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The Unlocker

By JalenM1 | 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.

Client Company: Butler High School

Designers: Jalen McClarin & Chase Stevens

Problem Statement: Butler High School students have lately been reporting that their lockers aren't able to fit everything they need inside of them. Also, they said that they are tired of looking at the same color lockers every year. The students would like more space in their locker and a couple of new colors/designs on their lockers.

Design Statement: Design and build a prototype of a new locker based on the need of high school students. The locker should be big enough to store anything a high schooler might need while making a trip to the locker much quicker and more convenient.

Constraints:1) Must be done by April 8, 2016
2)Must not exceed 9.25'x25.5'x13.5'
3)Locker must be technology advanced
4)Must be able to mass produced

Comments

This is good

By JalenM1, Student at 11:02 am, 21 March 2016

This is good

By JalenM1, Student at 11:05 am, 21 March 2016

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?

JalenM1's work for the Collect Information step:

Summary
1) The purpose of a school locker is to store all of your stuff in it so that you won't have to carry all of your belongings all day long.
The inside of our school locker.
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1 row of our school's lockers.
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The outside of 1 of our school's locker.
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The outside of another school's locker.
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The inside of another school's locker.
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A row of another school's lockers.
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The inside of a different school's locker.
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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?

JalenM1's work for the Brainstorm Ideas step:

Summary
We took pictures of our school lockers. Then we compared those lockers to other lockers to see what students need. We gathered a couple of pictures of items that could potentially go in our locker.
We made an app for students to open their locker without actually touching their locker.
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Our locker allows students to store delicious food without worrying if your foord will spoil. Our...
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Our locker will be made out of steel.
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Our locker will be very secure.
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We will make a prototype out of a cardboard box.
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Our final product will be a fully customized locker.
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Our locker will have a fingerprint scan on it.
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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.

JalenM1's work for the Develop Solutions step:

Summary
We came up with things that could possibly go into the locker. Then we came up with things that the locker could be made out of. We also realized that we wanted the locker to have its own app.
The door/front of the locker
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The inside of the locker
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A 3d model of our locker
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The tray to store books and other school supplies
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The top of the locker
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The inside of the top the locker
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The side of 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!

JalenM1's work for the Final Design step:

Summary
The colors of my locker are brown, silver, yellow, white, black, and blue. Our locker will be made out of aluminum.
The locker with a human in the picture
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The outside of the locker
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The inside of the locker
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A tray where you can store books
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The top of the locker
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The inside of the top of the locker where you can store you clothes or sneakers
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A 3d model if our locker
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