This week has been quite hectic because we are just coming back from Spring Break and it’s been a struggle transitioning back to school and getting back into the groove (which is why my blog post is late). It’s exciting because we are getting closer and closer to the Makers Fair where we present our final product for everyone to see. “Plugged In” has been working hard to create the perfect and exact model for the fair. So far we have been working on cardboard models (we have made two so far); to test and determine the suitable dimensions for the charging station. We have come across many trials and errors in the process of creating these cardboard models. The first model we made was didn’t work out because it was too big and didn’t satisfy our customer needs of being “portable” so we collected more cardboard and created another model that was just a few inches shorter; small, but big enough to hold all sizes of cellular devices. When we finished the second cardboard model, as a group we were all satisfied with it so we moved on to the next step- transitioning it to the computer. We are now focusing on creating a 3D model onto the computer using Adobe Illustrator.
http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/powerlisting/images/6/61/Acrylic.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130430220719
This would make it a lot easier to transfer our dimensions to the laser cutter when it is time to make our model with acrylic. We all decided on acrylic because it would make our charging station more appealing and easy on the eyes. I am excited that we are getting closer to finishing our product for others to see and appreciate. I hope in the future that we are able to produce more charging stations for students and teachers here at school to use on the daily.
StarPathDesign 
This is a really cool idea that could be used not only in schools but in airports, restaurants…really any public setting where it is convenient to charge their phones. I feel like my phone always dies at the most inconvenient times and it’s so annoying to always have a charger on you. Even if you do carry your phone charger, the next task is to find a good place to charge it! I’m not super familiar with your design…but have you thought about making this charging station secure? When I’ve been to airports and have to charge my phone far away from where I’m sitting, I always worry that someone might take it. Just something to consider. Best of luck with your prototype and I’ll be sure to check it out at the maker fair 🙂
– Sofia Hruby
The link above is an example of a phone charging station at airports/public transit. I’d be worried that if I wasn’t right next to my phone, someone would take it. How do you think the design could be improved to fix this issue?
-Sofia Hruby