Final Report Main Project 2016 – Aesthetics of Design

Why and What’s Next? Much of my intention for this class was to construct pieces which were art in themselves. While, the electric hourglass does not function to serve any purpose other than visual art, I believe it conjures an interesting aesthetic space. The design is far-fetched in nature but provides depth for further contemplation.…

Ferrofluid Sculpture: Final Report part 2

May 2, 2016

Derek Sikora

Final Report Main Project 2016, Student Work, ZZ 2016

Background and What’s To Come I chose to pursue this project because of my overwhelming fascination with ferrofluid. It is such a unique liquid that typically is used in automotive applications where normal oil will not hold. The magnetic attribute gives it an advantage in industrial applications, and a pleasing look. I wanted to take…

Alcohol Stove Final Report Part 2

May 1, 2016

Kenzy O'neill

Why and What’s Next? I began this project with the intent to build a minimalist styled alcohol stove and for the most part I would say I achieved my goals. I started with the idea of making a stove that had a built in pot stand, variable temperature control and some sort of external fuel…

Alcohol Stove Final Report Part 1

May 1, 2016

Kenzy O'neill

Final Report Main Project 2016, Student Work, ZZ 2016

Introduction I created an alcohol backpacking stove following a minimalist aesthetic. The stove uses denatured alcohol for fuel, features legs which function as a built in pot holder, and has a “simmer ring” to control temperature. Concept The general concept of how this style of stove works is illustrated well by these two images.…

Illuminated Branch Divider Final Report (Part 2)

May 1, 2016

Daniel Rankin

Final Report Main Project 2016, Student Work, ZZ 2016

In my previous post, I described the process I took to bring this project to completion. It involved the design and assembly of a number of different pieces, and helped me grow my skills in woodworking, electronics and painting. But aside from seeking to sharpen these skills (and complete the assignment for class), I had…

Final Report 2 Longboard

May 1, 2016

Sophia Glik

The final product, as you can see, is a custom made longboard, optimized for cruising. Aesthetically, the board maintains a classic beach wood look with curvyness. This is both designed as a functional athletic piece of technology and as an art piece. Moving forward, this board will make its way to New York City/…

Wind Chimes in C Major Final Report Part 1

April 29, 2016

Jacob Mccormick

Introduction: For my final project, I created a set of wind chimes played tuned to play notes in C major. I felt that I could mold a set of wind chimes into the aesthetic that I wanted, specifically a mix of engineering and naval aviation. To accomplish this aesthetic I wanted to use an…

Thundercloud Final Report Part 2

April 29, 2016

Elizabeth Whitman

Inspired by nature I tried to create a piece that accurately mimicked a thundercloud. Much like the organic design movement took inspiration from different aspects of nature. I think the results were successful. At expo, the light fixture was received well by the public! Many comments were made about how realistic the lightning flashes…

Road Worn Speaker Guitar (Why and What Next)

April 29, 2016

Ethan Gehring

Looking back over my posts from the start of this project to the end there is a very clear connection and for the most part I accomplished what I set out to do. This project began with inspiration. For me it was images of guitars being smashed and burned as well as those with custom modifications.…

Bladeless Fan Final Report Part 2

April 29, 2016

Brandon Boiko

Description Just as a brief recap to my project, I created a 3D printed bladeless fan. The design is inspired off of the Dyson fans, but on a smaller scale. My product was designed to be handheld, and portable. One of the major design aspects of my product is the removable head. I wanted the…

Personal Tattoo Machine – Final Report Part II

April 28, 2016

Joseph Graff

Overall, I was fairly pleased with the final product that I was able to produce. It didn’t quite live up to my expectations, in terms of what I thought I was capable of producing the first time around, but I have a lot of notes to take forward with me when I do decide to…

Infinity mirror final project report: part 2

April 28, 2016

Yusen Ji

Why this project? I didn’t have a lot of experience with electronics in the past. So I think it might be a good chance for me to play with some electronics in this class. So, making an infinity mirror becomes a great choice for me. Public reaction A lot of people are attracted by this…

Barn Door Report – Part 2

April 28, 2016

Laura Bonney

The barn door likely would never have happened if not for this class. In our day-to-day lives there are always things vying for our attention – classes, family, homework, housework, and work-work; not to mention all the things we do on the side to have a well-balanced fulfilling life: exercise, reading for fun, time with…

