SHIFT Learning by Design fidget system

This paragraph appears in search results and previews for this page. In three to five sentences, summarize the whole project from background to result: what you designed, for whom, where and when, why it matters, and how it turned out. Write this last. It should make sense to someone who has never heard of your project, your client, or Humboldt County.

Describe the background of the project, covering who, what, when, why, and where: the client, the site, the course (Engr205 Introduction to Design at Cal Poly Humboldt), the semester, and your team. This page will be read by people around the world and in the future, so give enough context that a stranger understands it. Refer to your images in the text, e.g., Figure 1 shows the site before the project.

Images uploaded to Appropedia must be free to share and uniquely named. Start each file name with your project name, e.g., CCAT_compost_bin_background.jpg. Use File:Default.png as a placeholder until you have the real image. Give every image alt text (alt=) that describes it for readers using screen readers; the caption is what everyone reads, the alt text is what the image shows.

The objective of this project is to design, build, and test a... Write this so that a reader would know when the project is complete. You will refine this statement throughout the semester.

This section introduces the specifications, considerations, criteria, and constants for this project. It highlights the most important constraints that should be considered during the production of the fidget system.

The specifications for this project include:

• The client
• Where the fidget system is going (HGH 105)
• Maximum budget: $600 ($400 from grant + $50 for each team member)
• Rounded edges and smooth, safe system

The considerations for this project include:

• The local climate
• The age of students using the system
• How often the system will be used
• The durability of the materials
• The total cost
• The system's aesthetics

The following table outlines the key criteria and constraints for this project, serving as a guide to ensure the final solution meets essential performance, quality, and feasibility requirements. Criteria define the desired features and goals, while constraints establish the boundaries and limitations within which the project must be completed.

Criterion	Constraint	Weight (0–10, 10 highest)
Volume/ Decibel limit	Fidgets should not make any noise over 25 decibels.	8
Portablility	The system should be able to be moved from desk to desk/table on wheels, with adjustable height (2-4 ft).	6
Durability	It will be used around 10-15 hours a week, with the client hoping to have it last 2-3 years.	6
Water-resistance	It should be spill-resistant.	7
Variety of fidgets	No latex, nitrile (or neoprene). The fidgets should have different textures, mechanisms, and weights.	8
Regulation	It must prove to be a beneficial tool rather than a distraction during lectures/class.	9
Safety	It must meet or exceed safety standards; no high-risk activities or fidgets. It must pass safety inspections.	10
Sanitization ability	The fidgets need to be removable from the larger system for regular sanitation. A possible UV light cleaner will be considered, which would additionally need a light-proof drawer and retractable cord or battery charger.	7

This design would be used around 10-15 hours per week, and the client hopes for this system to last 2-3 years. The production volume would include of 2/3 fidget drawers, a fidget table, and 2-3 foot-fidget systems.

The organization is the Department of Child Development at Cal Poly Humboldt and its Child Development Association (CDA). College students, particularly those studying within the CDA, will use the fidget-regulation system in room HGH 105.

Client Interview

Summary: The client wants students to manage their own fidgeting without leaving their seats. When students are wearing their shoes, foot fidgets must be comfortable and easy to use, and hand fidgets should be quiet and not noticeable in appearance. The system should stay in one place while being used, but it must also be lightweight and portable so it can be moved around the classroom.

Relevance: The interview shows that the system needs to allow quiet, unobtrusive use when people are attending lectures, studying, working, or engaging in leisure activities, so it does not disturb nearby students. The client is willing to accept the team's ideas, provided the team communicates the concepts before implementing them.

Cal Poly Humboldt Department of Child Development Website

Summary: The Department of Child Development promotes positive experiences for children, families, and communities through collaborative, practical, research-based learning. Its programs strongly focus on inclusion, well-being, social justice, and applying developmental knowledge in practice.

