Unique, yet Simple, Card Holder Tray (Children's Board Game)
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Friends, I place this project in your capable hands... please help me move the cause forward! I'm a dad, and one-person start-up, using my retirement savings to develop a children's board game. (There's a real lack of truly funny reading games for kids aged 5-8 years. Most are really boring. My intention is to introduce a new board game at retail that fills the gap and gets younger kids laughing and reading.)
ASSIGNMENT:
Develop the production-ready Mini Card Holder Tray which will be used in the game.
Deliverables (hope I got these right)...
- A CAD and STL file which can be (a) used to 3D print a prototype/sample, (b) provided to a manufacturer for development of a mold and mass production of tray
- A PDF showing the tray from 2-3 perspectives
USE OF TRAY:
This game includes miniature playing cards, and they are held in a card holder tray which is essential to game play. Play starts as the card tray slides over (on top of the table or playing surface) to Player 1. He draws his cards. After playing the cards, he pushes/slides the tray to Player 2. She'll take her turn, and slide the tray to the next player. Turns continue until the game ends.
MAXIMUM DIMENSIONS OF TRAY:
So the tray will fit in the game box, its size cannot exceed 170mm x 100mm x 35mm.
CARD SLOTS IN TRAY:
To ensure proper game play, the card slots (where the cards fit) must be as follows…
- Left Side -- a front and rear slot to hold cards
- Middle -- a single front slot to hold cards
- Right Side -- a front and rear slot to hold cards
Each tray opening/slot must be able to hold at least (35) 44 x 67mm mini playing cards... that's about 14mm deep. (Please also provide the appropriate extra space in the width of the card slots so the cards can be easily inserted and pulled out.)
See attached image of my temporary tray (01_TempTray.jpg) that I cut up crudely from an ice cube mold, for a visual of the number of tray slots, and their orientation.
THOUGHT-STARTERS FOR STYLE OF TRAY:
I've seen two types of trays that could work well. See attached examples in PDF (02_TwoTrayTypes.jpg)...
- Tray that lies flat (on its back)
- Tray that holds cards somewhat upright (at an angle for viewing)
Or maybe a hybrid of the two tray types?
In terms of design, something that's simple, contemporary and visually pleasing (like Apple® products), would be great.
I've attached an earlier mock up of the game's box cover, in case that can stimulate ideas also. (03_BoxCover_InProgress.jpg)
1. Unique, yet simple, one-piece design suitable for injection molded manufacturing, and to be made from a child-safe plastic used in games
2. Easy, and inexpensive, to manufacture
3. The weight as light as possible to keep down shipping cost of game, yet strong enough to withstand use/play by kids 5-8 years old
4. Rounded corners for safety of young children, and for a pleasing aesthetic
5. No "bumps" or elements sticking out of top or bottom of card tray, as they may puncture the wall of the game box in storage or during shipping. (The tray sides can vary in shape though.)
6. A light blue-colored tray (i.e., CMYK - C:31%, M:15%, Y:4%, K:1%)
7. Tray should be slide-able from one player to the next. It shouldn't tip over, and shouldn't scratch a table top surface
8. Players should be able to easily draw cards from the tray
9. Use exact number of tray openings/slots specified, and in same orientation/sequence as specified
10. Tray must not be larger than the provided dimensions to fit in the game box
11. Uniform wall thickness to ensure proper mold filling in manufacturing process
12. Designed with the appropriate "draft" so tray surface isn't damaged during separation from mold surface
13. Designed in metric system
- SolidWorks (Current Version)
- AutoCAD (Appropriate Current Version)
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SIZE OF TRAY... Everyone, the spec I gave for the tray size was the Maximum. (As long as the cards fit, the size can be smaller than that. So for example, it doesn't have to be the full 170mm across.) Maybe that saves on manufacturing cost and lowers the shipping weight by a little? Not sure... but was thinking of that a little.
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VISUALIZING SUBMISSIONS... All, if it's not too much trouble for future submissions, PDF's or Image Files (with a front, rear, and upside down perspective) help me quickly visualize your designs. Thx!
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CLARIFICATION... Team, please note that all cards should be facing forward in your tray designs. It may not have been perfectly clear from my original images/notes.
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EXTENDING CONTEST... Hi guys, I'm extending the contest 3 days. My trip has delayed me, and this will allow me to get back to some of you who had questions. Thanks for understanding!
Entries
Discussion
Showing last 20 comments - View AllDesigner
Buyer
Buyer
Designer
it is been great to work with you Shahin. And you are doing great work for children, i wish you success and hope to find you in future to work together.
Thanks once again
Designer
and thank you for your follow :) I wish you success
Congrats Rahul ;)
REDA
Buyer
I've selected the winner for the contest. It was quite a difficult choice for me. There were so many talented designs... from Rahul to Reda and MANY others. Thank you all sincerely for your advice, your designs, and helping me get closer to manufacturing this game for the children. Your presence makes this site amazing. And I am truly thankful for you putting yourselves out there 110% with your very creative, professional designs.
I will be awarding this contest to Rahul. Thank you Rahul! (Rahul's design works best with my game and how to play it. The way the cards lay down flat, and how the mystery cards stand up in back. With so many talented entries that delivered on the requirements, that factor tipped the scales for me.) Reda, your tray was a very close second place. Thanks for your great design as well! And then, wow, there were many other contenders.
As per the site's FAQ, I'm going to leave the contest open for the following days while Rahul and I work through the final revisions. Then I'll assign him the winner title.
With much respect guys,
Shahin (P.F. Shaggy)
Buyer
Designer
Cheers!
Buyer
Buyer
As I learn more from you (the experts), and think more about this contest, I believe the main criteria I will use in my final decision is:
- A unique design that is a little crazy/unusual, yet still practical to use
- Inexpensive to manufacture (tooling & per unit cost)
- As light as possible to decrease cost when shipping
- Strong enough to handle play with kids
Thanks again,
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REDA
Designer