How Its Made: Desktop Radial Engine

April 28, 2016

Brendan Warren

Final Report Main Project 2016, Student Work, ZZ 2016

My journey to building a desktop radial engine was a challenging one, but one I am very happy I completed. I went into this project with very limited machining skills and only classroom knowledge of design for manufacturability and assembly. I knew the aesthetic I wanted to achieve, but doing it through new mediums would…

The future of the Carboner

April 28, 2016

Albert Como

Final Project Report Continued: Why and What next? Reflection on the semester. Compare your original project intent to what you ended up with. How did the public react? What did you learn from your project, and from the class? What will you do next with the project? What do you wish you had done differently?…

Desktop Radial Engine: Reflection

April 28, 2016

Brendan Warren

Ultimately I was very happy with the result of my project. While it had its up and downs, as with any project of this magnitude, the end result was something I was truly proud of. I was able to get much more out of this project than I had initially expected and have found a…

Surreal Stirling Engine Final Report (Part 2)

April 28, 2016

Nicholas Flood

engine, stirling, surreal, surrealism, whale

Final Report Main Project 2016, Student Work, ZZ 2016

Looking back on the project, there are a few things that I’ve learned. It turns out that I really enjoy working with clay. It is soothing and relaxing, and being able to see something take shape in 3D is exciting. I also gained a lot more experience with 3D printing, especially with trouble-shooting. I really…

From Fists and Steel to Jungle Bicycle Part 2

April 27, 2016

Daniel Moody

aesthetics, bamboo, bamboo bicycle, bike, bikes, Dan, Daniel Moody, Moody

I initially set out to make a café racer style bicycle, using among other things the Joe Lewis Detroit fist as my inspiration. After spending quite a bit of time in my friend’s shop trying to perfect my welding skills, I bailed on this idea. I did not feel confident enough welding the thin walled…

Sand Frame: Final Project Report Part 2

April 27, 2016

Aly Badran

Final Report Main Project 2016, Student Work, ZZ 2016

fluid, frame, Sand, wood

I am really happy with how my project turned out. Finally the long hours of prototyping payed off. I think people at the expo liked my project. I am glad I build a wooden frame to go around the glass it really made a difference. What it means? I thought of what this means for a while…

Macro Music Box – What’s Next

April 27, 2016

Mathew Tabor

Final Report Main Project 2016, Student Work, ZZ 2016

Overall, I’m very satisfied how the project turned out, though if I were to do it again I’d definitely do a few things differently. First, I’ll focus on what I think was accomplished in the current version. Functionality The music box plays, and even plays a tune, though not very loudly. I learned…

Mechanical Jewelry Final Report: Part 2

April 27, 2016

Katie Hortik

Final Report Main Project 2016, Student Work, ZZ 2016

Why this project? My love for art began many years ago when I took my first jewelry class as a freshman in high school. I considered going to art school because I got a full ride scholarship. Because this class offered so much freedom, I knew from the start I wanted to do jewelry. I…

Borderlands Digital Display: Lessons Learned

April 27, 2016

Dennis Can

Final Report Main Project 2016, Student Work, ZZ 2016

The journey of designing and manufacturing this digital display was both frustrating and time consuming, but there were a lot of good lessons taken away despite the troubles. Wanting to pursue a cheaper option for manufacturing but also wanting to learn a new fabrication technique, I found tutorials online on how prop makers work their…

Desk Garden Final Report Part 2

April 27, 2016

Ashley Zimmerer

desk, garden, modern, planter, plants

The desk garden is currently a nice addition to my desk. I made it because I like plants and wanted to start keeping some. My desk is a little bare, so the desk garden livens it up. Originally, I thought I would use a square footprint and that the planter would have an overhead watering…

LED Orb Final Report Part 2

April 27, 2016

Shawn Sprinkle

Final Report Main Project 2016, Student Work, ZZ 2016

When I started this project I had a pretty good idea what I wanted my final product to look like and what kind of experience I wanted the viewers to have. It’s supposed to be cool, fun, entrancing, and interactive. At this point in the process I’m sad to say that the product is still…

Honda Cafe Racer Final Report Part 2: Moving Forward

April 27, 2016

Chad Alvarez

Final Report Main Project 2016, Student Work, ZZ 2016

Overall I am extremely pleased with my final design for this class. Building a bike is extremely time consuming though, especially without the proper tools and garage, so I wasn’t able to finish it to my final desire. This was expected though and I believe I did enough to change the overall aesthetic of the…

Wine Knife Final Report pt. 2

April 27, 2016

Ryan Yankowsky

During the expo the Wine Knife was displayed, and the comments were generally positive, there were some sharp corners and potentially hazardous edges that will round out with use, as well the material selection for the foil knife was a concern, 6061 aluminum is a bit soft for a blade, however as a prototype the…

Sami’s Final Report Part 2

April 27, 2016

Samantha Maierhofer

When I first started this project I had a very strong idea of what experience I wanted the viewer to have. Throughout the process of creating this piece of art, the actual design has changed multiple times, but the original intent has always stayed the same. When I set out on the project I had…

Why Carbon Fiber Short Board and What’s next?

April 27, 2016

Gardner Nichols

Carbon Fiber Longboard, Gardner Nichols

I originally wanted to explore the construction of carbon fiber spoilers and splitters on race cars. I thought a fun way to do this would be to build a skateboard using a similar construction method. This project served to practice my carbon fiber fabrication skills, which I’ll definitley be using more in the future. After…

Final Project Report, Part 2: Glass Writing Boards

April 26, 2016

Matthew Sturm

Reflection Overall, I believe that the two best things about going through the experience of this project were getting practice at thinking creatively and solving problems. No aspect of this project had an easy answer and it was up to me to find a solution that would work. Sometimes these answers were harder than others…

Light Up Pearl: Final Design Report Part 2

April 26, 2016

Elyse Skinner

Final Report Main Project 2016, Student Work, ZZ 2016

final, LED, light, pearl, report, street

I believe I accomplished the main intent I was going for with this project, but it didn’t turn out aesthetically exactly how I had envisioned it to. This was due to a combination of lack of skills and money. I had very ambitious goals for this project and wanted to create/design something I had never…

Final Report MIDI Drum Pad (aka Koala 1)

April 26, 2016

Jakob Oreskovich

Inspiration I really like making music in Ableton Live. I’ve wanted to buy some MIDI drum pads for a while to use when making music, but I haven’t been able to justify the cost. So, I decided to make my own (hopefully for a fraction of the cost). When I began work on the MIDI…

Fiber Optic Chandelier Final Post Reflections

April 26, 2016

Brittany Warly

Final Report Main Project 2016, Student Work, ZZ 2016

Reflections: Simple is better: I really struggled with my Arduino code for a few weeks trying to get the sensor to work. I kept on adding more into the code, running it, and then the problems only seemed to add up. What worked out better was to first take a step away from the project,…

Infinity Mirror Clock Final Report Part 2

April 26, 2016

Rachel Grosskrueger

I really liked the pace of this project. Whenever I had enough free time I could devote hours to working on this project then set it aside for a while once my other classes started to require the majority of my time. This down time gave me the opportunity to reflect on my current progress…

Run Ralphie Run: A Mechanical Buffalo (Final Report Part 2)

April 25, 2016

Sreyas Krishnan

How did it turn out? Overall, I’m pretty ecstatic with how this project turned out. Amazingly, my scope and vision turned out to be nearly identical to my initial idea and conceptual design. However, the way that I executed that vision (internal components) turned out to be quite a challenge and rather unexpected. I ended up…

Thundercloud Final Report Part 1

April 25, 2016

Elizabeth Whitman

Introduction I created a thundercloud light fixture. It contains many LEDs that flash randomly like lightning. It is made to hang from a ceiling. I was inspired to create a light fixture that mimicked something in nature. Materials Polyfiber pillow stuffing LEDs 100′ 22 AWG White Wire Arduino UNO Mux Shield II Small breadboard…

Final Report: Ferrofluid Sculpture

April 24, 2016

Derek Sikora

Final Report Main Project 2016, Student Work, Update Weds April 20 2016, ZZ 2016

First Impression The goal behind the ferrofluid sculpture was to have it capture people’s attention. The way ferrofluid moves around a magnetic field has a certain appeal to the human eye due to its ability to flow and transform shape. Using an all glass case would add a sharp edge to the display by making…

