Using a 3D printer and design tinker CAD, I created a custom board game because I wanted to make a unique, high-quality checkers game that my friends could play. I thought it would be fun to design my own pieces and game board instead of using store-bought ones. This project helped me learn how technology can be used to create detailed and personalized designs.

During this process, I learned how to use a 3D printer to make game pieces. At first, I had trouble getting everything to print correctly, but I figured out how to adjust the settings to improve quality. Testing different designs and learning how to fix mistakes made me better at using the tools.

The 7 standards of the class are Empowered Learner, Digital Citizen, Knowledge Constructor, Innovative Designer, Computational Thinker, Creative Communicator, and Global Collaborator. My project ties to Innovative Designer because I used creative thinking and technology to bring my board game idea to life. Making changes and improving my designs helped me understand how professionals develop new products.

A challenge I overcame on this project was getting the game pieces to print correctly without errors. Some parts were too weak or didn’t fit together, so I had to find ways to make them stronger and more precise. I was able to fix this by adjusting my designs and experimenting with different printer settings.

Given a chance to do this again, I would change the materials we used for the board. The reason why I would change it is unfortunately we ran out of time to make it out of acrylic. I think using acrylic would also make the game look better and feel more professional.

Hastings High School Career and Technical Education Program offers Agriculture, Business Management, Computer Programming, Construction Trades, Culinary Arts, Digital Multimedia, Engineering Design, Finance, Insurance, and Marketing. My project connects to the Engineering Design CTE program at Hastings High School because it involved using technology to create and improve a functional product. Learning how to use a 3D printer and laser cutter gave me experience in design and problem-solving.

My project connects to careers in game design and product development because creating physical objects requires creativity, problem-solving, and technical skills. People who design games or products use technology to make prototypes and improve their ideas. By making my own board game, I learned how professionals bring their designs to life.

"This project explanation was refined with the assistance of Microsoft Copilot."