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The aim of the project was to design a writing product to help children under 12 years old to learn.
Kevin Giles
The Design Brief
Pencil Gripper
Pencil gripper that aids learning and engagement whilst operating with ease with conventional pencils.
The project began with reviewing the user, current products and relating to a criteria for the design use and potential. The design had to be a comfortable product light in weight requiring minimum effort to integrate with and use. The design was aimed at a fun element and would be at market costs.
Ideas generated new pencils, modified pencils and pencil accessories. This process highlighted the need to interact with conventional shaped pencils and thus an accessory item was developed in the form of a pencil gripper that cushioned, supported and best conformed to the design brief.
Sketching provided associated thinking and led to ideas and concepts for an emerging pencil gripper with a variety of shapes and textures (image detail 1).
My Process
The Design proposal
Creative modelling developed the final design, a fruit style pencil gripper (image detail 2). Looking like a half-eaten apple this design oozed a bright, fun concept. Improvements considered scenting the gripper to smell just like “apples”!
T218 was innovative, inspiring and thoroughly enjoyable. I revisited drawing, modelling and designing and unleashed my creative origins (Image detail 3).
About me
A Service Veteran of 23 years, a Secondary School teacher of 12 years and a father of 11 years. The Open University has rewired and stimulated me at the tender age of 55 for my next journey.