Elefont Ring

Project Overview

🚀 The Elefont Ring is a functional writing aid developed through iterative 3D design and physical testing. The project began by evaluating existing ring-style aids, which revealed common limitations in comfort and adaptability.

Driven by curiosity rather than personal need, this work reflects self-directed learning and repeated prototyping. With no formal engineering background, I focused on how small geometric changes influence usability once a design leaves CAD and enters the hand.

Design Focus

This project explored the balance between digital precision and human comfort:

• 👤 Adaptability: Making the aid adapt to the user, not the other way around.

• 📐 Geometry: Testing how thickness and angles affect long-term ergonomics.

• 🧪 Materials: Determining where geometry ends and material choice (TPU) begins.

The Accessory Ecosystem

To extend the system’s lifespan, I developed three supplemental tools printed in rigid PLA:

• 👟 The Shoe: A maintenance tool that reshapes overstretched rings through passive compression.

• 🏗️ Modular Mount: A storage solution for high-volume environments like classrooms.

• 🐘 Ear-Ring Holder: A compact, playful reshaper and storage slot for four rings.

Material Breakthrough

✨ Transitioning from rigid plastics to flexible TPU was the turning point. This allowed the ring to adapt naturally to different finger sizes and grip strengths. This shift transformed the Elefont Ring from a stiff prototype into a truly inclusive, adaptive system. 

Reflection & Tools

🔍 Key Lesson: Ergonomic design cannot be validated on a screen alone; physical "failures" were essential to this design's success.

• 📐 CAD: Plasticity | 🖨️ 3D Printing: Prusa Core One | ✂️ Slicing: PrusaSlicer

Disclaimer & Safety

The Elefont Ring is an experimental, non-medical assistive device shared for personal use. It has not been tested or certified by any regulatory body. I am not a medical professional, occupational therapist, or engineer; I am a designer driven by curiosity and a desire to improve tool accessibility. Please consult a healthcare professional to determine if this device is appropriate for your specific ergonomic needs. Use at your own risk. 

Evolution of the Design 👇