LED Orb Final Report Part 1

April 24, 2016

Shawn Sprinkle

Description The LED Orb is a device that spins three LED’s (one red, one green, one blue) at very high speeds in three different axis with varying flash rates to create a cool light effect. I was inspired to make this after I saw a video (linked in the references below) of the first LED…

Backlit Panorama Final Report: Part 1

April 24, 2016

Roshan Misra

Introduction This project I chose to do was a backlit panorama. I wanted this project be reminiscent of a static art piece which would slowly over time change lighting in the background. This report serves to discuss the more technical details of this project. Inspirations The inspirations for this project come from a variety of…

Levitation Audio Visualizer Final Report Part 2

April 23, 2016

Student Test

Results Despite demoing the project at the design expo, I was unable to get the levitation audio visualizer to work as originally intended. The original idea for the levitation audio visualizer was to read in audio and change the height of levitating ping pong balls/color of lights to visually display the music. Although I was able to get the audio…

Illuminated Branch Divider (Final Report Pt 1)

April 22, 2016

Daniel Rankin

Final Report Main Project 2016, Student Work, Update Weds April 20 2016, ZZ 2016

The divider wall is complete, and has been installed in the ATLAS Black Box theatre for the production run of Quantified Self. I am pleased. Here is a report of the process. After presenting my initial plan for the construction of this project at our PDR, I set to work on modeling the major wood…

Desk Garden Final Report Part 1

April 21, 2016

Ashley Zimmerer

I made a desk garden. I wanted to work with water, plants, and light, and while it took me a very long time to settle on something, I finally did. I want a nice looking, modern planter for my desk. Here’s an image of the CAD for my final design. I really didn’t want to make…

Personal Tattoo Machine – Final Project Report Part I

April 21, 2016

Joseph Graff

Final Report Main Project 2016, Student Work, Update Weds April 20 2016

Introduction This will be the first installment of a two-part report, chronicling the design and production of my final project for Aesthetics of Design, the Personal Tattoo Machine. Within this post, you can expect to find detailed explanations of the decisions I made over the course of this project, in addition to how I produced several…

Road Worn Speaker Guitar (What and How)

April 21, 2016

Ethan Gehring

Final Report Main Project 2016, Student Work, ZZ 2016

I initially set out with the intention of building a speaker into an electric guitar in order to allow the user to have the guitar’s sound amplified to listenable levels without the use of a typical amplifier. This problem is often solved using mini battery powered amps that can clip to the users belt. I…

Sand Frame: Final Project Report Part 1

April 21, 2016

Aly Badran

builds, fluid, frame, glass, Sand

Introduction: This part 1 of the final blog post, which unwinds the story behind my Sand Frame project from the inspiration to the final build. Even though building the sand frame might be simple and intuitive, roadblocks and challenges were discovered along the way of building the frame. This post will discuss the ups and…

Mendocino Motor Final Report | Peter

April 20, 2016

Peter Brunsgaard

Final Report Main Project 2016, Student Work, Update Weds April 20 2016, ZZ 2016

Inspiration When I was a little kid, I had a globe that you could place between two magnets and it would be completely suspended in the air. I was always extremely fascinated by it, along with magnets in any form. This is what lead me to making a Mendocino motor for my project. A Mendocino…

Final Project Report: Longboard

April 20, 2016

Sophia Glik

Final Project Report: Initial idea: I wanted to design and build a custom longboard for my friend out of scratch, including the trucks. After playing with solid works and talking to skate shop owners, I began to understand that it was not realistic and a productive use of my time to build trucks, because…

A Living Room 3D Printer: Final Design Report

April 20, 2016

Chip Bollendonk

Final Report Main Project 2016, Student Work, Update Weds April 20 2016

3D printer, aesthetics, postmodern, prusa i3

Introduction Additive manufacturing very well may be the future of making “things” and the advancement of 3D printers will revolutionize the way that everyday people get parts and products for use in their homes. The most common type of 3D printing on the consumer market currently is Fusion Deposition Modeling (FDM), which basically melts…

Final Report Part 1: Swing Bike

April 20, 2016

Brendan Lee

General Description The swing bike is a bicycle meant for fun. Therefore, when a viewer looks at it, that should be the first thing that he/she thinks of. To achieve this, I’ve gone for a way different aesthetic than most bicycles today, which are sleek and polished machines that scream business. Instead, I’ve mashed up…

