Mix of Function and Art: James Portfolio

This portfolio showcases the two major projects I completed during the Spring 2025 semester in Aesthetics of Design: an upcycling-based artwork and a fully functional magnetic shoe display. These projects reflect my evolving ability to merge design, material craftsmanship, and technical problem-solving. Along the way, I explored new tools and techniques—from wood carving to wall plaster sculpting—and gained a deeper appreciation for thoughtful, integrated design.

Upcycling:

The semester began with the Upcycling Project, which challenged us to create something new and meaningful using repurposed or discarded materials. This constraint was especially interesting because it flipped the typical design process on its head. Rather than starting with a concept and sourcing materials to match, I had to reverse the flow—let the material guide the idea.

At first, I underestimated how difficult this would be. Designing from scratch allows total freedom, but upcycling forces creativity within boundaries. I spent a lot of time simply thinking: What could I make that would not just reuse a material, but transform it in an intentional way? Eventually, I remembered a textured ski artwork I had seen months earlier. It struck me that plaster, a common construction material, could so effectively capture the look and feel of a ski slope. Once the idea clicked, the process became about embracing texture, layering, and imperfection. I experimented with plaster application, paint layering, and surface contouring to simulate the dimensionality of a ski slope. The result was a piece that felt physical and personal—something that could never have come from a flat canvas alone. It felt like painting with depth.

Plaster Textured Ski Art

Final Project:

Although the upcycling piece was designed, it felt more like painting with depth than executing a traditional engineered design. The focus was on creative texture rather than functional and aesthetically pleasing design. That distinction stuck with me. It taught me that good design doesn’t always have to look engineered—it can be organic, sculptural, and expressive, while still being thoughtful and deliberate.

So as the semester progressed and I began to brainstorm my final project, I found myself drawn to that same idea. I didn’t want to create something purely functional, nor did I want to build a static piece of art. I wanted to find a middle ground—a design that felt sculpted and artistic, yet still served a clear purpose. That’s what led me to the idea of the magnetic shoe display. It became the perfect opportunity to fuse what I had learned from the upcycling project—creative material use and form-driven design—with the technical requirements of levitation, lighting, and structural integration.

I also wanted to use this opportunity to learn a new skill, which is what led me to steer towards the more organic shape. I knew it would be challenging to get a smoother shape and incorporate the shape of the Nike logo into the final project. I found it an interesting challenge that also allowed me to explore the power carving technique. This idea required less planning and precision beforehand as compared to making a detailed CAD model that I could then replicate in real life, and just get a general idea of the shape and size, and carve the shape from there.  This also forced me to commit to the project as, at first, it looked terrible, and I wasn’t sure if it was going to turn out how I wanted it to, but as I continued to carve and sand, the final project came together more and more.

Magnetic Shoe Display – Fabrication and Construction

In the end,

this project became as much about trusting the creative process as it was about building a functional object. It pushed me to work outside my comfort zone, embrace imperfection, and let the design evolve through hands-on iteration. I walked away with a new set of skills—not just in fabrication and carving, but in how to balance artistic intuition with engineering goals. This class reminded me that good design doesn’t have to choose between beauty and function—it can, and should, do both.