3D model redesign of Pinart
Dec.- Jan. 2025
Self-initiated pet project
The 3-dimensional pin sculpture
You have played with it, and you have pressed your face in it when you were a kid. This might make you assume it is a toy created for children, but it was originally intended to be an office item. Like the Newton cradle or a stress ball, it can be a small toy to fiddle with while brainstorming ideas or releasing tension.
Problem
When I unwrapped my Christmas present, I was happy to see that I received this toy. However, I could not help but notice some design flaws. It was too small for my hand to fit, the grip around the frame felt unnatural, and the feel of the cold metal pins and the sound of the pins moving back and forth was unpleasant to me. It is a great concept but is not always designed for its advantages. While I know my opinion is biased with this little pet project, I still want to take the opportunity to design a different version based on anthropology and psychology studies, as well as user reviews.
Analysis
The model and user
Before analysing its flaws, it is important to distinguish between the Christmas present I received and other competitive models. If only this model has design issues, then there might not be a point in this portfolio project. Also, we people come in different sizes, so I measured myself as well as finding papers on the average size of hands and faces.
Dimensions: 18 X 14 X 5 cm.
Recommended for 6+ years.
No brand.
Dimensions of hand: 18 X 10 cm.
Dimensions of the face: 17 X 12 cm.
Adult female.
Comparison to other models
I used various search semantics to explore other models. This toy is known as “pinart”, “pin screen”, “3-dimensional pin sculpture”, "PinPressions", “Pinart Board”, and "Pinhead”, and therefore using different queries, I explored 15 different models from various websites from Denmark, the United States, United Kingdom and Germany.
Target group and dimensions
11 out of 15 are either designed for all age groups or have just not been specified online.
Some information can be self-explanatory. However, I do not understand how the largest Pinart model in height (24,7 cm) is for users above the age of three, but the 5,7 cm shorter version from temptationgifts.com is prohibited from being used by young children. Would the bigger model not be more difficult for a kid to hold and use? They are both made from plastic. Is one type of plastic bad for children? And in that case, should it not also be for adults? This could be a sign that people's perception of this product differs. Some view it as a fun toy. Others view it as an office item for adults who must fiddle with something while stressed about meeting deadlines. Models 5 and 8 come with warnings that this is not a toy while simultaneously describing it as a fun activity.
Material
7 out of 15 Pinart models are made of metal or both metal and plastic. Some are just assumed based on the picture since some websites lack information. This means that the material used by each toy manufacturer varies a lot. This could indicate that the metal feel is not everyone's preferred option or might be because plastic is cheaper to produce.
Other users opinions
Based on these few review examples, the typical Pinart models are well-suited for children, and they have great experience with them, but as Barbara mentioned, her model was too small. It’s a very small sample size of reviews, but it sheds light on the point I am making here.
Possible explanations based on anatomy and evolution
What is the average hand size?
When I tried to play with the Pinart I received, it was too small for my hand and face to fit. That is my experience alone, so I conducted some deck research to find studies on the average size of an adult human hand. A study by Khaled A. et al. measured the hands of 500 students (50% male and female ratio) above the age of 18 years. The hand length varied in males from 17.20 to 22.1 cm and in females from 16.00 to 20.10 cm. Healthline, an online magazine, referenced NASA’s study on hand size, which shows that men, on average, have a hand size of 19,3 X 8,9 cm, and women have 17,3 X 7,9 cm. Do these studies alone prove the average hand size overall? No, but it showcases that my Christmas gift does not fit all ages, as many Pinart products try to advertise.
Average face length in cm?
Based on a research paper by Holinko et al. on designing half masks for miners, the measurements of over 230 men and 80 women show the range of the face length from 9.85 to 14.32 cm, while the face width was from 13.13 to 16.49 cm. This sounds short in height, but the measurements include only the nose down to the chin, hence the half masks.
