HikeHold: Portable Cup Holder

Disposable cups generate significant waste. When filled with hot liquids, they require a holder for safe handling. Unlike the disposable cup itself, this holder can be designed for reuse. This not only reduces costs but also promotes environmental sustainability.
Every project starts with ideation, a spark of creativity brought to life through simple sketches on paper. These raw drawings are more than lines and shapes. They are the birthplace of innovation, where thoughts begin to take form without the burden of perfection. On paper, imagination flows freely, unconstrained by the limits of tools or technology. It’s in this humble process that ideas breathe for the first time, evolving with each stroke, bridging the gap between vision and reality. Here, possibilities unfold, and a concept’s soul begins its journey toward creation.
After the ideation phase, I refine my design and move on to geometric calculations. At this stage, I prefer to work through key dimensions and measurements by hand. This helps me verify proportions, relationships, and feasibility before committing the design to CAD. It’s a grounding step that ensures the foundation is solid before translating the concept into a detailed digital model.
Next, I use Rhino with Python scripting to automatically generate the design in CAD. This approach streamlines the creation process and builds a flexible foundation for future adjustments. Once the script establishes the core structure, I can easily make small refinements through Rhino’s user interface, allowing for both automation and hands-on control to perfect the design.
In laser cutting, the laser burns the edges of the material, and the cut itself has a radius due to the laser’s beam diameter. This kerf, or material removed by the beam, must be accounted for to maintain precise fitting and accurate part dimensions. That's why prototyping is especially important in laser cutting.
All these efforts lead to the final product...