Puzzle Design Challenge Brief
Client: Fine Office Furniture, Inc.
Target Consumer: Ages 3+
Designer: Cardon Furry
Problem
Statement: A local office furniture manufacturing company throws away tens of thousands of scrap ¾” hardwood cubes that result from its furniture construction processes. The material is expensive, and the scrap represents a sizeable loss of profit.
Design Statement: Fine Office Furniture, Inc. would like to return value to its waste product by using it as the raw material for desktop novelty items that will be sold on the showroom floor. Design, build, test, document, and present a three-dimensional puzzle system that is made from the scrap hardwood cubes. The puzzle system must provide an appropriate degree of challenge to a person who is three years of age or older.
Criteria:
1. The puzzle must be fabricated from 27 – ¾”hardwood cubes.
2. The puzzle system must contain exactly five puzzle pieces.
3. Each individual puzzle piece must consist of at least four, but no more than six hardwood cubes that are permanently attached to each other.
4. No two puzzle pieces can be the same.
5. The five puzzle pieces must assemble to form a 2 ¼” cube.
6. Some puzzle parts should interlock
Client: Fine Office Furniture, Inc.
Target Consumer: Ages 3+
Designer: Cardon Furry
Problem
Statement: A local office furniture manufacturing company throws away tens of thousands of scrap ¾” hardwood cubes that result from its furniture construction processes. The material is expensive, and the scrap represents a sizeable loss of profit.
Design Statement: Fine Office Furniture, Inc. would like to return value to its waste product by using it as the raw material for desktop novelty items that will be sold on the showroom floor. Design, build, test, document, and present a three-dimensional puzzle system that is made from the scrap hardwood cubes. The puzzle system must provide an appropriate degree of challenge to a person who is three years of age or older.
Criteria:
1. The puzzle must be fabricated from 27 – ¾”hardwood cubes.
2. The puzzle system must contain exactly five puzzle pieces.
3. Each individual puzzle piece must consist of at least four, but no more than six hardwood cubes that are permanently attached to each other.
4. No two puzzle pieces can be the same.
5. The five puzzle pieces must assemble to form a 2 ¼” cube.
6. Some puzzle parts should interlock
Puzzle Cube Research
Brainstorm 3, 4, 5, & 6 puzzle cube combinations
Puzzle cube solutions
![Picture](/uploads/2/6/6/6/26662973/1393350452.png)
Isometric Sketches
IPT for each puzzle piece
Puzzle Cube Parts IDW
Puzzle Cube Assembly IAM IDW
Puzzle Cube Assembly
Puzzle Cube and Package
Puzzle Cube Data
I was able to measure the length of each cube with a dialer caliper. They able to measure the nearest thousandth. We then found the standard deviation of the cubes and any cube that did not fall within one standard deviation wads discarded and replaced.
Reflection
I used the design process to solve the problem. This means that I went through a series of steps to get to the solution. I started by identifying the problem which was that a company had extra wood blocks and wanted to recycle them. The solution was to make puzzle cubes out of them. I then brainstormed different shapes with the cube. Next I choose which ones I wanted and created a prototype. I tested the prototype and made the finished product. That is how I used the design process to solve the problem.
My cube does meet the criteria. For example, on the packaging it states not for children three years of younger. This is shown through the difficulty of the cube. This shows that my cube meets the requirements of the design criteria.
One way I could have improved my cube was through making more interlocking cubes. Another way is by having more pieces or by making my pieces with a larger amount of cubes. Finally, my cube could have been improved if the pieces were more unique. An example is the two of my cubes are very similar looking and if they were more unique they would be more difficult to solve.
I used the design process to solve the problem. This means that I went through a series of steps to get to the solution. I started by identifying the problem which was that a company had extra wood blocks and wanted to recycle them. The solution was to make puzzle cubes out of them. I then brainstormed different shapes with the cube. Next I choose which ones I wanted and created a prototype. I tested the prototype and made the finished product. That is how I used the design process to solve the problem.
My cube does meet the criteria. For example, on the packaging it states not for children three years of younger. This is shown through the difficulty of the cube. This shows that my cube meets the requirements of the design criteria.
One way I could have improved my cube was through making more interlocking cubes. Another way is by having more pieces or by making my pieces with a larger amount of cubes. Finally, my cube could have been improved if the pieces were more unique. An example is the two of my cubes are very similar looking and if they were more unique they would be more difficult to solve.