Material
Some people find certain materials uncomfortable to touch due to their emotional and physical reactions. In a study by Bertheaux C. et al. with 25 university students, participants rated materials like sandpaper, wood, velvet, and fur based on how pleasant or unpleasant they felt and how much they activated their bodies (e.g., pupil dilation). The results showed that personal experiences influence these reactions. For example, students from places where animals are dangerous rated fur less positively. Also, women, who typically have thinner skin, may feel more sensitive to certain textures than men, who might be more familiar with rough materials like sandpaper. Overall, comfort with a material depends on a mix of personal experience, biological factors, and the level of attention the material demands.
Sound
Whether the metal pins make a lot of fun or uncomfortable sounds is based on preference. Welch and Fremaux sought to understand why nightclubbers enjoy loud sounds and music. They found that personality affects how people react to loud sounds. Sensation seekers enjoy intense sounds and are less likely to avoid them, even if they’re harmful. In contrast, people sensitive to noise avoid loud sounds because they find them uncomfortable. Why am I sensitive to the moving pins, not metal music, which I enjoy listening to? Morten Pedersen, who works for iMotions, made a good point about how we react emotionally to different sounds for various reasons. One is based on evolution since an animal roar signalled fear in our ancestors, and today, a loud honk from a car could mean a traffic accident could occur. But also culturally, as in what we are used to. As a child, I did not own a Pinart model and have not worked in a field requiring bending metal. So perhaps that could be a reason.
Solution
Based on the knowledge I received from the desk research and studies found, I created a 3D model on Tinkercad.
Specifications
Height: 25 cm.
Width: 20 cm.
Material of frame and handle: plastic.
Material of pins: metal.
Other material: rubber coating on pins.
Age group: 16+.
Advantages
Tailored for adults:
While most of the 15 existing Pinart products claim to be for all ages, it does not seem so based on the studies I found on hand and face anatomy and the measurement of my own hand and face.
Noise cancelling:
The purpose of the art pin is pressing, for instance, your hand in the pins to form a shape, not the sound. The loud metal sounds are reduced based on my prototype. This is done by spraying rubber coating on metal, giving the metal exterior a softer fabric. This idea actually came from my boyfriend, who often shops at DIY stores such as Silvan og Røverkøb and Harald Nyborg, which I personally have minimal experience with. This is why sharing ideas among different talents or, in the case of a workplace, different departments is essential.
Disadvantages
A bigger size:
Due to my prototype being bigger than the 15 types I found, it takes more space. To make sure my prototype is at least not too heavy, I designed to have the frame and handles in plastic material. However, the pins are made of metal due to the chance of them breaking easily with plastic.
Lost of a sense:
I will not let my personal preference and the studies on the emotional effects of sounds stand in the way of the thought that some people perhaps do like the sound of metal pins moving back and forth. However, since there is already a vast market for Pinart models that make a lot of sounds, I wanted to make a prototype for those who use this project to destress and form shapes with less sound.
Discarded idea
While plastic is cheaper to produce, the chances for the pins to break are higher. I thought about placing a soft padded plat board at the button of the Pinart filled with holes for the pins to reduce sound when each of them moves. But that might have made the actual 3D art less visible. This was an argument made by my boyfriend, who thinks more like an engineer, who, you know, the department that highlights what is functionally possible when a designer presents their ideas.
Literature
Khaled A. et al. (2011). Determination of sex from hand dimensions and index/ring finger length ratio in Upper Egyptians. Egyptian Journal of Forensic Sciences (2011) 1, 80–86.
Roland, J. (2020, June 17). Can you increase the size of your hands? Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/can-you-increase-the-size-of-your-hands#about-hand-size
Holinko V. el al. (2019). Designing the half-masks of filter respirators for workers of mining enterprises. E3S Web of Conferences 123, 0 01 (2019). Ukrainian School of Mining Engineering - 2019.
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Bertheaux C. et al. (2020). Emotion Measurements Through the Touch of Materials Surfaces. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. January 2020, Vol. 13, Article 455.
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Welch D & Fremaux G. (2017). Understanding Why People Enjoy Loud Sound. Seminars in hearing, Vol. 38., Nr. 4.
Pedersen, M. (2024, February 14). How sound affects the Brain - iMotions. iMotions. https://imotions.com/blog/insights/how-sound-affects-the-brain/