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Welcome to the Aesthetics of Design Website. This site displays student work in the Aesthetics of Design class at CU Boulder. This site serves as an archive for current and past student projects, and for current students to develop their portfolio and documenting skills. It is also an Open Educational Resource, for anybody interested in how to make these projects, and for educators who might like to teach a course like this: all lecture notes and videos are available, as well as syllabus, schedule assignments etc..

This year’s tenth post, where students present their progress for the main project.

Railglow Update

I’ve officially wrapped up sourcing every component for the RailGlow lamp which are the rails, switch, socket, bulb, wiring hardware, and connectors are all accounted for. This milestone marks a major turning point in the project. Up to this point, a lot of the work has been theoretical: sketches, concept refinement, and detailed planning. Now,…

Progress Report

This blog is going to be a brief update on the progress of my final project. So far, progress has not been on schedule, but it will still be done with plenty of time to spare. I have been really busy the past few weeks with exams and final projects in other classes, but next…

Clapperboard Project – Progress Report

Overview The goal of this project is to create a vintage-inspired clapperboard that blends classic Hollywood aesthetics with functional craftsmanship. The focus remains on creating a piece that feels aged, handmade, and authentic—something that looks like it’s been passed around on old film sets. What’s Done So Far Materials Sourced: I’ve purchased the wood, hinges,…

Progress: Portable AC Unit

For my final project, I have made great strides in completing my portable AC unit. This unit derives from creating a heat exchanger utilizing airflow into a ice filled cooler. Other than the aesthetic side of things, which I am currently further exploring options, the unit has made great progress and is fully operational. Since…

Progress Update: Mad Max Yard Art

Progress Update: Mad Max Yard Art Summary: In short, the goal of my project is to produce an artifact inspired by yard art and a jagged, rusted aesthetic like the “Diesel Punk” that can be found in the Mad Max movies. Counterintuitively, I plan to cast this aesthetic of a sort of jagged tree onto…

Medieval Castle Project Progress

This week I made some good progress by actually starting the CAD model, which involved sketching out the outer wall layout I wanted, analyzing the size/scaling I wanted to achieve, an adding some aesthetic flourishes I wanted. The following screenshot displays the main part of my CAD model. There is still much I need to…

Telescoping Bed Progress

I have not been able to make too much progress on the bed frame because of shipping issues. The sliding blocks I ordered came in the wrong size, so I had to reorder. I am now awaiting their shipment next week. Additionally, I am still figuring out what to use for my cross beams on…

Post 10: Project Progress

For my project I am creating a lamp made of wood and dried bamboo. The bamboo is used to create a circular body for the lamp. The materials are part of my desired naturalism aesthetic. By using naturally found materials, I felt a natural earthy feel with woody colors, browns, and beiges would naturally present…

Updates on the Crystal Lamp

My project is to make a portable bedside nightlight that looks like a crystal and behaves “magically”. The goal is to have a self contained crystal that can illuminate itself from within, allowing it to be carried around at night as a flashlight. Waving your hand over it while its docked will turn it on/adjust…

Matcha Stand Progress

I have been a little busy with other school things and also was just sick for a whole week so I haven’t gotten much done on this project this week. So far for my project I have gotten my materials and supplies from the scrap woods in the Btu. I think I have enough of…

Hitbox Progress

As of now, I have begun further stages of my project. Earlier this week, I finally got the plates for my controller laser cut. (Figure 1): Laser cut plate The buttons I have ordered fit perfectly in the holes made on this plate, which is a relief. Three of these plates were made, one which…

Progress on Wöddha

Over the last week, I’ve made significant strides in the creation of the Wöddha Board. When it comes to materials, I have all but my external power source in hand as well as all of my fabricated elements completed. This includes the laser cut housing with curved edges and a 3D printed touch screen holder…

Redesigns and Supplies

Over the last few weeks my project has undergone several design changes. The purpose for these changes is mainly to allow for the bed to be able to fully collapse enough to fit completely behind the last row of seats in my car. The original design folded into two sections, allowing for ease of manufacturability,…

Pattern Making

How to Make a Pattern When making a pattern, it is best to use material that will not got torn, bent, or deformed in any way. I have used paper to make my patterns before and it is hard to store without folding, and once it is folded you can never fully straighten it out.…

Progress

Here is my update timeline. My timeline is very flexible and I made it like this because there are a lot of steps where I have to wait and let stuff dry. I planned it this way so I can work on other parts of the project while something else is drying. I also wanted…

