Aesthetics of Design Portfolio – Grant Thompson

2 months ago

Post 13 - 2025 : Portfolio

I had a great experience taking aesthetics of design, as I felt it made me work a different part of my brain than previous classes had. For this class, we completed two separate projects, with the focus being on the aesthetic of said projects. Over the course of this class I learned how think past the function of an artifact, and look to the feeling it can evoke from a viewer. I learned not only how to recognize aesthetics, but also how to incorporate them into my own designs. While I struggled with the assembly of these projects, I feel as though they gave me new insight into designing things form first, a skill I hope to take into my life for the future.

Upcycle Project: Broken Glass Mosaic Light Fixture

For the upcycle project, we were tasked with taking recycled materials and upcycling them into our own project. I chose to follow a French Gothic aesthetic for this project, specifically in the application of stained glass windows. I always liked how the stained glass windows in churches and cathedrals can transform a room, and I sought to take that idea and apply it to my own space. I sourced broken bottles of different shades from the Dark Horse here in Boulder. Then I broke them and assembled a fixture that would fit over my light in my apartment.

Pictured above is my broken bottle light fixture created from the bottles shown below. It is as of 2025 still in my room.

A more indepth look at this project is linked here:

https://www.aesdes.org/2025/02/19/broken-glass-light-cover/

Final Project: Industrial Fountain Planter Combo

For my main project I decided to pursue a fountain planter combo in the industrial aesthetic. I incorporated a water pump into the basin of a planter to create a fountain out of PVC. My vision with this project was to emulate plants growing from the cracks in concrete, hoping to show the tenacity of life in an increasingly more industrial society. I used plaster, PVC, an aquarium pump, and a window box planter to create the final product. I had troubles with this project specifically, as my choice of plaster to mimic concrete led to problems. I had troubles with the plaster bonding to the plastic basin, leading to a lack of durability of the final product. I plan to continue improving my design in the future to hopefully finish a fully functional design.