Custom Photo Slide for Festival Photobooth

I got a customer wanting a custom part for a new photobooth they’re adding to their assortment of festival photobooths. What started as a simple request turned into a great example of how customer requirements evolve during the design process.

The job started with a very simple request: “I need a slide that brings the photos from the printer to the output of the machine” attached with a very simple sketch:

The (almost) final design, while having the general same form, turned out quite a bit more complicated than the initial provided drawing:

As you can see, a lot changed. After discussing a bit with the customer it became clear that something more complicated was needed than just the drawing. Often customers don’t really know what they want and need until they have it in front of them. This project showcased some important lessons about custom design work.

Design Evolution

The design went through several iterations as we worked together to understand the actual needs. The customer would explain how they imagined it working, I’d create a design, and then we’d discover new requirements or constraints.

This back-and-forth process is pretty typical for custom work, the initial brief gives you a starting point, but the real design requirements emerge through prototyping and discussion.

Manufacturing and Delivery

The final parts were 3D printed in PETG for heat resistance, since it’ll be inside hot photobooths during summer festivals. The design allowed for easy installation into their existing photobooth setup, and I provided assembly instructions along with the part.

The customer was happy with how it turned out, and it’s now being used at festivals across the Netherlands.

This project is why I enjoy custom design work, you get to solve unique problems that don’t have off-the-shelf solutions.