For my project, I designed and created a pen holder with a built‑in fidget whale using TinkerCAD, a 3D printer, and a computer. I wanted something I could quietly mess with during class without distracting others, but I also wanted it to be useful. That’s why I combined a pen holder with a fidget—so it would be practical, harmless, and help me stay focused.

During the design process, I learned a lot. First, cutting and shaping the whale model was harder than I expected. I also learned that the chain links had to be printed inside the other pieces; otherwise, they would fall off after printing. Another important lesson was time management. Since I ended up doing part of the design from home, I had to use my time wisely and stay organized.

My project connects to the Innovative Designer standard because I used the technology available to me—like TinkerCAD and the 3D printer—to solve a real problem I had. I identified a need (a quiet fidget that wouldn’t get taken away) and designed a creative solution that also served another purpose as a pen holder.

I faced a few challenges along the way. One challenge was the time crunch, but I overcame it by choosing a project I could continue working on at home. Another challenge was that one of the pieces didn’t print correctly. I fixed this by adding more material to the hoops so the links would stay attached and the whale would hold together.

If I were to redo this project, I would change the number of links in the chain. I think having more links would make the fidget part even cooler. I would also make the whole design bigger because, in this case, bigger would improve both the look and the function.

This project connects to the Engineering Design pathway in the Hastings High School CTE Program. I had to design, test, fix problems, and improve my model—just like engineers do. It also relates to careers in engineering and design because I created multiple early versions before choosing the final design. Careers like architect, graphic designer, or game designer all use this same process of planning, revising, and creating.

In conclusion, this project showed me how many opportunities there are in engineering and design. If I choose to continue in this field, there are many paths I could explore.

this was revised by copilot