – Will the target client(s), 20 10 0
consumer(s), and/or user(s) approve? (Is it creative/original…?)
5. Is the presentation/project completed with the utmost 20 10 0
attention paid to overall organization, understanding and professionalism/craftsmanship?
Total = 100% /100%
Final Score = Advanced, Proficient, Average, Needs Improvement, or Incomplete??? Why?

Justify your teams final score here:

● Our project met all the things that are needed to earn a perfect score. All criterias are met. The
case has three components, a top, bottom, and a pin. Which attaches the top and bottom through
a hinge mechanism. The case was designed after an airpods case and is a nice fit for the earbuds
which will keep them neat and keep them from getting tangled up or in knots thanks to the hook
that they can hang on. When earbuds are put in case they are safely kept inside the closed case
and won’t be damaged. There are three tiny holes on the top of the case for ventilation. Each
partner has their two initial concept sketches and we have one multiview drawing that details all
components of the preliminary design. The total material volume and print time for prototype is
mentioned on our google slides. Also all of the deadlines were met. The problem statement is
done and we have reflected on the project. It will target consumers because it will catch their
attention since our case is designed after the airpods case which is popular today, but our case
fits earbuds with a cord. Our presentation/project is completed in an organized, with
understanding of professionalism and craftsmanship.

Presentation (100 pts): Advanced Proficient Average Basic Incomplete

1. Define the Problem 10 9 8 6.5 0

a. Completed Design Brief with added design
statement and criteria
2. Generate Concepts 10 9 8 6.5 0
a. Concept sketches (three minimum)
b. Justification for solution path
3. Develop Solution 30 25 20 10 0
a. Annotated concept sketch with tolerances
b. 3D solid models of two components
c. Assembly drawings
d. Complete set of working drawings
4. Construct and Test 30 25 20 10 0

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a. 3D printed or alternate physical prototype

b. Proof that prototype works...
5. Evaluate Solution 20 18 16 13 0
a. Proof of concept statement
6. Completed Team Project Reflection Questions 10 9 8 6.5 0
& Graded Project Rubric w/ Justification

Total = 91% /100%

Final Score = Advanced, Proficient, Average, Needs Improvement, or Incomplete??? Why?

Justify your teams final score here:

● Our presentation is done very well, with attention towards organization and with
understanding of professionalism and craftsmanship. Our design brief is completed with
added criteria and helps with defining the problem. We each have two concept sketches,
making four total, for a case and then mention the justification for our solution to what
earbud case we chose. We have created 3D solid models of the components with each
other and also created a multiview drawing for each of the components with tolerances.
Along with assembly drawings and a complete set of working drawings. We printed the
creation, but couldn’t test it due to the hinge breaking. Our proof of concept statement is
well done and our graded projects are graded on the rubic with justifications. Also our
Reflection questions are completed.

Project Team Reflection:

As a team, reflect and answer the following prompts:
1. Review the goals you recorded in Step 2 above. Did you achieve your goals? Why or why not?
○ Yes we did achieve our goals. We redesigned our original concept based on the
feedback and we followed all of the new criteria.

2. Compare this design experience to Project 1.3.7. Was this design process more efficient?
Support your assessment with examples. What did you learn in this design experience that can
help you improve your design efficiency in the future?
○ This design experience was much more efficient. It took way less time to fix the mistakes
than it would have to start over or start from scratch like 1.3.7. For example, we didn’t
have to make a whole new box; we could just edit the existing one. This applied to all of
the details that we had to fix. We learned that when you design things on different
planes make sure that everything shifts if the design has to be edited. For example,
when we went to make the whole thing larger the system glitched and messed the
design up because of how things were constrained.

3. A design process is meant to be iterative (Links to an external site.). Explain how you used
iteration to improve your design of a protective container.

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○ Iterative just means repeating something to get a new end product. We used iteration
because we used our starting original design and went back through the engineering
design process in order to make the design better.

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