Relevance: The emphasis on inclusion, well-being, and practical learning supports developing accessible self-regulation tools for a common college classroom, and the system should meet students' needs while keeping the learning environment productive.

Sources

1. Child Development Department representative. (2026). In-person interview with ENGR 205 Team “The Spare Parts”,  September 18, 2026.
2. Cal Poly Humboldt. (2026). “Department of Child Development.” https://www.humboldt.edu/child-development (Sept. 25, 2026).

Source Type: Book

McGonigal, K. (2013). The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It. Avery, New York.

McGonigal views self-control as a biological process involving the mind and body, which is influenced by stress, attention, sleep, exercise, and emotional reactions. The book states that willpower is limited, not merely a matter of character, and suggests self-awareness and mindfulness as ways to manage impulses. This source explains why students might need easy access to ways to regulate stress and attention during demanding classroom activities. However, it offers general recommendations rather than direct evidence on fidget devices.

Source Type: Academic Journal

Reed, R. G., Combs, H. L., and Segerstrom, S. C. (2020). “The structure of self-regulation and its psychological and physical health correlates in older adults.” Collabra: Psychology, 6(1).

This study examined executive function, heart-rate variability, and perceived self-regulation in 149 older adults over five years. The measures were only modestly related, indicating that self-regulation includes distinct cognitive, physiological, and subjective processes. Each process was associated with health, while subjective self-regulation had the most consistent associations. This source helps explain why people may benefit from different ways to regulate their attention, emotions, and behavior, although the study’s older population limits its direct application to college students.

Source Type: Web Article

Bakır-Yalçın, E. (2025). “An investigation of students’ emotions, emotion regulation strategies, and motives for Emotion Regulation.” IGI Global, <https://www.igi-global.com/chapter/an-investigation-of-students-emotions-emotion-regulation-strategies-and-motives-for-emotion-regulation/360047>.

The study examined the emotions and coping strategies of 20 undergraduate students while completing a course project. While preparing, the students generally felt anxious and excited; they were excited when presenting and then felt a sense of relief afterward. Situation modification was the most commonly reported strategy and was mainly used to enhance performance. The results indicate that people experience a variety of emotions when engaged in academic work and make use of different methods to manage these emotions. This source shows the need for accessible ways to regulate emotions that students can use during stressful classroom activities without breaking away from their work. Source type: Scholarly book chapter.

Source Type: Conference Proceedings Article

“The rise of Sensory Fidget Toys: Origins, psychological principles, and their role in stress relief and Mental Health.” (2025). SHS Web of Conferences.

Liu explores the history of sensory fidget tools and the psychological principles that might explain their use in relieving stress and supporting emotional regulation. The paper explains that tactile input and repetitive actions can help regulate sensory experiences, reduce tension, and support attention, especially for individuals with ADHD, autism, or sensory-processing difficulties. This source provides background for choosing tactile and repetitive activities for a fidget board; however, it is a review published in conference proceedings, not an original study that directly tests classroom outcomes.

Source Type: Academic Journal

Kriescher, S. L., Hulac, D. M., Ryan, A. M., and King, B. L. (2022). “Evaluating the evidence for Fidget Toys in the classroom.” Intervention in School and Clinic, 59(1), 66–69.

This academic journal focused on the benefits as well as some of the downsides to having fidgets in the classroom. Researchers compared quiet fidgets with loud ones and examined how they affected the student using them, as well as nearby students, in terms of changes in focus and/or memory. The authors note that support for fidgets in the classroom comes from evidence that sensory stimulation can keep the mind from feeling bored or tired. From the evidence, the authors concluded that fidgets should be allowed in classrooms, with a caution to teachers.

