For my Interactive Chess Board, there are a few goals and considerations to take into account. They are as follows:   Specifications: Players must be able to pick up and move pieces in the same fashion as a regular Chess Board. The Chess Board must be clear in its use of color to demarcate where pieces can and cannot be moved to. The Chess Board must feature some indicator for players to “reset” the board properly. White and Black squares must be easily identifiable whilst…

Even though this project idea came in rather quickly, as with any project, there are several specifications and restrictions to it’s design that must be considered. I have listed some of them here. Specifications: 1. Function I am an engineer and a very practical person, so I want this project to serve a purpose. That purpose will be to contain several video game controllers. How they are currently stored, they are a mess and I think starting with a goal for the project to achieve…

For my final project of a wristwatch heavily inspired by Art Nouveau and clockpunk with open mechanism. I have a few specifications set (some of them are quite obvious) which are: It should be a wristwatch, and not a pocket watch. (I had considered making a pocket watch too) It should be a wristwatch with hour, minute, and seconds hands. (Some watches do not have all the hands) It should be comfortable to wear for an extended period. The final product should be aesthetically pleasing.…

As discussed in my Main Project Plan, I intend to make a sculpture which can cast different shadows different angles, an Anamorphous shadow sculpture. I really intend to highlight the co dependency of light and shadow. I am aiming to achieve a similar aesthetic by implementing a monochromatic aesthetic which highlights the black, whites and greys. From the feedback I received from my previous post, it does seem that I have quite a few points to consider while designing my sculpture to get the desired…

Top 5 Specifications: 1. Quality: Since I am investing so much time and money into this project I want the final result to be high quality and look professionally produced. My goal is to have this as a piece of art for a long time and hopefully put it up in a future house of mine. 2. Interactivity: This installation needs to be interactive to meet the project requirements for my Arduino programming class. For this requirement, I plan on using an ultrasonic sensor to tell the…

For my main project, I have zeroed on building a Sci Fi inspired Robot. I have been a great advent of Sci-Fi stories from greats such as Issac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, Robert A. Heinlein to recent ones like Andy Weir and many more. I have been always gravitated towards the good old Sci- Fi stories be it classic books or movies; I loved the future robots depictions and their transformative roles in human life. So, I want to build one robot to start with…

The biggest constraint in this project is the size of the truck itself. The bed is 73.5” long and 42.5” wide at its most narrow point in between the wheel wells. Similarly, the wheel wells are pretty constraining as I have to design any drawers around them. Another constraint is budget. I have some plywood lying around, but I don’t want to spend more than $200 on additional materials. I am also constrained by time. I’m hoping to finish this project over spring break before…

I have had 3D-Printed business cards in the past, and they have helped display my expertise with this style of manufacturing. I would like to expand the influence of these card objects to also show my design aesthetic principles and talents. These cards will mount to a DIN-rail system which will be portable with a bold carrying handle design. The dynamic portion of the project will be a trigger-like system for releasing and distributing the individual cards. To read my blog post, click here.

(Original link attached to the image) Five Specification Using the Arduino IDE to program the light effect Aesthetically appealing with the consistency of design style The material should be able to let a certain amount of light pass through in the dark The power method should be batteries The stand of the night light should stay small enough to be set by my bed  I have already written and uploaded the code for the breathing effects of the RGB LED, like the video shows, the…

The specifications and constraints are somewhat overlapping for this project. The most critical constraint is the amount of material available for the project. I plan on machining two tools out of billet 2024 T6 Aluminum plot stock; the material I have is 3/4″ thick and I would like to utilize as much thickness as possible to maintain torsional stiffness. The second constraint is using Petzl picks and their mounting interface, this will make the tools much more usable and easy to replace parts on because…

The aesthetic that I chose for my project incorporates elements of Celtic design, and because of this, my puzzle box project will be shaped like a triskelion (pictured below). This will involve a significant amount of shaping and sanding with a variety of routers, dremels, belt sanders, and spindle sanders. The puzzle box features three layers which will fit together tightly so that no gaps are present, but still move freely to ensure the proper function of the box. I have begun to create CAD…

