3D Printed Phone Wallet
January - March 2022
Utilizing the resources available to me in Northwestern's Rapid Prototyping Lab, I designed and fabricated an iPhone 12 case with a card-holding attachment. The product went through 3 iterations, each adding to or improving the features of the previous.
My role
User testing & interviews, CAD
My skills
User-centered design
SolidWorks
User Testing
3D Printing
Designing the Phone Case
Initial sketches of this concept saw two pockets, similar to those on attachable phone wallets on the market. These pockets would be fully integrated into the case itself and take a sweeping shape with one on top of the other.
The pockets would snugly hold 1-2 cards each. There would also be a small rim around the camera for its protection. Dimensions are based off of an iPhone 12 with a small amount of clearance left for phone insertion and removal.
Iterative Design: More Flexible/Rigid Materials
The first iteration of the phone case was was a rough proof of concept for my case. I gave myself more clearance than needed on all dimensions and used a material that was more flexible than I needed.
With the second case, I moved one material higher in rigidity. This unfortunately was still an overshoot, as the case came out far too brittle. The first pocket snapped off near immediately when I tried to clean and use it.
One new feature worked well: a small bump was added inside of the card pockets to help keep cards in place.
User Feedback on Iteration 2
Five users were presented with iteration 2 and were asked the questions listed below. Beneath each question, I have compiled key responses from a mixture of users. It is worth noting that part of the case had snapped (the pockets) prior to when I was able to get the case to the users. I was still able to get valuable feedback on the case as a whole, and the pockets did still hold cards.
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How does the case feel in your hand? What do you like/dislike about the material and its level of flexibility?
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Material slightly too hard for users, desire for more padding
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Feels strong and protective
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Difficult to get the phone in and out of the case due to material rigidity
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How secure do you feel that your phone is within this case? Do you think this case will protect your phone effectively?
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Phone feels safe, secure
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Hard material feels protective
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Some concern about the brittle material breaking on impact from a fall
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What do you think of the pocket sizes? Do you feel like your cards/money would be safe and secure in this case (feedback limited on this question because of broken pockets)
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Satisfaction with pocket sizes
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Pockets hold cards well
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The bump shape may block a card from sliding into the pocket (steep edge)
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How easy is it to remove/attach the buttons to this case, and how well do they work?
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Buttons work well when the case is on the phone
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Attachment/detachment is not easy because of material rigidity
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Does the case look aesthetically pleasing? Would you put this case on your phone?
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Shapes and contours look nice, but the gray is dull/lacks vibrancy
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Too monotone and bland
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With this feedback, I wanted to hit a few key points in my next iteration:
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Back to the more flexible material, but thicker so it feels stronger and keeps its form
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Alter shape of pocket bumps to be more spherical than cylindrical so cards slide in easily
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Make buttons out of a different color material than the rest of the case for aesthetics.
The results of these changes can be seen below in my final design.
Final Phone Case Design
The final design was thicker, but still made of the more flexible material. I removed all remaining clearance in dimensions for a snug fit, and also increased the amount of case overhang onto the front face of the phone. The pocket bumps were a smooth, spherical shape rather than the sharp edge that restricted cards on iteration 2. I also decreased the edge chamfer size slightly to ensure that enough material was present on the edge to hold the phone together. More photos of the case and its CAD can be seen below:
