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.

This locker main feature is the fingerprint scanner. As now security is no issue now that you have to be the person to open it and if you want you can add other people's fingerprint so it can unlock with their fingerprint quick and easy no combination so you dont need to remember a thing. This locker helps students be on time to classes as its a quick easy and go lock and take what you need. The locker focuses heavily on keeping you organize as it has a compartment in the bottom that allows you to keep shoes, clothes, bags, etc. The locker has magnetic devices inside the lockers that requires you to connect them allowing the magnetics to hold anything you want your books, clothes, homework what ever you want and its quick and easy to grab it off the magnets so you just grab and go wasting no time.

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?

Alis Almonte's work for the Collect Information step:

Summary
First we took our own personal knowledge of being an athlete and having to keep a locker in the field house.
The purpose of the locker is to keep your items stored and safe for until you need to get to them.
A locker has changed from being in a pre-k class since it was only for your snacks and there was no...
I visit my locker 4 times a day to get out my class books and homework for each block. Yes teachers...
Students complain that it's too much to spin a dial and to remember a combination now a days...
On a typical day I need my algebra book then I would need to leave my athletic bag for afterschool...
As you can see in this picture there is a hook but its not put to use being that the jacket would...
This locker doesnt store as much as it should being that my books take up space. I wish I could...

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?

Alis Almonte's work for the Brainstorm Ideas step:

Summary
To make a better locker we came up with ideas to fit teens now a days being with all the technology there is available it should be possible.
In my current locker I like being able to keep my items inside for when I need it. So I wont be...
Things I dislike about my locker is the fact that I have to spin the locker to my combination left...
This locker can store your shoes separately can keep your clothes and can easily hold up your books...
These lockers are relatively more square but more rectangular giving you more space inside and...
Gemstones come harder and more durable then metal and it doesn't make the locker dull.
New locker will have a charger slot to charge your phone.

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.

Alis Almonte's work for the Develop Solutions step:

Summary
This prototype shows the scanner out in front shows the pull out compartment where you can store shoes, clothes, a gym bag etc.
This is what we would make. As you can see the model has the pull out compartment.
We realize everybody is different so if you don't want to use the magnets you can it doesn...
our main component would look like this on the outside this is featuring the ruby gemstone and it...
Protoype

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!

Alis Almonte's work for the Final Design step:

Summary
Made to secure your items, to be quick and easy go, to show our status in the modern world, how technology formed us to better times.

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