Top 5 Specifications: I want my design to be able to display a certain feeling to the viewer through its aesthetics To be a simple design yet have a great amount of detail For the aesthetic to be easily identifiable Not to exceed the 150$ limit To be fully functional and professional looking Top 5 Constraints: Skill are a major constraint that limits me from attempting to add certain elements Material choice Time towards the end of the semester Money will play a large role…

. First, a quick few words on the project plan I had written to so far: Specs: function, use existing stock material, don’t fall apart quickly, no additional materials or tools needed constraints: motivation, time, trying to shoehorn in any design or aesthetic considerations: Problem: In development, this project was an excuse to use the leather stock I already have to make the moccasins I had been planning for a year or so. There is little to no design involved other than concatenating existing historical…

Since I am going for a brutalism aesthetic with my water wheel project, I want my project to match the feelings given off by this aesthetic as much as possible. Each fin of the wheel I want to be highly geometric (like square) and then a second aspect I would like to meet is the concrete look characteristic of brutalism. I think a water wheel and brutalism will go well together as I want the movement of the water to feel a bit aggressive and…

An important part of the creative process is to identify specifications and potential constraints. This can allow engineers and designers to help benchmark their designs and begin to work around areas that could hamper the process. For my project specifically, since it is a bit ambitious for the amount of time available, I wanted to lay out the constraints to find ways to work around them while staying true to the specifications that I want the project to meet. From the project inception, I wanted…

Project Inspiration: dynamic mirrors that can open and close [1] Mirror in from Kendall Jenners Bathroom What are the top 5 things you want your project to look like, to feel like, to do? What are the aspects that will tell you you’ve succeeded in your project? What are you prioritizing? I want clean lines and for my project to successfully hang on the wall. I would love to be able to achieve the beautiful worn copper look for the frame of the I want…

Top 5 Specifications: 1- The mechanism of the press will consist of one lever connected to a gear which will drive a geared rod. 2- The body will be designed to withstand a force of 1500N using cast iron. 3- The pressing rod will have a minimum travel of 150 mm. 4- The base of the press have to permit the pressed part to have as much room as possible to move and be oriented in different ways. 5 – The mechanism of the press…

For my imperfectly minimal chair design, the specifications and constraints are as follows. Specifications: Comfort: An average-sized human can sit in the chair for a prolonged amount of time without feeling uncomfortable and like they have to stand up. Aesthetic: The chair has a cohesive imperfect minimalism aesthetic and is comprised of at most three materials such as plywood, metal hardware, and wood glue. Balance: The chair has a strong visual and physical balance so that when the users interact with the piece of furniture…

Conceptualizing Design with Machine Learning Image Generation To provide context to the design I am envisioning, and as another way of “sketching” designs, I decided to utilize the Midjourney ML image generation service. With this service, you provide a prompt of what you would like the program to “imagine” and it will produce 4 variations of how it interprets your prompt. Prompt: “Retro Futuristic Alarm Clock”, Midjourney V4 [1] Prompt (truncated): “Spaceship Console from the 70s”, Midjourney V4 [1] Prompt (truncated): “Alarm Clock 70s Sci…

I have a lot of ideas for my project so coming up with specs and constraints has been very easy. Specifications: Once the device is built I want it to be fully set up. I want the device to alway be on and constantly be changing photos throughout the day. I like this idea because my laptop does something similar already.  I want my blender animations to be infinitely looping, this is similar to the DVD logo I would see on my TV as a…

Mechanically Programmed Horse For my final project, I decided that I am going to create a mechanically programmed buffalo running. My thought for this idea was to create a CU keepsake for when I graduate that I could show my family and kids one day. Specifications: It must be able to be used easily with the twist of a crank or with a stepper motor. It must match the black and gold aesthetic of CU. It must be minimalistic and not stick out like a…