Progress Update: Mountain Shelf

I’ve completed the most significant portions of my project, and I’m excited to share the progress so far. For this project, I’m creating a mountain shelf with a drawer that captures a Rustic Modern aesthetic. Project Summary to Date: Step 1: CAD Modeling and Design Planning To avoid the challenges I faced during my first mountain…

Final Project Progress

Since my last update, I’ve continued to make progress on my final project: bookends made from repurposed skis. While I’ve faced a few challenges in sourcing the right materials, I’m still excited about how the project is coming together and the direction it’s taking, both aesthetically and functionally. I’m still in the process of finding…

Space Exploration Keyboard – Progress

This week’s progress has been good in terms of planning. I spent most of my time learning to hydro dip and checking the quality of the hydrographic paper. Overall, I’m pleased with the advancements I’ve made. Quality of the Hydrographic Paper I assessed the quality of the hydrographic paper applied to a plastic cup, paying…

Folds in Progress

I’ve made solid progress on my origami-inspired folding chair project. The final design is complete. After several iterations and adjustments, I’ve settled on a structure that balances flexibility, strength, and a clean folding mechanism. The chair folds flat using a series of rigid panels connected by a flexible backing material, which allows it to open…

MCM Bookshelf Progress

I’m making a Mid Century Modern Bookshelf for my bedroom. I chose 3/4” sande plywood for the material as well as Espresso colored oil based stain and oil based polyurethane finish. Updated CAD:                     Below are pictures of my progress thus far, I simplified my design…

Rustic Catan Progress

I have made a lot of progress with my Catan Board, including cutting player pieces to size and designing the board digitally. This has been a great experience so far, and I haven’t run into many problems or setbacks.  Roads, Settlements, and Cities: To create these game elements, I selected six different exotic woods based…

Progress – Eye of Agamotto

This week I’ve made meaningful progress on my Eye of Agamotto project, shifting from design planning into early prototyping and material testing. With the concept locked in, I focused on preparing the mechanical and visual features that bring the Eye to life. Finalizing the Design I finalized the overall shape and detailing of the Eye…

Toy Piano Progress

Over spring break, I was able to get a really big chunk of work done on my project. I used the tools my mom has accumulated over the years, essentially whenever I wanted. I really enjoyed working by myself since I could play my music out loud and not worry about people watching me work.…

This week has been a big step forward in my steampunk Strandbeest project. With all the major parts completed, I am on track to finish by the weekend. The progress I have made so far has put me in a good position to wrap everything up soon. Here is what I have been working on…

Bioactive Terrarium Progress

My bioactive terrarium has been cleaned, hardscaped, and planted- now all that is left to do is clean the glass, invest in a high quality LED light, and wait for it to grow it (the hardest part!). Right now, the most crucial part of this process is making sure the humidity stays as high as…

Skate Deck Building Update

Over the last few weeks, I’ve made significant progress on my deck-building project. The essential materials for the deck itself have arrived, and the excitement of seeing this vision come to life is steadily building. However, I’m still in the process of sourcing the finishing products, specifically, the urethane and edge epoxy, to complete the…

Competition Road Bike Progress

With my current final design project, a competition-ready, modern road bike, I’m still in the research, planning and ordering phase. Along with the base set of tasks planned at the very start of this project, I also overestimated my knowledge on bikes, and more specifically how complex each little component can be. For example, for…

Doodlecore Embroidered Skirt: Progress

For my final project, I’m sewing and embroidering a doodlecore embroidered skirt. My progress is okay? I’m been following my timeline plans, but the embroidery part is taking more time than I initially expected/planned for. However, I should theoretically finish the water-inspired skirt before the first day of critique. Probably. After that, I’ll be working…

How an Electric Guitar Comes Together

My first ever and from-scratch electric guitar has been progressing at a great pace since our return from Spring Break, covering a lot of ground in fewer days than expected – albeit via many, many hours in the woodshop daily. Before the break, all that existed was a guitar-shaped object: Two conspicuously shaped pieces of…

Horreo Jewelry Box Progress

I plan on making a jewelry box in the shape of a Galician horreo. Galicia is a region in the northwest of Spain where they speak there own language, and live in a really humid, wet climate, closer to say Scotland than Andalusia. Figure 1: Galician Horreo I will take this overall shape and try…