Source Type: Web Article

Staff, W. A. T. (2026). “43 Best Fidget Toys for Kids To Help Them Focus in the Classroom.” We Are Teachers. https://www.weareteachers.com/fidget-toys/

This website lists forty-three of the best fidgets for in-class use. It was produced by teachers all over the world from We Are Teachers staff and includes many different kinds of fidgets, including handheld, DIY, commercial store, quiet, loud, and many more. Each fidget listed includes a short description of what it is, what it does, and where you can buy it or how you can make it. The fidgets listed vary significantly in size, ranging from compact, miniature designs to larger, more substantial models.

Source Type: Web Article

Team, N. editorial. (2026). “Adhd Foot Fidgets: The ultimate guide to improving focus and productivity.” NeuroLaunch.com, https://neurolaunch.com/adhd-foot-fidget/

“Adhd Foot Fidgets: The ultimate guide to improving focus and productivity” is an article that explains the benefits of foot fidgets for kids with neurological disorders like ADHD. It provides readers with multiple different types of foot fidgets that can help students in the classroom, such as Under-desk foot swings and hammocks, foot rockers and balance boards, textured foot pads and massage rollers, pedal exercisers and mini ellipticals, and resistance bands attached to chair legs. Each fidget includes a description of what it does, plus a chart listing movement style, noise level, best setting, approx. price, and the evidence level. The article presents a comparative table of fidgeting conditions versus no-fidgeting conditions in a classroom setting, focusing on their influence on student behavior, attention, and academic engagement.  

Source Type: Book

Fishel, H. (2018). Fidget!: 101 ways to boost your creativity and decrease your stress. Adams Media, A von, MA. Fidget! | Book by Heather Fishel | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster  

Heather Fishel’s “Fidget!” explains how small, repetitive movements like tapping, twisting, doodling, or squeezing can sharpen focus, spark creativity, and reduce stress. It introduces 101 simple fidget ideas organized by purpose and accessibility, showing how each can help you stay grounded and mentally engaged. The book also emphasizes that fidgeting isn’t a distraction but a mindful, supportive practice that helps people think more clearly and regulate their energy throughout the day. Fishel ultimately encourages readers to view fidgeting as a valid, healthy way to stay present and productive.

Source Type: Web Article

“How is sound measured?” (n.d.). National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, <https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/how-sound-measured> (Sep. 27, 2026).

This web article from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders explains how volume is measured. There are two primary units used to measure sound. Those units are Decibels (dB) and A-Weighted Decibels (dBA). As the names of these units imply, they are closely related and are both based on the intensity of the sound. However, while dB only takes into account the intensity, dBA also takes into account how the human ear responds to the sound, which gives a better idea of how the sound can damage a human’s hearing. Both of these units are on a logarithmic scale, meaning that a 90 dB sound will be ten times louder than an 80 dB sound. Due to the way that human ears absorb sound, sounds with frequencies closer to that of human speech will have dB and dBA measurements much closer to each other than those outside of this frequency range.

Source Type: Web Article

Chris. (2022). “Levels of noise in decibels (DB) level comparison chart.” Sound Proofing Guide, <https://soundproofingguide.com/decibels-level-comparison-chart/> (Sep. 27, 2026).

This web article explains how sounds with different dB ratings compare and provides real-world examples of each measurement. According to this article, most sounds that fall below about twenty to thirty dB are commonly heard as everyday background noise. Therefore, in a classroom environment, it can be estimated that sounds within this range are unlikely to distract nearby students. This gives an idea of approximately how loud each fidget should be to not distract others.

Source Type: Web Article

Flaherty, C. (2023). “Survey: Stress is hurting college students.” Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs, <https://www.insidehighered.com/news/student-success/health-wellness/2023/05/23/survey-stress-hurting-college-students> (Sep. 27, 2026).

This web article concerns college students and stress. The article includes many details about how stress affects academic and social performance. Additionally, it includes a useful survey of college students about what stresses them most in their academic lives, broken down by major. The top three sources of stress from this survey, and the percentage of students who reported them, are as follows. Exams (59%), Pressure to do well (42%), and balancing school/other obligations (40%).

