Bridge Box

We have created a cardboard box to keep our new 3D printed model safe! A tight-fitting enclosure was needed to protect the delicate model and allow for easy transport. The first step was to brainstorm the form:

  • What are appropriate materials which don’t distract from the model?
  • Do we want hardware?
  • What are cost-effective options?
  • Can the box also serve as a way to display the model in an aesthetically pleasing way?
  • Is it better to stabilize the model from the base or side?
  • How can the box reflect our company identity and logo?

Beginning with hand sketches, I determined a general direction after gathering feedback to a number of ideas. Next, I played with the proportions in Rhino:

  • Could the lid puzzle into the base of the box?
  • What thicknesses and shapes of foam are necessary?
  • Are the preferred materials available?
  • How can the cardboard sections be glued together accurately?
  • If wire cutting the foam is not an option, how do we create a square edge?

These adventures took me all over town—to the latex mattress guy and back! The cardboard was laser cut by Just Right Engraving. The foam was cut by hand using a printed stencil and a board to stabilize my knife. Voila!

Yelena Prusakova was an illustrator at Fat Pencil Studio from 2013-2017.