Creating functunal designs has always been the only passion since I learned to manipulate any kind of raw material. A beautiful artwork is lovely to observe and ponder, and enjoyable to share with others. Helping with other tasks or creative outlets with that piece of art is an itch that I have been trying to scratch for over a decade.

I am Brent McDonnell, and at Bevel_Vessel we continue this mantra into our new creative outlet here on MyMiniFactory. Looking for others with the same itch to scratch, creating functional designs that help our every day lives, or helps fast-track our creative processes to build more effectively, efficiently and precicely.

Of the few designs we have so far, most have been out of striving for efficiency in daily tasks. One of them perfectly reflects the daily task of 3D printing, the other reflects the normal routine we all go through every morning. Wanting to be efficient with my morning routine before work, I found myself balancing my phone on top of jars, counter backsplashes, and window sills while I clean dishes, make breakfast or meal prep for the week. A few close calls of having my phone fall down flat on the counter or sink, pushed a need to design a phone stand.

In addition to this problem, is the need to maintain an older phone. This is a need in my perspective to prevent the participation in our 'throw-out' culture, as soon as something bigger/better is released. The more you use an object, or a tool, the smaller the carbon footprint your create. Whether it is a car from the 1970's, your grandfather's toolbox, or the phone you bought two years ago. Extending the life of a useful object is something I strive to do to save many things, one of them being money, the other is resources. This component pushed me to combine this with the phone stand that I also needed. Surely these can be implemented.

The third problem comes with the territory of the second one; maintaining your phone's battery and charging port over extended years of use. Some are brave and intelligent enough to replace the battery of their phone themselves, which I commend. I, however, lack the courage. As a result, I can get by with a less effecient phone battery, but this brings along an additional problem; wearing down the charging port. You know, the way you have to kink the wire at the port in order for a connection to be present. This is something that I know is inevitable, but wanted to avoid. Just as the first two, I needed to implement wireless charging, to extend the life of the charging port for as long as possible.

As a result, 4 months and 20 iterations later, the BV_2 was complete. Combining the technology of wireless charging, with the ergonomics of an adjustable phone holder, all the issues of longevity and convenience for maintaining a phone past the manufacturer's intended lifespan can be realized. This allows for the participation in a small piece of low-carbon footprint lifestyle through using up less resources in a new phone, preservation of your current phone's charging port, as well as savings of the most precious resource to us, time. Being able to charge your phone, watch the morning news and cook your breakfast is important to make more time for what you hold most valuable; sleep, exercise, or taking a longer walk with your dog.

We are excited to hear your feedback on the kind of creations that we use in our own homes, and see how we can improve our products and your lifestyle. More importantly, I am excited to connect with like-minded creators who enjoy the idea of functional designing. Sharing our intentions and motivations behind our creations is something valuable, beyond our end products, and I am excited to hear about yours.

Sincerely,

Brent McDonnell

Brent McDonnell

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