The objective of Team Checkout Us was to build a desk for the SCRAP Humboldt nonprofit to compliment their new location on H and G Streets in Arcata. The client wanted the desk to inspire customers that enter the shop to start their own creative upcycling projects. The desk needed to be aesthetically pleasing, as well as have plenty of storage and other essential components allowing the cashier to go about daily business of running the store.
Background[edit | edit source]
Team Checkout Us consists of three Cal Poly Humboldt students unrolled in the Spring 2012 ENGR 215 Introduction to Design class. The client was SCRAP Humboldt; a non-profit whose objective is to remove interesting and useful items from the waste stream for reuse, either in an artistic, or useful fashion. SCRAP Humboldt was in need of an aesthetically pleasing checkout desk in their new location that would compliment their new space, as well as act as an inspiration for others to reuse material in their own creative projects.
Problem statement and criteria[edit | edit source]
The SCRAP Humboldt Initiative did not have an aesthetically pleasing UpCycled checkout desk for their new storefront.
| Criteria | Weight(1-10) | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Functionality | 10 | The desk must be able to store money and other items essential to SCRAP Humboldt. |
| Durability | 8 | The desk must be able to stand up to wear and tear from day to day operations. |
| Creativity | 8 | The desk must inspire people to build their own upcycled furniture. |
| Aesthetics | 7 | The desk must be attractive, showing that up cycled materials can be used to make an effective and attractive piece of furniture. |
| Safety | 5 | The desk does not need to be completely child proof, but should be safe enough for children to be proximal. |
| Weight | 4 | The desk should be able to be moved by 2-4 people if the company wishes to remodel. |
| Cost | 2 | The desk must come under the budget of $350. |
Description of Final Design[edit | edit source]
This is the final desk built by Team Checkout Us. It has two sides with separate purposes for SCRAP Humboldt. The long side is meant to be used as the cashiering side, where the client will place the cash register and take care of transactions. The short side of the desk is used for the measurement of large bolts of cloth, or paper. The desk also features interior storage in the form of two drawers, one with a lock for the storage of valuables or money. The drawers are featured in the How to Build Section below.
Costs[edit | edit source]
| Item | Retail Cost ($) | Team Cost ($) |
|---|---|---|
| Large Particle Board Planks | 120.00 | Donated |
| Particle Board Counter Top | 100.00 | Donated |
| Particle Board Scraps | 40.00 | Donated |
| Orange YOLO Paint | 35.00 | Donated |
| Misc. Screws and Hardware | 30.00 | Donated |
| Wood Glue (x2) | 16.00 | 8.00 |
| HSU Wood Siding | 15.00 | Donated |
| Tile Grout | 10.00 | 10.00 |
| Wood Biscuits | 10.00 | Donated |
| Wood Shelfing | 10.00 | Donated |
| Misc. Tile | 10.00 | Donated |
| Gorilla Glue | 8.00 | Donated |
| Bamboo | 5.00 | Donated |
| In-drawer Lock | 5.00 | Donated |
| Wooden Drawers | 5.00 | Donated |
| Binders | 3.00 | Donated |
| CD's | 1.00 | Donated |
| Vinyl Records | 1.00 | Donated |
| Patron Tequila Corks (x2) | 0.50 | Donated |
| Total | $424.50 | $18.00 |
Testing Results[edit | edit source]
The Simp-L checkout desk built for SCRAP Humboldt fit the criteria set for it very well. It was durable enough to stand up to daily use and had the necessary storage needed to store cash and other accoutrements needed for day to day business. It was also aesthetically pleasing enough to hopefully inspire customers to do their own creative reuse projects.
How to build[edit | edit source]
Due to the fact that the desk was made out of found wood, our team had trouble finding large pieces of wood for the desk. So our group had to use creative forms of joining to make larger boards of wood. After constructing our large pieces of wood, we laid out a plan to design the creative reuse panels. Each panel was featuring a different material that could be used for reuse. The panels are featured below in a gallery.
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Panels Being Made before upcycled materials put in
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Old Records, joined on with Gorilla, and hot glue
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Old CD's and binders for storage, attached with hot glue and gorilla glue
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Old tile broken up, attached with Mastick and grouted together
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Scrap wood Gorilla Glued to panel
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Bamboo wood glued on. YOLO Orange paint background
We also added interior storage to desk for valuables and money. We salvaged old drawers from broken dressers, and made a carcass to mount the drawers on to the desk. We also took old counter tops and mounted them on the outside to give SCRAP Humboldt some outer display areas.
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Storage for money and other items important to the cashier
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Display area for items
Discussion and next steps[edit | edit source]
- Install the desk in SCRAP Humboldt's new location
- Inspire customers to do their own creative reuse projects
Authors[edit | edit source]