I have come to see specifications and constraints as one in the same. They both define the scope of the project, either by defining the objective, or excluding what is not the objective. Time is a constraint and is specified by the remaining duration of the semester, same end result in defining the end goal. For this project, my Top 10 specifications/Constraints center around manufacturing: Project must be manufacturable. Sounds simple, but this defines what is achievable. I plan on using a laser cutter at…

Top Five Specifications: Coming into this project, my main specification was that the battery functioned on my bike. After some consideration and timeline issues, I have chosen to only make the enclosure for the battery. With that in mind, I would still like the enclosure to fit on my bike. I would also like the enclosure to fit the batteries and circuits I’m using. Moving from function to form, I would like the design to match my bike. This is obviously pretty subjective but I…

My biggest constraint in building my arcade is that I want it to be portable. When I first started this project I thought I would only be able to emulate games like Galaga, having played these games as a kid in the back of a favorite restaurant of my families, I wanted to recreate that experience with a slimmer more modern system. After fearning more about emulators and the Raspberry Pi 4’s capabilities, my project has evolved into making a portable console I can plug…

Featured image is a mock up of the idea using a friends bag. Final version I’ll make myself, most likely black. Specifications: 1: Durable, has to hold up to use and heat from engine 2: Classic, has to fit the look of the bike and stay looking good 3: Functional, no point in making something if I’m not able to use it 4: DIY, gotta be able to do it myself and make it replicable 5: Maintainable, have to prioritize ease of maintenance to the…

Himachal-Inspired Peacock Sculpture: Specifications & Constraints Project Update Since my last post, the ideas and plans for my final project have grown and changed. I am still working towards a Himachal-inspired aesthetic, which will incorporate lots of vibrant colors and textures. And I am still planning to make a peacock sculpture, probably one that is quite large, suitable for an art gallery or a centerpiece in a large room. One major change is the idea to make the sculpture kinetic. For this goal, my plan…

I’m already a fair way into my project, but during planning and as I’ve been working I’ve developed a range of specifications and constraints for my project. I review the top 5 of each below. My project is an ornamented mortise and tenon nightstand with drawers. My progress up to this point Specifications Size: The nightstand should fit in a roughly 16”x16”x32” window and should maximize use of that space. Firstly, I find those to be reasonable dimensions for a nightstand in a modestly sized…

For the specifications, I want my cushion to look like a giant tomato pin cushion, I want it to feel like a soft stool with a little give (not too much, I still want people to sit on it and not sink to the floor.) When asking what it does, it is a floor pouf, you sit on it. The project will succeed if I make a cushion that looks like a tomato pin cushion that is comfortable to sit on.  My priorities are making…

I just received the case that I will be using as the back bone of the project. It is a blank case with no cut outs for the back panel or holes for mounting feet. I will be replacing the front panel with the custom one I design as well as adding the custom feet, knobs and outputs that the amplifier need. All of the circuitry will also have to have custom mounting because it will be comprised of about 5 different boards, each of…

For my project the top 5 specs I would want to have are: a good diffused LED lighting, at least the base of the rocket built, a somewhat sturdy stand for the rocket that is as unobtrusive as possible, the lights to flicker or at least change color, and clean looking plumes that look like smoke. I want be able to have a cohesive and clean look for my project. Having LED lights that don’t seem like they are obviously lights would be neat since…

Specifications I’ve decided to make my design follow a minimalist aesthetic. I would like to focus on making the design as clean cut and functional as possible. Since this will be a present to my father I would also like for him to be able to customize it however he would like.  The material will be PLA to make for easy manufacturing and repeatability  Foam and padding will also be needed to create a soft holding place for the watches so avoid scratching and cracking…

Top 5 Specifications The lamp will be made of wood and other natural materials to fit the mod-century modern/contemporary aesthetic I’m aiming for. The articulating function of the lamp should be able to support the lamp and move smoothly. There shouldn’t be a lot of force required to move the lamp around ideally. There should be multiple different light settings. This might take form in different light warmness settings, or maybe different brightness levels. The lamp should be stable and not wobbly when being adjusted.…

