#digifab

DIGI FAB: Final Reflection

Week 12: 20/10/18

The above images are of the 3D printed model of my final prototype for hand-in. I printed it 50% scale to minimise cost.

I’m happy with how the spiral formations turned out. Both Chinese patterns came out a bit finicky, however that may have been because this is a scaled down version. Unfortunately, I am unable to test out how well it tessellates because I only printed one copy. Upon reflection, this would have been a smarter idea as I would have been able to test how well the modularity worked.

Reflecting on my process, I think I was a bit all over the place to begin with. This is because I kept changing my direction from self-watering planter, to trellis, to vertical planter to a modular planter. While it is important and natural for ideas to change throughout the design process, I think it would have been more beneficial for me to have selected a direction and stick with it. This would have allowed me to spend more time exploring and developing that one direction. This is something I struggle with in other papers, and is a skill I need to work on.

I found incorporating randomness and control into the design process really challenging and thought-provoking. Initially I thought it would be as simple as putting together natural forms with geometric forms. However, through researching and applying these elements into my design and process, I realised that it was so much more than that. Randomness and control appear obvious opposites on the surface. However, I found they are such abstracted and interrelated concepts. It made me question a lot of the time: what is ‘randomness’ and ‘control’? For example, natural forms can be mathematically generated and controlled. So, are they random, or controlled? Does our ability to represent natural forms with functions make it controlled? Does something random need to be created randomly?

Overall, considering randomness and control made me think about the process and the form in a different way. This led me to an outcome I wouldn’t have anticipated or reached had I taken a more ‘conventional’ approach.

Process Blogs:

Mid Semester Break Week 2: Initial Concepting

Week 8: A Change in Direction; Researching the Form; Researching the Functionality

Week 9: Working Towards First Prototype

Week 10 - 11: Iterations – Considering System for Design and Necessity

Week 12: The (not) Final Design

Fusion file can be found in A360, DIGI FAB > Assessment 2 > Prototype 7.3

GLUING THE BASE TOGETHER + SANDING

I wanted my plant pot to have a nice and clean look to it, so I decided to sand down the MDF ready to be painted, and then glue the base together, and glue the faces together in twos to be easier to paint multiple pieces at once.

GLUEING THE SIDE PANELS + SANDING

SPRAY PAINTING THE MDF

I’m very new to spray painting/painting in general, it’s something I’ve pretty much not done before, and even though I knew I had to do light layers to achieve the best possible look, I got impatient and covered to much paint on in certain areas. 

RUNNING OUT OF SPRAY PAINT, MOVING TO BRUSHES

Halfway through spray painting the can that I was using ran out, and although I could’ve bought more spray paint, I decided I’d be able to achieve a better look by just hand painting the pot, with the brushes adding a grainy wood like texture to all the faces. 

HAND PAINTING THE BASE AND SIDES

GLUING THE ACRYLIC PANELS TOGETHER

TESTING THE 3D EFFECT OF THE PANELS WITH LEDS

PUTTING THE INSIDE ACRYLIC BOX INSIDE

Sadly when I had the acrylic box all glued together and attempted to simply slot it inside the outside box, because of the paint adding thickness to the mdf, the acrylic box didn’t slide right in, and while trying to push it in I accidentally broke two of my pieces apart. 

I spent time sanding down the sides of the box, until the inside box could finally fit which took forever, but it eventually worked, then I was able to add the final top piece to the box which covers the tops of the acrylic.

GLUING THE SIDES BACK TOGETHER

Now that I had accidentally torn two of the pieces apart from each other, I had to bring back out the wood glue, and this time not take any risks or make any mistakes and use as many clamps as I could possibly find to keep the box all together as the sides were gluing.

FINISHED PLANT POT AND BASE

Sadly I didn’t get any photos of it, but I couldn’t fit the LEDs in as snug as I wanted them to be, since I didn’t solder the wires long enough, the strips were struggling to turn the corners, so I sanded down all the edges inside the base allowing them to turn easier. Then I peeled back their adhesive and stuck them into the base, and now the plant pot is finally complete. 

MODEL SHOTS/MY POOR ATTEMPT AT PHOTOGRAPHY

ENTRY 1 |  ENTRY 2 |  ENTRY 3 |  ENTRY 4 |  ENTRY 5

Here is the final product of the modified hair claw comb. I am satisfied with how the model turned out and how well the joint functioned worked. In the future, if I were to look into this again I would maybe explore more different and abstract shapes to make something more stylized. 

For making the other claw, I copied the sketch used to create the other claw and altered the shape of it to make it straight to make it look like a hair comb accessory. This decision was made to make the final product more practical as a hair comb can be used as a comb or an accessory.