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New and Improved Student Locker

By JSIMP24 | S Design a new school locker

Overview Instructions

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That thin metal box at school where you cram all your stuff? Lockers aren't designed for students today. In fact, the design of lockers hasn't changed since the days of your great grandparents!

But in the School of the Future things could be different. Reimagine the design of a 21st century locker you would need as a Maker. A locker you could use to keep all of your stuff for making!

Let's get started on the challenge to redesign your school locker.

New lockers are needed in schools with better room, better features, and more advancements for high school students. Security is also an issue that needs to be addressed; our new high tech locker addresses all the issues students have concerns about.

The locker is made out of a compost of carbon and reinforced by a steel plate on the interior of the door. Forget about the old convention style of opening up lockers. Our lockers include a dial pad used for opening and closing. The pad has a lock and unlock key that allows the user to easy lock and unlock their locker. This change means less time spend turning the dial and more time getting ready for your next class. The next security feature upgrade is a mini-safe in the upper right hand corner of the locker.The safe is old school style; meaning it uses a dial to open. This makes theft that much harder because anyone may be able to guess a passcode correctly but it is harder to get a dial code correct.

Our locker is now the length of two lockers; obviously this takes away lockers from students and limits the avalibility of lockers. The alternative to this is adding lockers to the back hallways, not only accounting for lost lockers but also creating a more social environment in school.

Our new locker includes recycled wood used for cubbies and storage containers. School supplies are now more readily accessed, and organized. There is a shoe holder included in the locker as well. This new locker is a total upgrade from previous generations and even today's lockers. Not only is it environmentaly friendly but the locker comes with upgrades in secruity, efficiency and space; making it the best locker yet! Not just built for the average student; the locker is also able to contain sports equipment, shoes and extra clothes athletes, actors or club members may normally have to carry all day.

This locker is without a doubt the best created in years and will soon be ready for schools around the world!

Comments

More details please.

By Tressa16, Educator at 02:52 pm, 07 March 2012

I like the start, but what are all the specifics? Would like to know more.

By 8566102, Student at 10:12 am, 09 March 2012

specific enough?

By JSIMP24, Student at 11:48 am, 09 March 2012

Can you please try to redo (re-upload) your portfolio cover image? It didn't upload properly and so we're not seeing it show clearly in the Student Gallery. You can edit the portfolio cover image in the Overview step of the design process.

By jmasengarb, Architect at 02:31 pm, 12 March 2012

Collect Instructions

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Gather more information about your existing school lockers by taking photos, sketching, conducting interviews, or doing additional research.

Think About

  • What is the purpose of a school locker?
  • How has the way you use a locker changed since you first started school in kindergarten, for example?
  • How many times do you visit and open your locker each day?
  • Do teachers or school administrators have any safety or security concerns about lockers?  What are they?
  • What types of materials is your locker constructed from?

Try This

  • Take photos of a row of your school's lockers.  Open your own locker and take a photo of what's stored inside.
  • Make a list of all the features your locker currently has. (Examples: hooks, air slots, etc.)
  • Make a list of all the items you currently keep in your locker on a typical day.
  • Next to each item, make notes about what 'needs' that item has.  (Examples: my sweaty gym clothes need to kept away from my other things; my iPod needs electricity to be charged; my winter boots need a place to drip dry)
  • Make a list of all the items you wish you could store in your locker, but don’t have room for.
  • Measure the length, height, and depth of your current locker.
  • Measure the length, height, and depth of your backpack, books, coat / shoes, and other large objects you typically keep inside your locker.
  • Measure the width of your school's hallway.  How much of this width is taken up on both sides of the hallway when students stand in front of their open lockers?
  • Read this Washington Post article to learn more about some of the complaints students have with their lockers today.
  • Visit the websites of a few manufacturers to see various types of lockers currently made.  What do you like or dislike about these examples?

JSIMP24's work for the Collect Information step:

Summary
The purpose of a school locker is to provide students a place for school spplies and other small items they made need during the day.
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Locking mechanism
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Small lockers, crammed int the hallway.
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Books crammed tight
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Brainstorm Instructions

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Develop sketches or models to help you puzzle through new ideas and solutions.

Think About

  • Make a list of all the things you like about your current locker.  Ask several friends for their opinions.
  • Make a list of all the things you dislike about your current locker.  Ask several friends for their opinions.
  • Think about your locker not just as a metal box, but as another type of container.  What other types of containers do you use each day to store stuff?  (Examples: containers for food, clothing, household items)
  • Many animals, insects, and plants use containers to store things (Example: bees use honeycombs).  Check out some of the images in the Inspiration Gallery for other ideas of strorage units.
  • Keep in mind that your newly-designed locker will be one of many along the hallway.  How will these individual units all fit together?  How will several students use their lockers at the same time without bumping into each other?

Try This

  • Based on the information you collected above, brainstorm a list of special features you’d like your new locker to have.
  • Make lots of sketches to get your early ideas down on paper.  Learn from each different idea. 
  • Consider what materials the locker will be made from.  What materials will be durable against the wear and tear of student use over the years?

JSIMP24's work for the Brainstorm Ideas step:

Summary
My partner and I began bgrainstorming ideas by looking at the current lockers in our schools hallways. We thought about what improvements could be made to them and what upgrades we realaistic.
Original brainstorming skectch
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Motified brainstorming sketch
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Develop Instructions

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Now's the time to take what you've learned from the steps above and develop your own solution for a new locker.

Try This

  • Use recycled cardboard to make a full-scale or half-scale prototype model of your locker.  You can't really understand if the locker will hold all your stuff, until you make a quick study model.  Don't worry about making a fancy finished model at this time. Instead, use cardstock, scissors, and tape to quickly create the large 3D form. See how it looks. Break off different sections, add new pieces, and try new ideas. Take photos of your model.
  • Sketch or use software such as Google SketchUp, AutoCAD, or Revit to put your ideas on paper.

JSIMP24's work for the Develop Solutions step:

Summary
We made major improvements in the locker. In the original brainstorming we wasted lots of space withthe locker, ubbies and hooks.
A front view of the locker, as you can see cubbies are on the right, the safe is in the upper left...
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A side view of the locker, you can see the dial passocde pas includes numbers 0-9 with "U...
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A back view of the lockers showing the vents that will help control smell if clothes, shoes and...
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Another side view of the locker, you can see the door is reinforcd by steel and includes an spot...
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An up close view of the safe
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An up close view of the storge bins and the two hangers in the locker.
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Final Instructions

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The final step of the design process is to create a more finished model that communicates your ideas to others.

Try This

  • What color or colors will your locker be? What colors have inspired you?  Add colors to the digital model of your locker.
  • What materials will your locker be made of?  Choose materials and details to add to your digital model.
  • Include a human figure in your final locker model, so we can see how big your locker really is.
  • Upload additional images of your finished locker model to the slides for your project.  Write short captions explaining your ideas.
  • Congratulations on solving this design challenge!

JSIMP24's work for the Final Design step:

Summary
The final design of the project has come out great! All the upgrades are in, the passcode lock, the safe, bins and shoe container have all been installed!
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View of the locker from the front.
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Up close view of the keypad lock
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View of the safe and cubbies
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