Semester Portfolio

This semester has pushed me to become more resourceful, more creative, and more comfortable with ambiguity than any other design class I’ve taken so far. Between the upcycle project and my final nature inspired river environment build, I’ve learned how to let materials and constraints shape the design process, rather than forcing everything to follow a rigid plan. Both projects challenged me in different ways, but each taught me something valuable about the role of iteration and hands on fabrication in a successful design.

The upcycle project set the tone early on. With no budget and limited direction beyond “make something from waste,” I had to shift my mindset to be more exploratory. I ended up creating a “beer can from the future,” a piece that combined mechanical parts like gears, brackets, and bearings with a recycled beer bottle to create something sculptural, almost like mechanical art. The hardest part was figuring out how to work with salvaged components that didn’t really want to fit together, things were misaligned, oversized, or just weirdly shaped. But that constraint ended up being the best part. I got to experiment with different fasteners and mounting techniques, and the final build came together through small adjustments and a lot of trial and error. I also had to think about aesthetics and structural integrity at the same time, especially when working with the glass bottle.

What I didn’t expect was how much the upcycle project would prepare me for my final project. That one was all about systems thinking, and translating a nature inspired concept into a physical, functional environment. My final build a clear acrylic river scene was totally different from the upcycle piece in scale and complexity, but the problem solving mindset was the same. I had to think about materials again, how to combine transparency with texture, how to make water flow feel organic in a static piece, and how to keep the entire assembly clean and well-finished. Fabrication was definitely a step up from the first project, with more tools, more iteration, and more pressure to deliver something polished for our final presentation.

Throughout both projects, I’ve gotten more confident working with unfamiliar materials and adapting when things go wrong, which they always do. I’ve learned to trust the process, to take a step back and rethink a design when it’s not working. I’ve also realized how important it is to keep the creative side alive, even in a technical project. Whether it was making a futuristic beer bottle or simulating a miniature river landscape, the most satisfying moments came when form and function clicked.

Looking back, this semester wasn’t just about executing two projects. It was about learning to design in the real world, where parts don’t fit perfectly, time runs out, and creativity is often the best tool you’ve got. I’m walking away with better hands on skills, a stronger eye for design, and a deeper appreciation for sustainable and intentional making. Both projects were completely different, but together they taught me how to bring an idea to life from concept to final product, and that’s something I’ll carry into everything I build moving forward.