3D Printing to the Rescue
Another CX/Service design project where I used 3D printed tags to improve room allocation in an open office.
TL;DR
I used some basic 3D modeling skills to build and print magnets. They have room numbers marked so my colleagues can see if any room is available when they clock in.
1. The challenge
I work in an open office where rooms are first come, first serve. This gives us freedom but also adds to the problem of which room is still open?”.
To add to the challenge, our office is also L-shaped. This means, whoever checked in by the front desk cannot see which rooms are open.
Recently we had a couple of new hires and this situation is getting even worse, esp. around 4 O’clock when people change shifts.
So my question was:
HMW indicate room availability more effectively so we don’t hold up traffic around the entrance?
2. The failed poker chip system
The thing is, we need something that people can take with them at the front desk when check-in. This way, the overall amount left will indicate how many rooms we still have.
We happen to have some poker chips around, so I put them to use and started collecting feedback.
⚠️ But the problem is NOT solved, because even though I see 5 chips left; it does not tell me if they are room103, 104, or 105. In which case, I would still circle down the hallway to figure out.
⚠️ The chips are also pretty unorganized and look messy. They are usually just in a big pile. 🙃
based on these, I need to:
✅ • add room numbers to the tokens
✅ • make a cleaner design
3. Paper prototype first
Given the size of the check-in board and the remaining wall space, 3D printing seems to be the best way to solve the challenge.
However, before all hours and efforts go in vain, let’s test with some paper prototype first to validate the idea.
After measuring the space, I made a paper prototype for a holder and rectangular tokens in them.
Then I called my co-workers over and collected feedback:
✅ make these magnetic — so people can leave it up on the board. This would also avoid the situation where people forget about the tags when they leave the room, which causes missing tags.
4. 3D Print and test
3D Modeling with TinkerCAD
So I adopted the suggestion in my 3D model by:
✅ cutting a small hole on the back of each token — this way I can glue in the magnets.
I was fortunate enough to have access to an Ultimaker 3D Printer.
Initially, I was going to print both magnetic and non-magnetic versions for an A/B test. However, print one set would take 9–10hrs. So I ended up going with the magnetic version directly.
Test
To test the prototype and avoid waste, I glued one magnet but held others in with tape for the incubation week.
Given that many people look at the check-in board to locate people in the office (for meetings and stuff), I found that:
⚠️ these magnets are too light to read.
5. Iterate and keep gathering feedback
The week-long test seems successful:
👉 • users are happy with the magnets
👉 • size of the token fits well without sacrificing the comfort of the grip
However, there are changes needed too:
⚠️ • room numbers need to be colored for better legibility
So other than glue in the magnets, I also colored the numbers:
Since then, the system has been running well and the waiting time during shift changes have never gone over 5mins.
6. Reflecting on the project
This is my first time 3D modeling and 3D printing to solve practical challenges.
I learned a lot in terms of:
👉• not restricting my creativity.
There are many ways of solving a problem, and we should really keep in mind that there are many tools we can use. Why is it more important than How/What.
👉 • working in 3D.
This project finally gave me an opportunity to tap more into 3D modeling. Learning the new software — TinkerCAD — is also pretty interesting.
👉 • practical use of design thinking + UCD principles.
Similar to the first point. UCD (User-centered Design) and design thinking should really not be limited to just the pixels on the screen. A prototype does not always need to be a digital product either.
If I could:
👉 • further iterations on the magnet holder.
The current prototype works well most of the time, but the holding pockets are a little shallow.
This causes two adjacent magnets to repel or attract each other. Rarely, at a specific angle, a repel is strong enough the send the other magnet flying.
I am still monitoring this case (but now we are working from home 🤔), so in the future, if it’s observed more often, I will update the model.
👉 • what to do with 106?
Room 106 is closed on Thursday 2–4 pm ONLY. To distinguish, I left the number as white.
However, this does not address the legibility issue, which I am thinking about coloring with a different color.
But again, that’s for after we move back to the office after COVID-19.
