Arjun Ramachandran- Post 13 Portfolio

Background

I had a lot of fun taking Aesthetics of Design this semester. In the past, a lot of my projects have been purely function based with little in the way of designing to conform to an aesthetic. 

I have always been passionate about fine art and analog creation(minimal electronic intervention aka good old fashioned pen and paper). Through the two main assignments given this semester, I was given the opportunity to mix my love for functional design as well as my love for art. This has given me valuable experience incorporating aesthetics into every step of the design process rather than saving it all for the end.

Projects

For the first project, the brief was to create something using an upcycled material. I chose to create a lamp using scrap addressable 12v LED strips from a TV backlight. I was inspired by the space age aesthetic, namely the simple shapes and streamlined surfaces. I incorporated the controls for the lamp in the rear knob of the lamp, allowing an unbroken spherical silhouette.

Here is the link to this project.

https://www.aesdes.org/2025/02/19/space-age-lamp-design-report/

For the second project, the brief was to create something that had a dynamic element. Due to the simplicity of the design for my first lamp, I was unable to incorporate some space age elements that I drew inspiration from. I decided to make another lamp, in a similar general aesthetic to the first lamp but with many fundamental differences. The main dynamic element is a parabolic reflector, which can be raised or lowered affecting the light diffused and projected from the lamp. I wanted the control of the lamp to be analog, so this function is balanced by a simple counterweight system. The reflector uses mirrored glass disco tiles, and casts a disco ball pattern onto the surface below it when it is raised. The counterweight is a sphere, and at certain angles the light casts onto the sphere resulting in a moon-like appearance. In the lower positions, the lamp provides a soft ambient glow. At its closed position, a small amount of light spills out highlighting accent lines of the lamp. I chose to paint this lamp bright orange, inspired by Mid Century Modern appliances.

Here is the link to this project.

https://www.aesdes.org/2025/04/25/cylinder-lamp-final-report-part-1/

Conclusion

Choosing to make a lamp for both projects allowed me to focus on achieving the same function in two different ways. The first lamp focuses more on simple shapes and the spherical motifs found in space age design. All control features are hidden and blend into its silhouette. The second lamp incorporates some elements of space age design through smaller design features. The main structural elements were informed more by mid century modern design. The main control element is featured rather than hidden and serves its physical purpose and its aesthetic function separately.

I learned a lot while working through these projects both in terms of physical fabrication and prototyping as well as how to incorporate aesthetics into the design process as a focus rather than an afterthought. I am happy with the way both lamps turned out and will be adding these projects to my portfolio soon.