Lighting Up Pearl: Final Report Part 1

April 20, 2016

Elyse Skinner

3D, LED, light up map, lights, map, pearl, pearl street

Introduction: My project has been a long journey that began with my own passions and educational background as well as inspirations found online. This project was a major inspiration for me. Close-up of the design inspiration. My Environmental Design background has led me to become interested in spaces for people from buildings, to parks, to…

Levitation Audio Visualizer Final Report Part 1

April 20, 2016

Student Test

Project Description The Levitation Audio Visualizer is a dynamic sculptural-like device that allows a user to interact with music in a new way. Seven ping pong balls are suspended in clear columns using fans, and their suspended height is changed according to filtered frequency bands of input audio. The enclosure is made of opaque white acrylic which is illuminated by high power…

From Fists and Steel to Jungle Bicycle Part 1

April 20, 2016

Daniel Moody

aesthetics, bamboo, bamboo bicycle, bike, bikes

Introduction The project has left me with a beautiful bamboo jungle bicycle I will ride into my next guerrilla warfare endeavor. The following will explain my process and eventually in good time I’ll reveal what it all means. To quickly recap: disappointed in my welding skills I switched from making a steel cafe racer bicycle to…

Carbon Fiber Short Board Report

April 20, 2016

Gardner Nichols

Carbon Fiber, Carbon Fiber Longboard, Gardner Nichols

The goal of this project was to explore the uses of carbon fiber while practicing my fabrication skills. This project turned out to be a great experiment and learning process, while still producing a nicely finished product. I decided to make a carbon fiber skateboard (or short board) using similar construction methods to surfboards and…

Borderlands Digital Display: The Process

April 20, 2016

Dennis Can

Introduction Upon a first impression, it should strike the viewer as an object that is futuristic and robotic, but there should also be a feeling of being worn and outdated at the same time. If such a thing exists, the design should convey a world where heavy machinery has become automated and robotic. When someone thinks of…

Final Project Report, Part 1: Glass Writing Boards

April 20, 2016

Matthew Sturm

Introduction: This is a proposal for custom glass writing boards to be installed on the walls in Andrews Hall on the University of Colorado Boulder’s campus. These unique writing boards are student designed and will be student made under the guidance of campus machine shop supervisors, Housing and Dining Facilities employees, and upper-class engineering students.…

Infinity Mirror Clock Report

April 20, 2016

Rachel Grosskrueger

For my final project, I wanted to make a piece that could transform into something unexpected. I wanted to create something that people would never know what it actually was or what it could do until they saw the transformation and interacted with it. After looking online for some project ideas, I came across the…

Run Ralphie Run: A Mechanical Buffalo (Final Report Part 1)

April 20, 2016

Sreyas Krishnan

Final Report Main Project 2016, Student Work, Update Weds April 20 2016, ZZ 2016

Run Ralphie Run – What is it? Run Ralphie Run, otherwise known as the ‘Mechanical Buffalo,’ is an automata toy made from the Colorado Buffaloes logo. This automata is actuated with a small peg that rotates 30 degrees and causes the legs to move. Then, the peg is rotated 30 degrees in the opposite direction…

Final Report Main Project-Fiber Optic Jellyfish

April 20, 2016

Brittany Warly

Because I won’t be at expo, since I am competing in the USA Triathlon Collegiate National Championship, here is my virtual presentation! The aesthetic I was going for here was postmodern, clean, and simplistic look, however complexity under the look. I have been done with my project for about a week now, so it…

Honda cb750 Cafe Racer – Final Report

April 19, 2016

Chad Alvarez

Final Report Main Project 2016, Student Work, ZZ 2016

Brat Bike, Built Not Bought, Cafe Racer

Overall I am extremely happy with the way my project bike turned out. I started this project with zero experience with bikes but a burning passion to learn the in’s and out’s and fulfill my dream of redesigning my own 80’s sportster into a cafe racer/brat bike. Although the bike is not 100% completed, and…

Sami’s Final Report Part 1

April 19, 2016

Samantha Maierhofer

Project Background For my final project I knew that I wanted to do something with arrows. I learned how to shoot a bow with my grandfather when I was a child, and since then archery has become a favorite pastime of mine. For the upcycling project I considered using some old broken arrows as a…

Wind Turbine Final Report

April 19, 2016

Christopher Coffman