Making blog
We’ve made incredible progress since that first look at the storyboard! Harper's Turtle-Tastic Bag is beautifully coming to life through our blend of 2D and 3D animation. The characters are mostly finished, and many of the main scenes are already done. Sound design and a few final sequences are still missing, but we are perfectly on track. Seeing this invention provide a literal "shell" of comfort in motion makes me even more certain of the profound impact this story will have on those navigating anxiety. This project is so close to the finish line, and I’m more inspired than ever to show a new generation of empathetic inventors how we can design a world where everyone feels safe.
The images show a sneak peek at the finalized characters.
3D printing is amazing because it lets us make quick practice versions of our ideas, which engineers call "rapid prototyping." Instead of just looking at a picture on a computer screen, we can print out a real plastic piece to hold in our hands and see if it fits perfectly. This helps us easily spot any mistakes and fix our designs super fast before we make the final version!
After meeting with Cecilia and building out the design map, the next step in the process was refining her original “napkin sketch” into a more developed concept render.
Using the key features, materials, colors, and functionality we discussed, I created a set of refined orthographic sketches that clearly define the design and show where each feature lives on the product. These renderings help translate Cecilia’s original idea into a format that can be understood from both a design and engineering perspective while still staying true to her vision.
This phase is an important step in the development process because it bridges imagination and real-world production. With the concept now more clearly defined, the project will be handed off to our Advanced Visualization team, who will begin creating 3D CAD models in preparation for prototyping.
It’s exciting to see Cecilia’s idea continue evolving from an initial sketch into something tangible and buildable!
04/23 Zoom Meet!
One of the most exciting parts of the Little Inventors program is getting the opportunity to collaborate directly with young inventors and help bring their ideas to life through design and engineering.
This week, I met my Little Inventor, Cecilia, over Zoom for the very first time. She walked me through her invention idea, explaining the features she wanted included, how she imagined it working, and some of the key colors and materials she envisioned for the final design.
After our conversation, I organized all of her ideas into a design map to help lay out the important features and direction for the refined concept. This map will serve as the foundation for the next stage of the design process as I begin bringing Cecilia’s imagination to life.
I’m excited to continue developing her idea and share more of the journey along the way!
In these first sketches, I wanted to nail down the design for the dome. I wanted to allow for ventilation while still keeping the main structure of the dome to create a secure environment for the insects. I also played around with the idea of the band itself including bug-like elements to reflect inside the dome. I had a lot of fun with these sketches, it was very easy to be inspired by the original concept.
Gracelyn and I discussed the Stomper’s logistics and how it would interact in various environments. I took notes on her vision for the shoe and here’s what stood out to me: The Stomper can be bought as a high or low top, depending on the users preference. It can be used in sports teams to communicate with each other if needed, during practice and in games. It has a different vibration type through various terrain, while still being able to communicate through all weather conditions. They are durable shoes with straps securing the foot, and the bigger the stomp, the stronger they communicate to others with the same shoe. It’s a great idea for those who can’t communicate verbally, and for people who must communicate through long distances. It was a great and informative chat overall!
The last few days have been a flurry of activity and a few setbacks for the Suction Suit Construction. Steve has had to sew, take apart, resew and take apart again....but that is all part of the creative process! And if you take a closer look in one of the pictures there is a small plaque that Steve keeps on his desk that reads " It's kind of fun to do the Impossible" !
As we draw closer to the reveal of the Giraffe Feeder, the team is working on the final touches to ensure we bring Adelina's invention to life, just as she envisioned it.
4/21
I met with Madalyn over zoom and got to speak with her about her vision for the insect bracelet. We got to talk about her inspiration for the product which was very sweet and drew me to choosing the product in the first place. We also discussed her material preferences and we agreed that a nature-based material and color inspiration would fit her theme of helping out little bugs better.
We received a shipment of supplies yesterday and 3D-printed the feeder.
Last week CAD Guy Cody from HTI met with Yana to clarify some of her design elements to ensure Bendy Handies comes out just like she envisioned. Some key features she expressed interest in were adding lights, using grabber arms, keeping it flexible and making sure the arms are orange! She also informed us that her mom was part of her inspiration as "she always needs an extra hand". The pictures below illustrate the initial design as well as our first working meeting with materials. We will be taking the ideas that Yana told CAD Guy Cody and running full speed ahead with improving our design and putting all the pieces together for an awesome final product!
Now we would explore different color ideas, the one request from Lidia from our meeting was she want something more pastel and colorful. so we had chosen two color waves to match her idea.
After finished modeling those hands and handle and now it is time to assemble them together as a piece.
I start sculpting a gecko hand in zbrush software based on Lidia sketch, and add layers of texture on the hand to imitate a gecko hand. And start finalizing the handle of the grabber. Imagine it like working with Play-Doh, and shaping the little clay into the shape of the hand and add bumps and texture to look like a Gecko hand.
After gathering ideas, start exploring what kind of shape could the grabber look like whether it's through sketch, or simply shape to visually see it. With the power of AI you can also communicate briefly to help visualize your idea quicker.
Based on her sketch, looking into sites like Pinterest to gather ideas and thoughts of how this grabber could look like
Designer Steve worked through several design concepts to come up with a pattern and process for creating the suction saver's critical feature, the suction cups!
I will bring Harper's incredible Turtle-Tastic Bag to life through a blend of 2D and 3D animation. By visualizing how this invention provides a literal "shell" of comfort, I aim to showcase the profound impact it can have on those navigating anxiety through a story. This project isn't just about a backpack, it’s about inspiring a new generation of empathetic inventors to design a world where everyone feels safe. Talking to Harper was inspiring and I am so stoked to be able to make her wonderful idea become reality!
The images show a first look into the storyboard and a first version of a possible backpack.
After meeting with the inventor, we are well on our way to bringing it to life! We began by modeling it in CAD software. After a few prototypes, we are now in production, with our 3D printers running at full capacity.
Hi Milena!
We are almost ready to manufacture the Giraffe Neck! Zach has been working diligently, making your design come to life. These pictures are some of his final designs. Once we start manufacturing, I will update you :)
Thank you,
Ivy Marion
Human Resources Coordinator