Source Type: Academic Journal

Gray, S. A., Fettes, P., Woltering, S., Mawjee, K., and Tannock, R. (2016). “Symptom manifestation and impairments in college students with ADHD.” Journal of Learning Disabilities, 49(6), 616–630.

This article is about how students with ADHD feel their academic life is impacted by their condition. While this article is specific to ADHD, it can be reasonably assumed that students with similar executive function disorders may feel similarly. This article contains a survey of students with ADHD about which symptoms they feel impact them the most. The need to fidget is the most frequently reported symptom, with 55% of surveyed students saying they “very often” feel the need to fidget.

Source Type: Book

Hayes, J. A. (2024). College Student Mental Health and Wellness: Coping on campus. Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, England.

This book focuses on the stress that college students feel and the impact of stress on students' academic performance. It emphasizes the importance of stress management both within the classroom and outside of it. College students are most frequently between the ages of 18-25, which is the same time that many psychological disorders begin to show their first symptoms. College is also a time for students to build new habits that will last the rest of their lives, and learning to manage stress on their own is a valuable skill for any student.

Source Type: Academic Journal

Petrova, B., Jivkov, V., and Yavorov, N. (2023). “Possibilities for efficient furniture construction made of thin and ultra-thin materials by using Miter Joints.” Materials (Basel, Switzerland), U.S. National Library of Medicine, <https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10647720/> (Sep. 27, 2026).

Reducing the thickness and weight of conventional furniture materials is a major focus in furniture design and manufacture; however, thinner materials reduce joint strength and resistance to deformation. This article explores the potential of using thin and ultra-thin materials for furniture construction with miter joints by evaluating bending moments and the stiffness coefficient under compression for 14 types of L-joints. The results showed that glued miter joints and detachable joints made from thin and ultra-thin wood performed well, demonstrating that ultra-thin wood can be used successfully in furniture construction.

Source Type: Book

Ross, R. J. (2022). Wood handbook: Wood as an engineering material. United States Department of Agriculture. Forest Products Laboratory, Washington, Wash.

This publication offers a comprehensive overview of wood as an engineering material, discussing the structure and properties of wood, including its mechanical strength, density, moisture behavior, durability, and thermal properties. It covers engineering applications such as structural design, fasteners, adhesives, and wood-based composite materials. It also addresses the importance of sustaining forest health and diversity, as well as sustainable lumber practices. Numerous data tables compare and contrast the qualitative properties of different wood species and wood-based products, offering insight into the best materials for each application.

Source Type: Web Article

Rammer, D. R. (1970b). “Wood : Mechanical fasteners.” US Forest Service Research and Development, <https://research.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/23845> (Sep. 27, 2026).

The article examines the optimized utilization of various types of fasteners used to join wooden structural parts together, including nails, staples, screws, bolts, and numerous metal connectors. Many different wood species are used in construction and furniture production for their unique properties of density, strength, and flexibility; these factors influence which fasteners are most effective. For each fastener, an empirical equation represents diameter, load-bearing capacity, and depth of penetration. The article also addresses complications that may influence a fastener’s effectiveness, such as the wood’s moisture content, surface coating, and time spent embedded in the material.

Section: Self-Regulation- what, why, how

• Self-regulation includes cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and physical processes; therefore, students should have access to a range of regulatory methods rather than being limited to a single all-purpose tool. The fidget system should accommodate different sensory preferences and enable students to regulate themselves while staying involved in classroom activities.

Section: Fidgets & Sensory Tools

• Fidget tools are best suited for shared classroom use when they are quiet, don't attract visual attention, and can be used without looking away from the lesson. Because stimulating fidgets might distract the user or nearby students, each activity should remain secondary to the academic task and be assessed for its impact on attention. Foot fidgets channel the natural need for movement into a structured, non-disruptive activity that can stabilize attention and calm the nervous system.

