Post 6 – Main Project Inspiration

My main project for aesthetics of design will be the aesthetic portion of a custom gauge cluster that I installed on my daily driver. Now, the gauges are mounted in a brushed stainless-steel panel, along with several toggle switches. The toggle switches and the brushed stainless steel remind me of the aesthetic of old machinery that I have operated and worked on, so I decided to expand on this appearance by using the mid-century modern aesthetic for this project That old machinery and anything else from that era has a certain charm to it that’s hard to describe, but is on that I want to try my best to emulate in this project. Mid-century modern is characterized by clean lines, organic forms, and a focus on functionality and minimalism. Not only do I like the aesthetics of the past, but my truck is from 1987 so this aesthetic also suits the rest of the vehicle’s interior and exterior. Behind the steel panel are a bunch ugly wires that go to the gauges and switches (see the photo below). I must hide these wires using some kind of cover, but the bends of this cover make its design slightly tricky. I decided that making a leather cover would be very flexible and easy to remove, extremely durable, and I can dye the leather with a specific color of my choosing (see the custom cup holder I made below; it’s stained the dark wooden color that shows up throughout the interior, which I plan on dying the leather as well).

I’d like everything in my interior to roughly match aesthetically, so I plan on following the mid-century modern aesthetic for the entirety of my gauge cluster project, including when I attach a fan and phone holder to this cluster. I haven’t determined the design for the phone holder, but I will make it as simple as possible, while still having it follow the mid-century modern aesthetic and serve its function well. I also plan on mounting an electric fan, which will probably be stainless steel to match the panel and switches of the rest of the gauge cluster. Overall, I’m excited to get started on this project, and look forward to the visual decluttering that the final product will provide when I’m driving.