Pen Holder, Product Design

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I really like geometric shapes and the tolerances of a laser cutter allowed me to sculpt this snap-fit gem. It's all black acrylic and cut in one pass. One of the benefits of laser cutting is the accuracy of the machine. I planned to use this to the full advantage in designing what was deemed a <em>desk accessory</em>. I removed the paper guard on one side of the acrylic only, giving the pen holder a different character as you turned it around. It now approaches you as something like an onyx or marble. I really like how the edges of the acrylic create a topography along the sides. I used Adobe Illustrator in a very effective way for this project by tweening between shapes. This gave me all of the profiles I would need and in the same program I needed to run the job. It was a process that let me iterate rapidly. This side view lets you see how the ribs underneath snap fit with the profiles. This could only be done with a laser cutter. It is a unique penholder and I think it expresses the intent of the learning to use the laser cutter married with my geometric design.