Portfolio: Cole Romig

During this semester, I came up with two projects that both serve a function but also attempt to demonstrate an aesthetic. In both of my projects, I aim for a rustic aesthetic as I really enjoy working with wood with its colors and grain patterns. The first project I worked on was a rustic sports ball shelf and the second was a rustic Catan.

Upcycle Project: Rustic Sports Ball Shelf

This initial project that I made is a rustic aesthetic sports ball shelf, crafted to store multiple sports balls in a visually appealing and organized manner. Inspired by the clutter of sports balls often found in homes and the lack of aesthetically pleasing storage solutions, this shelf uniquely combines functionality with rustic charm. The shelf was constructed from repurposed wood, including five 10-inch diameter wood rounds and a live-edge slab, embodying a rustic style that highlights the natural grain, imperfections, and weathered beauty of the materials.

To securely hold balls of varying sizes, each wood round was precision-cut with a 4-inch diameter hole, smoothed, and finished to enhance the wood’s natural features. The assembly involved custom-made brackets, carefully attached with concealed screws to maintain the aesthetic purity of the shelf. The final design comprises five individual shelves connected to a central wooden slab, securely mounted to a wall. 

I am proud with how this shelf came out and this project has been a great introduction into woodworking with live edge slabs and rounds. I learned how to properly sand, cut and finish live edge lumber which I hope to continue working with into the future. I would love to make tables and other furniture with this kind of wood.

Rustic Ball Shelf Report

Main Project: Rustic Catan

For this project, I created a fully custom, handcrafted version of the board game Catan with a rustic aesthetic. Every part of the game from the tiles and player pieces to the cards and dice was designed with the goal of transforming the traditional board game into a natural, wood-focused centerpiece.

I used six types of wood with unique colors and grain patterns to represent different players and resources, avoiding any artificial colors or plastic components. The main board features engraved hex tiles representing resources, bordered by an interlocking wooden frame. In addition to standard game pieces like roads, settlements, and cities, I created custom wooden dice and cards, each engraved with simple symbols that reflect the rustic theme. The use of different wood types and natural finishes helped maintain clarity in gameplay while sticking to a unified design. The end result is a playable, one-of-a-kind version of Catan that brings a new, tactile experience to a classic strategy game while reflecting a deep appreciation for woodworking and design.

I learned a ton from this project about how to develop an aesthetic and bring it to life. I also gained more experience with laser cutting and engraving, skills I’ll definitely carry with me into future projects. There are so many products online that I now realize I could make myself with my own aesthetic, and that’s something I’m excited to explore going forward.

Rustic Catan Report Part 1

Rustic Catan Report Part 2

Overall, this semester I have learned tons about aesthetics and how to intentionally design for both form and function. There is a lot of ugly products in this world so putting thought into the aesthetic of what you are making is important in engineering and design. This class pushed me to think deeply about what makes something visually appealing. I’m proud of how both of my projects came together and I learned a lot about problem solving with consideration of aesthetic. Overall, this course gave me a better perspective on product design and engineering.