All Challenges

Challenge 054 · Ages 11–16

Chess Piece Designer

Create a chess piece.

Recommended Guided Learning Time: 3 hours

Learners may require additional or fewer hours depending on age, prior experience, pace and the level of development they choose to take their project to.

Primary STEAM area

Arts

The Challenge

What will your learner investigate?

Can you create a chess piece. and explain the choices that make your solution effective?

Learning outcomes

  • Create a three-dimensional design that meets a defined purpose.
  • Use scale, dimensions and spatial reasoning accurately.
  • Evaluate and refine the model for printability, function or appearance.

Connected learning

Design & Technology: CAD and prototyping; Mathematics: geometry, scale and measurement; Art: form and aesthetics; Computing: digital modelling.

Dream Areas

3D designproduct designindustrial designadditive manufacturingarchitecture

Prepare for this Challenge

What you'll need

Here's what may be useful for completing this activity. Requirements may vary depending on the learner, activity format and equipment available.

Materials & consumables

  • 3D-print plastic printing filament (material fed into a 3D printer)
  • design references
  • sketch paper.

Equipment, tools & software

  • computer-aided design (CAD) software for drawing 3D models
  • 3D printer
  • callipers (a tool for measuring small dimensions accurately).

Safety & preparation

  • Keep small printed pieces away from young children.

These preparation notes support planning and do not replace a project-specific risk assessment or appropriate adult supervision.