A Deep-Dive on Why the First Version Sucks

Last snippet I mentioned that my first real cardboard prototype was bad, and I got some feedback from a friend that he wanted to hear more and see what I meant. Actually, that's been the general feedback. I know I am relying more on the written word for what is inherently a very visual project. I'm aware, bear with me, as I work on my own visual style and process for capturing imagery.

So let me show you a little bit more about the initial cardboard prototype and its obvious flaws. I won't solve them all today, and I'm also not abandoning my initial goal to produce a chipboard prototype (spoiler alert: I've already sent off my first design to SendCutSend. More on that later.)

The Bad

1. Bad measurements causing buckling. The bend in the cardboard is due to bad measurements, specifically longer dividers than needed in reality. Simple mistake, but interesting to see its impact, at least with this medium. I imagine I’m not the only one measuring poorly

   

2. Bad measurements means items don’t fit. I don’t have a great photo of this since I whittled the cardboard down to eventually fit my brush. The brush not fitting was particularly painful because this one of the things I was trying to fix from my original clear plastic buckets.

3. Leaky edges with uncertain cause. See the little items sliding under the divider? This drives me bonkers and is a downgrade from the original plastic buckets. I'm not sure if this is a fundamental flaw of the divider design or just a fabrication mistake on edge straightness.

   

The Good

1. The overlapping joint. Surprisingly satisfying. A 50/50 overlap sits flush and feels solid.

2. Tab and slot joint. Not as smooth as the overlapping joint, but still functional. Cardboard gives you more wiggle room than I’ll get with chipboard or wood, though.

The Learnings

1. Confirmed my theory that unlike a haircut, it’s better to go too short than too long. Too long won’t fit and needs a saw to fix. Too short won’t fit either but you can probably make up about .25mm with some sort of foam padding wedge.

2. Helped me see where accuracy matters. Matters a ton on the divider lengths, but less so on joinery placement. Consistency and precision matters more there.

3. I generated a ton of redesign ideas that I’m starting to explore.