In order to better understand my  project I must consider the driving specifications and constraints that will be behind the design. In terms of specifications, I aim to have my piece protect the cards it encloses, fit easily in a backpack, appear like a blooming flower when actuating, be easily operable, and look exciting. In terms of constraints, I must consider my manufacturing tools, time, my  CAD skills, the ability of the project  to actuate, and through documentation.   My main specification is that the…

For my final project, I’m making a sort of desk ornament composed of a flat base, a center shaft, two rings surrounding the shaft, and wires used to suspend the rings from the shaft, as well as some hanging planets. My specifications and constraints for the project are listed by importance below. The first specification is that I want the planets to be able to orbit about the center shaft. I imagine this will require a bearing at the top of the shaft, but I…

For my Final Project, I plan to build version 2 of the tensegrity table I built for the upcycle project. I aim to make the next version an adjustable-height table that is slightly larger than my previous version. This can be used in a variety of ways, and will enable me to adjust the height of the table based on the atmosphere surrounding it and whatever it ends up holding. Top 5 Specifications: stability The idea of a table only works if it is stable…

For my final aesthetic project, I will be designing and constructing a modern light fixture that closely resembles that of a LukeLampCo luminaire. For my project to be considered a success, it will need to find its way into the corner where a recently broken floor lamp resides. The lamp that was already in my living room provided a great amount of ambient lighting for the main living spaces in my apartment. At the bare minimum, I need to make this luminaire functional so that…

Specifications and Constraints Specifications- 1.  Art Frame: I want a decently constructed frame with the interior lighting built-in. This means that I will probably be making this frame from scratch, this is the majority of my planning and also my first step that will inform the rest of the process. 2.  Art: Actually fabricating the art using photoshop is a part of the process that I have already run testing on and am feeling more comfortable getting a product that will work for my purpose.…

My project is a wooden dart board cabinet made of walnut, with a maple CU Buffalo latch, along with automatic lighting. Specifications: Doors swing completely open, closed, and fit flush and clean Latches closed securely with CU icon LEDs, operated with push switch, turn on while open, off when closed Piece maintains a craft, handmade aesthetic Fasteners are fairly well hidden, craftsmanship is top priority Constraints: Cabinet large enough to fit dartboard, darts, and scoring table Cabinet small enough to reasonably fit on wall Must…

For my project, I plan on building a scaled down replica of a record player that includes recognizable aspects and aesthetics from my favorite bands from the 70’s and 80’s. Specifications: The main specification that I have for my project is recognizability of the band aesthetics that I choose to include. The aesthetic is the main aspect of my project and will make the project more than just a record player replica. Being able to recognize what each design choice is supposed to represent will…

Understanding specifications and constraints is an important part of the design process for any endeavor. My project is a hanging visual display (projector screen) in a minimalist aesthetic. I have identified 5 specifications and 5 constraints for my work. Specifications: Adhere to my Aesthetic As mentioned above, the aesthetic I’ve chosen is minimalism. For my final output to be successful I feel that I need to accurately represent this design choice.  Accurately Display Visuals This specification is one of functionality. I decided to build this…

What are the top 5 things you want your project to look like, to feel like, to do? What are the aspects that will tell you you’ve succeeded in your project? What are you prioritizing? Achieves the intended aesthetic Is functional Incorporates course concepts N/A at this time N/A at this time Next, what are the top 5 constraints you face? Time, money, skills, supplies, ideas, room to work? Which ones will be the toughest to deal with? Time for iteration Lack of alternative ideas…

As my coffee maker is meant to be used regularly long after this project is finalized, I hope that it is a primarily sturdy piece, one that can withstand regular wear and tear that comes with its use. As I am fabricating this piece in the coffeehouse aesthetic, I have several other wants and needs that the piece has to meet aesthetically. First, it has to be sleek, and compact. This is largely due to function, as I have very little counter space, and I…