Section: Acoustics

• Sound is very complex and has multiple different methods of measurement, with each one taking different variables into account. The best use case for each of the two most common measurement methods varies, though for quieter sounds these measurements usually fall relatively close to one another. Considering the exact scenario is vital to knowing how quiet or loud a sound can be.

Section: College Students & Stress

• Left unchecked, stress affects students both inside and outside the classroom. Learning to manage stress on one’s own is an invaluable skill that will serve students in many ways.
• College students with ADHD and other similar executive function disorders have reported that they feel the need to fidget within the classroom very frequently. Fidgeting is one method of relieving stress that can be done discreetly and without becoming distracting to others, and is a method that is already widely used by many neurodivergent students.

Section: Carpentry & Woodworking

• Wood is the most widely used material in furniture production because it is a renewable raw material with a good strength-to-weight ratio. Thousands of species are used depending on their load-bearing capacity, density, moisture content, longevity, and fire resistance. Depending on the construction purpose, builders use various connectors and fasteners, most commonly nails, screws, and bolts. This information will be vital to the project, since it will be mostly made of wood, and design decisions will be based on the composition and structural capabilities of the chosen material.

Our alternative solutions provide ideas for systems that are all encompassing and options tailored towards a smaller, lighter, and simpler design that works alongside existing work spaces. These solutions are meant to accommodate budget constraints and ease of implementation.

Introduce this section in one to two sentences specific to your project.

Define each criterion from Table 1 as it is used to judge the alternatives. These are definitions, not constraints. For example, the constraint on cost is the budget, but cost might be defined as the cost of materials only, or as materials plus operation and maintenance. If your criteria changed, update Table 1 so the two match.

Cost

Definition...

Taste

Definition...

Explain the decision process your team used (e.g., decision matrix, Pugh chart). First person is appropriate here. Refer to the table, e.g., Table 2 summarizes the decision matrix.

Table 2: Decision matrix. Scores are 0-10; weighted totals are the sum of weight × score.

Criterion	Weight	Alternative A	Alternative B	Alternative C
Cost	10	7	5	9
Taste	7	8	9	4
Weighted total		126	113	118

Name the chosen solution and justify it with reference to the criteria and Table 2.

Show your most impactful prototypes from earliest to final. Include at least one prototype for function (does it work? e.g., testing a mechanism, material, or dimension) and at least one prototype for desire (will people want to use it? e.g., a mockup shown to the client or users for feedback). Each caption should say what the prototype is, whether it tested function or desire, and what you learned from it. Early sketches, failed attempts, and photos of materials and hands at work all help tell the story.

• 
  Prototype for desire: cardboard mockup of ... shown to the client. We learned that ...
• 
  Prototype for function: test of ... We learned that ...

Describe the final design, starting with the big picture and then going into detail. Use labeled images and refer to them in the text. This is usually a big section.

• 
  CAD drawing of ... by Yourname1.
• 
  Drawing of ... by Yourname2.

Give a complete description of how the final design is built, with lots of images, so someone else could replicate it. Use one {{Step}} per step. This is much easier to write as descriptive (what you did) instead of prescriptive (what another person should do), but you can take either approach.

Table 3 presents our team’s proposed schedule for client meetings, design development, prototyping, testing, documentation, and final presentations. At the end of the semester, we will update the table with our actual progress, evaluate how closely we followed the proposed timeline, and explain why any dates changed. We have found that our team works best when the entirety of the team leads on our weekly efforts, this will be apparent in the lead column.

Table 3: Project timeline.

