Design Preview 2021

Art Deco PC Stand Design Preview

For my final project, I decided to make a PC stand, to keep my PC off the carpet and improve overall airflow, as well as build on the overall aesthetic of my setup. I took my initial inspiration for this project from a few PC stands I found on Amazon while looking to buy one.…

T-Shirt Quilt Design Preview

Aesthetics and Inspirations: For my project, I decided on making a t-shirt quilt out of my sister’s Iowa State University t-shirts. This falls into two aesthetics that I have explored in the past. The first being the aesthetic I used for my Upcycle Project: Old School Athletics. The second is my personal aesthetic: comfy coze.…

Cryptex Lock Design Preview

For my project, I decided to make a cryptex lock as I have wanted to build one ever since watching The Da Vinci Code. Thus, this project presented me with the perfect opportunity to design and fabricate a lock based on one of my favorite movies. This lock falls into one aesthetic which I am…

Chair Mural: Design Preview

The chair mural is a functional piece of art. When folded flat, it can be laid against the wall as a decorative mural. When folded into its chair form, It can be used as a piece of furniture. Form: To start I’ll describe my inspirations. I needed a folding chair that folded as flat as…

Design Preview: Two-Stroke Engine Lamp

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As discussed previously in my blog posts, I’ll be making a two-stroke engine lamp for my final project. Previously, I had talked about how I was inspired by my own dirtbike and the simplicity of a two-stroke motor. I also have wanted a desk lamp for some time, so I wanted to challenge myself to…

Hidden Blade Design Preview

Inspirations For my main project, I am thinking about doing a hidden blade, a concealable weapon inspired by the videogame saga Assassin’s Creed. In the videogame series, the hidden blade undergoes many aesthetic and functional variations. The first hidden blades showed in the game are owned by Altair and the other Assassins, they are based…

Swivel Bar Stool Design Preview

For my final project, I have been struggling to find a concept that I would really enjoy exploring as well as something that I could use or look at daily! I was struggling between two very different aesthetics that both in their own way, spoke to me. The first aesthetic I explored was the aesthetic…

Design Preview: Thanos’ Gauntlet

I really enjoy watching Marvel movies, and have been recently thinking about acquiring some sort of memorabilia from the movies. I began thinking why purchase something when I can make something of value. The first thing that came to mind was creating Thanos’ Gauntlet from Avengers: Infinity War.  The aesthetic I am envisioning for this…

Paludarium Design Review

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Fro my final project I will be constructing a paludarium.  for those of you who don’t know what that is, a paludarium is a part water part land naturescape.  I will be using this paludarium to house my indian dwarf puffer Penelope.  I’ve made several aquariums in my day but never a paludarium.  I’m excited…

Modern / Futuristic desk Lamp

For my final project I will be making a modern / futuristic lamp. I decided on this for my final project because I constantly find myself needing more light when I am working on projects after the sun sets. My initial ideas for the lamp are: sleek modern looking design, capable of extending and articulating…

Futuristic Longboard Design Preview

In my previous post I outlined the initial plan for my final project and showed some of the parts and materials I plan to use. In this post, I’ll go over how I plan to combine those elements and give a idea of what the finished product may look like. To recap, I am attempting…

Design Preview: Air Intake

For my final design project, I decided to make an air intake system for my car to both improve the aesthetics of the engine bay and improve performance. I wanted the whole system to look like it belongs in the engine bay, almost as if Volvo offered it as a factory upgrade. I tried to…

Graphic Pop Art Clock

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For my project, I settled on either putting together a clock from scratch parts and materials or taking apart an existing clock and reassembling it while customizing and embellishing it with my graphic pop art that I have made and/or own. The aesthetic I decided to go with was the graphic pop art aesthetic I…

Capo Design Review

  For my project, I am making a renaissance themed capo for my guitar. This idea evolved from me just wanting to make my project fancy and with a lot of curves, which is what led me to this theme for my object. In order to accomplish this, I will mainly use two methods. First,…

MF Doom Memorial Design Preview

I’ve put quite a bit of time into refining and reworking my design since it’s ideation stage. I’ve moved away from a lot of ideas that I realized weren’t going to work well for my final design and refined some of the features I already had. To start off, I was going to have this…

