Personal Project First Pitch

This is my current definition statement:

“People should be able to practice/learn music while staying engaged and motivated, building discipline and healthy habits. They should be able to develop skills for a respective instrument if consistent practice is imminent. A user using this product should be someone who is interested in music but lacks the motivation and time to learn/practice.”

Primary Market:
People who are interested/learning music.

Secondary Market:
People who are determined to learn/hone any new skill and/or build healthier habits. Majority of the solutions could apply to other areas of life other than music.

Here are a few ideas of mine:

1. App that allows easy access to practice.

2. Little box called “BoxBox” that helps people build healthy practicing habits and discipline. Practically, the design consists of a box that stays closed shut when its timer (which can set at any time up to 59:59 minutes) is running. When the time is up, the box will open up, revealing any item placed by the user beforehand as a reward for practicing. This could apply for greater things apart from practicing music. Could be a study tool to motivate students to learn or develop a skill.

3. Small fun gadget that attaches to any instrument. Possible design could include some sort of animal/pet that gains experience when listening to a person practice music. Some people like these types of tools to help them stay engaged and determined.

4. Weighted gloves that challenge students; builds endurance for the hands.

5. “Practice Wheel”: A wheel with different practice challenges. An individual spins the wheel and whichever slot the wheel lands on is the practice challenge the individual has to pursue. All practice challenges will vary in difficulty, which makes the spinning part exhilarating and entertaining.

Out of all the possible solutions, I decided to choose the “BoxBox” because it seems challenging but doable.

A description of a prototype: A fairly wide and short white/black box with a weighted pressure plate that activates when something is placed on top of it. Once activated, the box door (located top of the box) shuts down and stays closed until the timer (set by the user up to 60mins located middle of the box) ends. During this time, the individual in encouraged to practice music or build/develop other skills.

In terms of how I’m going to create it, I plan to design “BoxBox” on OnShape. I believe that designing this box will require greater skill than I currently possess, but I am up for the challenge. The timer/clock proposed to be attached to the box will most likely be purchased off of amazon and attached to the box from the inside. There will be an opening for the buttons of the timer (to increase or decrease the time set) on the box. I will aim to add smooth fabric in and/or on the box to make it look and feel nicer.

Here is a step by step plan I currently have for the building process (includes approximate timing):

1. Draw a prototype on a piece of paper and label the most important features of the box (February).

2. Create another prototype inspired by the one made on paper on OnShape (February).

3. Create my first “real” prototype consisting of all the necessary functions within the box (March).

4. Test it out and note down any flaws I notice (March).

5. Continue this cycle until confident about the design I have (March-April).

The thing I am most interested to build/design is the latch located on the box. The latch is the thing that will keep the box locked when the item is kept inside and the timer is activated. I wonder how I will build it on OnShape and if I will be required to make any adjustments in the future if things don’t go my way (which they won’t).