The Puzzle Cube:

Objective: The objective was to brainstorm and sketch possible solutions to an existing design problem, select an approach that meets or satisfies the constraints given in a design brief, and create simple extravagant solid Computer Aided Design (CAD) models from dimensional sketches.

Define the Problem

A local office furniture manufacturing company need our help to come up with a way to make a three dimensional puzzle cube consisting of five pieces, which come together to form a small cube like this:

Brainstorming

For brainstorming, what we did was, we used little connectable cubes as a guide, to create shapes, that were now longer than three cubes high or long. When we did this, we came up with 20+ possibilities. By the end of our day, we had sometimes more than one sheets of paper filled with different shapes. We did these shapes in isometric form, so that we could see exactly how the shape would be. Here's an example:

Research and Generate Ideas

What we had to do here, was to use the plastic cubes that we used earlier, to make the shapes ( each shape a solid colour) and put it together to make a 3x3" cube. 

Identify Criteria and Constraints

We have to look after the list of constraints that was given to us in the beginning of our project. Here is a list of constraints that we have to meet:

Select a Approach

We then chose five shapes that we made in the beginning, and put them together, making the shapes cometogether, that formed the cube. Once we knew which shape wnt where, and if it ment the requirements, we had to draw the five shapes in a seprate sheet of paper, colour coding them, so that we can tell which shape was which when we made the prototype.

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Model or Prototype
After we colored the cubes that we got, (we got a total of twenty eight wooden cubes per student) we put them togerther, laying them out how we wanted the shaped to look, and we glued them with Elmers Rubber Cement Glue.

Refine

When we did the project, we didn't really care for making it look perfect, therefore, we went back and fixed what looked messy, to that everything looked correct.

Create or Make Solutions

Fore the product, we had to come up with an original package. We had to determine what was appropriate and what as absolutely NEEDED in the packaging, for example: Warnings are always needed. They prevent you from being sued, also Having an original Brand name. This is an example of packaging (unfinished):

After this, we just checked to make sure that everything was done, and we were done :)