The Perfect 3D Printed Desk Organizer: From Render to Reality
GoEngineer's latest Community Design Contest challenged SOLIDWORKS designers to produce their dream desk accessory. Entries ranged from pen cups to headphone stands, but the winning design was a striking and hyper-personalized desk organizer from Mitchell Sherry titled, the "Bring Back the Cool" desk organizer.
The bold colors, shape, and unique details made Mitchell's design a crowd favorite:
The piece is packed with useful features and fun details. Here is Mitchell's explanation of his winning design:
"A desk catch-all with an emphasis placed on utility and looking cool. The catch-all can be printed in two pieces for a functional basic tray that can be stowed underneath the main unit for those times when you need to dump your pockets before sitting down. Or, combine the two bodies and print as one unit. The main body has:
- Two random object sections on the right and a sticky note relief section
- A slot for holding a coin when you're at a crossroads and need to make a 50/50 decision (sized for an American Kennedy half-dollar)
- Two writing utensil and random accessory sections in the outer back
- A phone holding section in the back center with a cutout for routing and fixing a lightning charging cable in the base
- A slot in the center for holding important mail (or if you're like me—quartered sheets of already printed letter paper to be used for quick note scratch sessions before they hit the recycling bin).
Additionally, the front upper face features an optional polygonal textured pattern to add more flavor to the overall visual design. Bring back the cool!
The design details are fantastic, but the secret weapon that made this entry such a head-turner was the professional render. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a well-executed design render is worth two thousand. Often as engineers and designers, we can focus on our part file as the end state of a successful design, but when it comes to communicating your vision to the masses, a professional render is the ultimate communication tool.
SOLIDWORKS users can render their designs in SOLIDWORKS Visualize. Visualize has two packages: Standard and Professional. SOLIDWORKS CAD Professional or Premium users on maintenance, have Visualize Standard already! Start rendering by following the introductory training videos in the GoEngineer Resource Center.
Learn More: New in SOLIDWORKS Visualize 2024: Importing, Appearances, Interactive Images, & More
The GoEngineer 3D Printing Services team was thrilled to get their hands on this design. The part was printed in ASA Orange and ASA Light gray, on the Stratasys Fortus 450mc FDM 3D printer, with post-processing done in an ultrasonic bath.
*F123 series ASA spools shown to display material color. The Fortus 450 uses enclosed material canisters, Fortus Standard ASA Canister.
See current 3D Printing Design Contests on The GoEngineer Community.
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About Erica Manzella
As a member of GoEngineer's Marketing team, Erica works to spark conversation and learning by fostering GoEngineer's 3D Design community. The defining goal of every campaign is to ensure that each user stays on the cutting edge of their industry (and has fun doing it.)
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