For my final project I have decided to move forward with the Art Deco and stained glass combination for the jewelry box! I believe this will contribute a level of intricacy, detail, and the artistic intent that I want to have in the final display.  Top Five Specifications: -I want the material of the jewelry box to be made of wood. Most likely a softwood like a Douglas fir because it is one of the cheapest softwoods and found in various common applications. -I want…

My project is a stand-alone Ferris wheel, complete with photos from my childhood in Illinois. The aesthetic I chose is close to nature-core, in which something manmade becomes overrun by Mother Nature. Specifications: Must stand freely This structure is meant to stand alone, so that when it’s finished I can use it as decor in my home. I don’t want it to crumble if someone accidentally bumps into the table it’s on, or if someone uses slightly more force than required in order to spin…

What are the top 5 things you want your project to look like, to feel like, to do? What are the aspects that will tell you you’ve succeeded in your project? What are you prioritizing? Stability: will it actually work? This is obviously the most important specification to me as it is the entire point of the project. Will it Balance? This is what will tell me that I have succeeded in my project of making a seemingly impossible device for my desk. Spin: can…

Top 5 Specifications This is going to be a desk item. Therefore I will want it to be functional especially in its random motion This will need to be stable and sturdy. I want this to be able to spin without it rocking. This means that I will have to make a wide and heavy base. This means that finding good materials will be necessary. Matching the aesthetic with the copper will be essential. Mixing Baroque and Arts&Crafts will be interesting but a good manufacturing…

My final project idea is to create a vertical garden clock, and the primary decision is to choose between using preserved plants or live plants. If I opt for preserved plants, such as mosses, the process would be much simpler, and the artifact would require minimal maintenance. On the other hand, using live plants has its advantages, such as providing a more natural and aesthetic look and offering health benefits like purifying the air. However, using live plants means that I need to consider certain…

For my final project, I’m going to be making a cantilever suspension setup for the rear suspension of a SN-95 Mustang. It will look something similar to the image below.   Specifications: The suspension is going to be used for street driving and racing, so it must be functional first and foremost. I want the suspension to be modular. I’d like to make it so the suspension can be placed and removed from a car then placed into a different car without a ton of…

Like any other project there has to be specifications set before even commencing it. These specifications will show you if you succeeded/accomplished what the project is supposed to be. My top five specifications are that the final product must feel natural, it must have the two-way mirror effect, the LED’s must work in unison, The latch must be able to open and close without need of an outside force, and the final result must be safe to keep plants alive. The final result must feel…

I’m planning on building a mechanical drawing machine. I’ve been considering two general approaches, one is a motorized mechanical machine primarily made of metal while the other is a pendulum based, gravity driven device primarily made of wood. I’m currently leaning towards the motorized version. Examples of drawing machines at work Five Specifications: Adjustable drawing geometry. I want each drawing to be individual if I so choose Not messy – I’d like this to be clean and tidy Able to use multiple pens or pencils…

I will be creating a skateboard mold, press, and deck for my final project. The press and mold are used to create a skateboard deck. Specifications: 1. My number one specification is to have the veneer in my deck adhered together tightly. This is accomplished by creating a accurate mold. If the top and bottom peices of my mold do not fit together like a hand in a glove then there will be areas of uneven pressure as the deck and mold are squeezed in…

Hello all, If you haven’t seen my previous posts about this project, I’ve been designing a pair of competition ice tools. Specifications: Three separate hand positions The best and most advanced competition-style dry tools have three hand positions. This is because highly technical routes require you to frequently put both hands on the same tool in order to swap hands or hand positions. This is achievable with only two hand positions, but for any given move you are locked into the positioning in which you…

  For my final artifact, I’m choosing to go with a minimalistic hourglass. I originally was going to go with a modern aesthetic. However, after doing the sketching exercise, I was really inspired by the minimalist design. This is an artifact I want to keep on my desk and I personally have a very minimalistic style. For my top 5 specifications 1.) I want the material of the “shell” of the hourglass to be 3D printed using carbon fiber onyx. This is a super sleek…