Aesthetics of Design
Spring 2024
Blake Wilson

This semester I created a sculpture and a bikepacking frame bag. The sculpture was part of the upcycling project, where I used recycled bike components in a cute industrial aesthetic. The frame bag is a functional piece of kit, built in the outdoor minimalist aesthetic.

Upcycling Project: Industrial Disco Man

The “Industrial Disco Man” was inspired by robots like Disney-Pixar’s WALL-E. The goal was to create a cute human inspired sculpture, using an industrial aesthetic. The dichotomy of sharp precision machined gears and a cute loveable character is what makes this project unique.

Blog Post Links:

Post 2: Steampunk (Recycled Bike Parts) Upcycle Aesthetic

Upcycle Progress – Steampunk Bike Parts – Post 3

Opposite Upcycling Aesthetic – Post 4

Industrial Disco Man

Final Project: Bikepacking Frame Bag

My final project is a custom frame bag for my mountain bike. The bag features a zipper and ability to fill up with gear as the “dynamic” part of the project. I utilized a unique color scheme to differentiate the bag from the common colors seen on most bike bags. The goal of the project was to build a bag that could be sold in an outdoor store. To sell this point further the bag features a minimalist logo. The colors were selected to make a cohesive bag that pops on its’ own, similar to products made by Hyperlite Mountain Gear or Cotopaxi.

Blog Post Links:

Bikepacking Bags – Main Project Plans

Bikebags – Plans and Alternatives

Bike Bags – Design Preview Report

Blog Post #9: Bikepacking Frame Bag : Top 5 specifications, top 5 constraints

Post 10: Bikepacking Frame Bag Update

Post 11: Bikepacking Bag Final Report Part 1

Post 12: Bikepacking Bag: How and What Next