Universal Design Calligraphy Pen

thingiverse

This work was based on one of my last digital fabrication classes titled Universal Design. This project helped me understand more about the 7 principles and how they can be implemented in design. The work was a redesign of the calligraphy pen my mother had when they were growing up. It was long process but well deserving. This is a section of my reflection that I wrote for my process book, “While redesigning my calligraphy dip pen, I ran into the problem of adjusting units. I printed a few times to get the right tolerance since I was working within inches rather than millimeters which skewed things a bit. I am glad that I was able to get the tolerance for the nib insertion since I printed a really small one by chance. I think I will add that part to the larger version for it to scale upwards since larger forms are used in a universal context for older or younger people. I am actually pretty proud of my design since I spent some time and put in love into it. I am happy that my Rhino skills were good enough to get the job done. I think there are a few things I would like to add like the button Adam [my professor] was talking about and figuring out the spring mechanism.” Like how I had said in my reflection, the redesign of a calligraphy pen is mainly a well drafted prototype that would need many revisions from user testers and then the manufacturing of said design. With my peers giving me critique, I was able to produce a working prototype and received more feedback where I wrote about within my final reflection. “After having the final critique, I am very happy that my prototype is working. Through user feedback I learned that the holding position tended to be necked for the pen where I had the grooves set back due to the button design. I think I could redesign this in Rhino by creating slits for the thumb and pointer finger to reside into. The other design critique that I got was the functionality of the shield being a bit big and obtrusive since the user tends to need to see what they are writing on the page. I felt that since the use of the higher grip would position them away from this block but since I focused on changing that I would need to rethink this. Likewise, within the production, I think that having special grooves for the springs such as a dowel and residing hole would help the springs set into place. I think that since this dowel could also negate the tension of release when using the pen upside down. I also agree that there needs to be a certain icon for showing how the button mechanism is supposed to be used. This could be down with an arrow or maybe just intuitive use since the user would have to push down to get the cap off. I also agree that the brighter pigment for the button would be helpful since it would draw the user’s intention towards that useful mechanism. Overall I am grateful for the experience and happy that I made a tool that I will use in my practice over the years.” The final reflection made me think about how far I could push the redesign to make it more universal such as the simplicity of it and the user interactions with the form. During the completion of the project, I applied this work into a juried exhibition show called Makers! 22 in where I had my work exhibited and won an award for owning a flexible shaft which will help my artist practice within jewelry and outside of it.