Date	Description	Lead	Status
September 18- December 4, 2026	Hold weekly Friday client meetings to report progress, confirm decisions, and collect feedback. We missed the September 25th meeting, so we covered its discussion items on October 2nd.	Whole team	In Progress
September 20-25, 2026	Conducted research through a literature review for our specific project.	Whole team	Complete
October 5–December 4, 2026	Hold weekly team meetings to assign responsibilities, review progress, address problems, and prepare for upcoming deadlines.	Whole team	In Progress
October 5-11, 2026	Conduct observations and interviews, develop alternative solutions based on our findings, and review them with the client during the October 9 meeting. Begin purchases and budget.	Whole team	In progress
October 12-18, 2026	Start building Prototype 1 and discuss the prototype with clients to get feedback on our direction.	Whole team	Not started
October 25, 2026	Select the final design direction after discussing the alternatives and prototype edits with the client on October 23.	Whole team	Not started
October 26-November 1, 2026	Start and finish Prototype 2, collect feedback, finalize the budget, and confirm necessary purchases during the October 30 client meeting.	Whole team	Not started
November 6, 2026	Conduct a client walkthrough, confirm final specifications, and begin final construction.	Whole team	Not started
November 9-15, 2026	Bring the project to at least 90% completion and review testing results with the client on November 13.	Whole team	Not started
November 16-22, 2026	Obtain final client feedback on November 20 before fall break and the practice presentation.	Whole team	Not started
December 4, 2026	Hold the final Friday client meeting, demonstrate the completed project, complete the client handoff, and collect final feedback.	Whole team	Not started
December 6, 2026	Submit the final document, completed project, project videos, and digital deliverables.	Whole team	Not started
December 17, 2026	Deliver the final project pitch in the Great Hall during the final exam period from 12:40–2:30 p.m.	Whole team	Not started

Introduce the three kinds of cost below in one to two sentences.

Show the total human hours your team spent outside of class, grouped into categories (e.g., research, brainstorming, prototyping, construction, documentation). Three teammates working for one hour is three human hours.

Introduce the costs to build the design, including donations and reused materials. Note whether costs are actual or proposed. If replication would cost a different amount, say so.

Item	Amount	Cost per unit	Total
Thing - from the thing store — Purchased	3	USD 5.75	USD 17.25
Another thing - 3' x 2', yellow — Donated by ...	1	USD 0.00	USD 0.00
PrintGrand total			USD 17.25EUR 14.84 <br />GBP 12.59 <br />CAD 21.39 <br />MXN 359.66 <br />INR 1,291.16 <br />

Introduce the ongoing costs in time and money, usually per year.

Table 4: Yearly maintenance cost.

Task	Frequency	Time per year (hours)	Cost per year (USD)
Example task	Monthly	2	0.00
Total		2	0.00

Introduce how to use the design, then give step-by-step instructions with labeled images. Use {{Step}} if the process has more than a few steps. A short video is a great addition:

Introduce this maintenance section. Answer these questions:

• Are there any needed actions for maintenance?
• How often?
• Who should perform maintenance?

This is when to maintain what. Please keep the format the same as it can be used to auto-populate maintenance tables.

Daily

• A daily task
• A daily task

Weekly

• a weekly task
• a weekly task

Monthly

• a monthly task
• a monthly task

Yearly

• a yearly task
• a yearly task

Every __ years

• task
• task

Give step-by-step maintenance instructions, using {{Step}} if helpful.

Describe how you tested the final design and what the results were. Compare the results to your criteria, e.g., in a table like Table 5.

Table 5: Final design performance against criteria.

Criterion	Constraint	Result	Met?
Cost	Less than or equal to $3 per ounce	$2.50 per ounce	Yes

Discuss what the testing results mean.

Discuss what your team learned and what you would do differently next time.

Discuss next steps for the project as it goes on into the future.

Cover basic operating problems only. For complex issues, the suggestion might be to contact ________.

Problem	Suggestion
Example issue	Example solution or suggestion
Does not turn on	Make sure it is plugged in.
Another issue	Etc.

Include an inspirational video for sharing.

Introduce the team and semester, e.g., This project was completed in SEMESTER YEAR by Team TEAMNAME:

• Lonny Grafman
• Emilio Velis
• One bullet for each team member, in the format [[User:Username|Full Name]].