Paper-Cut Light Box Design Preview

Inspired by rockets and the space industry, the design and aesthetic I’m pursuing for this is focused on a rocket launching from a launch pad. Exhaust plumes will frame the focal point of the image, the rocket. To create the paper-cut light box, some materials are needed. Paper is obviously one of the main components…

Small Scale Wind Turbine Design Preview

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My design has been a lot more refined since the Aesthetics & Alternatives post. I’ve finalized what materials to use, the logistics behind the entire project, and how I want to achieve my aesthetic. There are 3 main aspects of my project: the base structure to hold the turbine blades, the turbine blades themselves, and…

Puzzle Box Design Preview Report

This is my preliminary design for the puzzle box as recorded in class.  This was early in my design phase but it was almost exactly what the final design turned out to be.  While the presentation video goes into more detail, In general the design plan and construction of the puzzle box is relatively simple.…

Digital Picture Frame Design Preview Report

For my final project I am creating a digital picture frame as a gift for my father. My father has been asking for a digital picture frame for christmas or his birthday for years now. For some reason each year we neglect his request and get him something else. Why? I have no idea. But…

Light Board Design Preview

I chose to make a Light Board for my final project instead of the second option which was a sketching robot. The main reason being that it seemed farfetched to fit in a sketching robot project in the given time-line. I first saw a working Light Board in an on-line class that I took on…

Design Preview: Mousetrap Car 2.0

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For my final project, I will be making a long distance mousetrap car. This is inspired by a high school physics project that I did 5 years ago. Since the mousetrap car that I made previously didn’t do too well in a long distance race, I wanted to take on this project again and see…

Light and dark rotating sculpture design preview

For my final project I am planning to create a rotating sculpture that highlights lighting and depth effects. The aesthetics that I am trying to highlight are matte black and a neon LED look. In order to achive my matte black look I am going to use a specialized paint that is supposed to be…

Open Workspace Design Preview

With remote work not going anywhere anytime soon, people are making the most of their home spaces to create a space that allows for work to be done while also creating a relaxing space. I want to create two office spaces in a spare room that will still be able to function as a home…

Design Preview: Rotating Plant Wheel

Presentation Video Link: https://vimeo.com/530615853 With just over a month left in the semester, a lot needs to be done to turn the vision for my rotating plant wheel wall decoration into a physical artifact. A lot of thought went into my decision to make a plant wheel for my final project. To help make the decision…

Floating Coffee Table – Design Preview

As mentioned in previous posts, I will be building a coffee table base using the principle of tensegrity.  Short for ‘tensional integrity’, tensegrity is a structural principle based on suspending isolated rigid bodies within a network of tensile members. This technique, popularized in the mid twentieth century, has found its way into art, bridge design,…

Chess Board Design Review

What I am going to make INSPIRATIONS For this project I really wanted to create something that I would use long term as opposed to making something just for this class. I thought of creating a chess board since it is a hobby that I picked up at the start of quarantine to pass the…

Design Process – Neon Sign

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For my final project, I decided to create something that I would keep for a long time. Since I play and stream for the Call of Duty Esports team here at CU, I decided to make a neon sign of my username so that I could use it as decoration in my room. Source: https://twitter.com/BoulderEsports/status/1356704747080675328?s=20…

Multifunctional Reclaimed Wood Resin Glow Table

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Design Review Presentation Recording For my project, I will be making a multifunctional distressed wood resin fill table. This piece will be unique because it will incorporate LED’s, adjustable table legs, glow in the dark resin, and a rustic distressed wood base for the table top. I am creating this table to use as a…

Ammo Crate Console Preview

Ground has been broken and the project is officially on its way!  I have received my two 40mm ammo crates and am now starting the process of acquiring the remaining materials needed for this project. This project was inspired by my dad and by having a center console in my car that stinks. I also…

Bikepacking Bags Design Preview

In my last post I spoke about wanting to make a bikepacking handlebar bag for my final project. As a reminder, bikepacking is riding a bicycle, usually on trail, for at least one overnight/camp. I have been interested in the sport for some time, but it is quite expensive to get into. To save some…

Organic Desk Fountain Design Preview

Organic Desk Fountain Design Preview I want to make a Water Fountain that can sit on my desk. These systems are often battery or USB powered with a small pump to bring the water upward. I have seen these in offices acting as a calming visual and auditory element. An example of a Desktop Water…