Final Project Report pt. 2: Dynamic Infinity Mirror

I wanted to build something that I would use as decoration. I wanted it to be interesting and fun to gaze at, but I also wanted it to be challenging to build, which I believe my project achieved all of that. Next I would like to refine this project a little more by replacing the acrylic with some nicer pieces and possibly work on the power issues I was having. Regardless I am extremely happy with the outcome of my project.

I think the semester was extremely beneficial in the sense that the way I perceive objects around me and their design has changed drastically. I have found a new way to analyze items and use that as a tool to benefit my own designs. I also gained a lot of insight into my own problem solving and design processes. I gained confidence in my ability to plan, design, and execute a project with a good final result. I found my weak spots and learned where I need to look for to identify the known unknowns more clearly.

My project actually stayed very consistent throughout the entire design process, there were a few minor tweaks, but nothing drastic. I knew what aesthetic and function I wanted my design to have from the beginning and I stuck to that. And I think that paid off, I was able to have my idea really set in stone before I started building which gave me confidence in my manufacturing.

The public really enjoyed my project, especially the littler kids. They were so perplexed by the effect of the infinity mirror. I was also extremely surprised by how many individuals were unaware of what an infinity mirror was. So it was a nice experience to explain the physics and how I made my own design of an infinity mirror unique by adding the dynamic element. Which I still haven’t been able to find anything like my own project online, so if anyone else finds something similar let me know, I would love to see how someone else built theirs.

The one thing I wish I would’ve done differently is take more time researching the electronic part of this project. I had assumed that the electronics were going to act a certain way, but they didn’t at all. I wish I would have accepted that these were Known Unknowns and not Known Knowns.

I am extremely happy to have taken this course this semester. I feel that I have learned a lot about myself, my design process, and my ability to create something from a sketch.