I’ve always liked listening to vinyl, so I decided to design my own “Now Playing” record stand to display the album cover while a record is spinning. I started by designing the feet of the stand. The hardest part was finding the right dimensions for the recessed felt pads so they fit properly and protect the surface underneath.

For the main structure, I’m using topology optimization to create a lightweight but strong design with a more organic look. Setting up the preserve areas and keep-out zones took a bit of trial and error. Another challenge was estimating the forces the stand has to handle, especially with heavier double LPs and the tilted center of gravity. Right now, I’m still tweaking the optimization settings in CAD to get the best balance between strength and material usage before preparing the final model for 3D printing.