The Nameplates
About the Work
We made two types of nametags: an engraved nametag with a cutout (polar bear name tag) and a name tag that was 3D printed (the golden nametag)
Challenges I Faced
- Figuring out how to connect the middle parts of the letters to the main structure in a creative way
- Figuring out how to make the polar bear cutout look good with the 3D models
Things I Enjoyed
I really enjoyed learning how to use TinkerCAD and making the letters of both the nametags. I also enjoyed drawing the graffiti verison of my name to make the engraved name tag.
The Backpack Charm
About the Work
For the backpack charm, I decided to do a picture of a golden retriever (which is my favorite type of dog). We had to sketch out the design first, and then it would be scanned and etched onto a piece of wood.
Challenges I Faced
- I took a really long time to trace my design since the picture kept moving, which made me mess it up multiple times, but I figured out how to freeze the screen, allowing me to trace it easily
- I had to learn to keep the paper in the same place because I would sometimes accidentally shift it and that would lead to messed up proportions.
Things I Enjoyed
I really, really enjoyed the final result, which turned out way better than I thought it would turn out. Drawing the dog in itself was also a challenge but was very enjoyable.
The Urban Installation
About the Work
In this Project, we were assigned to make something for our local community that is inclusive to all. I decided to make a bus stop, since all types of people use it, and the present ones are small, cramped, and don’t provide enough shelter from the weather. I made the bus stop much larger than the older bus stops, with plenty of seating, heaters for warmth, a touchscreen with an interactive map, and a drink station.
Challenges I Faced
It took me a very long time to create the shape of the bus stop’s structure since I wasn’t satisfied with previous designs and it took a decent amount of time to find the right shapes to make it.
Things I Enjoyed
I really enjoyed decorating the interior of the bus stop since I was able to incorporate many of my ideas in there and was able to add many details. Also, it was fun coming up with ideas overall and moving everything around so that it would fit in a good way.
The Drawings
About the Work
For the ProCreate drawings, we would follow some sort of tutorial and base how we would do the drawings off of that. For the first drawing, we did a caricature. I ended up just adding things as we went, resulting in a very, very sleep-deprived looking, crazed individual. As for the second drawing, we did a scene of mountains and the moon. I particularly had some trouble with this as the tutorial was super fast, making it difficult and confusing for one to follow. It isn’t my proudest piece of work, but I still had fun making it, especially the moon. The last drawing is a drawing of a superhero of our choice. I decided to do Iron Man. Unfortunately, he turned out a bit disproportionate, especially his body, making him look somewhat fat.
Challenges I Faced
- Learning how to properly use ProCreate
- Some tutorials went through things very fast; made it hard to follow
- Drawing some things were hard, especially getting the proportions right
Things I Enjoyed
I enjoyed making the caricature the most, as I ended up having tons of laughs while making it, and I really enjoyed adding the details and colors. Also, we had a lot of freedom making these, so I could just mess around, and that was super fun.
The Logos
The Partner Project
About the Work
For this project, we were assigned to make two logos: one with text and one without text. We were assigned a partner to work with. For our group, we decided to split up the work and have one person do one logo. Then, we would reconvene in class and give advice about the logos, allowing us to incorporate all of our likes and our values into the logos themselves. Lucas set off on the text logo, while I worked on the non-text logo.
Things I Enjoyed
For one, I really enjoyed working with my partner, since it was super fun to do and helped with the creative process. I also enjoyed using Adobe Illustrator after I (somewhat) figured out how to use it, and designing the project overall. Furthermore, I enjoyed the presentations after we all finished the logos since that whole portion of the class was very funny and I had a lot of fun looking at other teams’ logos.
The Individual Project
About the Project
For the individual projects, we also did two logos, albeit alone. Again, we did a text-based logo and one without it. I decided to do the non text-based logo about endurance, as I thought it represented me. As for the text-based logo, I made it about San Francisco since I really love the city.
Things I Enjoyed
In this project, I used and had to learn about some new techniques that I hadn’t used before, especially in the text logo. I had to learn how to change the text so that I could use it as a mask, and also had to learn how to use the circular path text function. However, it was very fun when I got the hang of it and got more fun the further I worked on the project. I honestly really liked how the text logo turned out and I feel very accomplished with what I made.
Challenges I Faced
- Figuring out how to use Adobe Illustrator
- Large learning curve
- Creating different clipping masks for separate parts of the yin-yang logo and making them go together
- Having a lack of inspiration at the beginning of the project
- Feeling somewhat burned out at the beginning, not knowing what to do.
- Getting stuck at some steps of the project; things wouldn’t work
- Finding inspiration and ideas that would work
CodeBlocks Vase
About the Project
For this project, we created vases using codeblocks on TinkerCAD. We had to create three vases that used loops and gradually changing objects that repeated. I looked at some vases online and tried to use those as inspiration and as a model.
Challenges I Faced
- Getting used to using the codeblocks
- Finding inspiration/not knowing what to do
- Making the bases
Things I Enjoyed
I enjoyed making the vases and having things work out, as it felt really rewarding when I got the final product. Figuring out how the codeblocks worked was also very rewarding and fun, but also was very confusing
The 3-Layer Design
About This Project
For this project, we made many layers that would be laser cut and printed out, combining to make a scene of our choice. We used Adobe Illustrator for this project. For me, I ended up using 7 layers to make my scene and decided to make a scene of a sunset and a beach.
Challenges I Faced
- Deciding what to make
- Learning how to use Adobe’s tools as we haven’t done anything like this before
- Cutting the image trace into different parts
Things I Enjoyed
I really enjoyed making all the little parts that combined into a whole since I could see how the layers would be combined into a final product that I felt proud of. I also enjoyed the learning aspect of this project, as it was, although difficult, very enjoyable.
The Dream House
About this Project
This was my final project for Digital Design 1. I decided on making a dream house in TinkerCAD and built it with the minimalistic and modern style. I initially wanted to do three floors but ultimately did two.
Challenges I Faced
- Getting the project off the ground
- Not having a floor plan
- Putting in the furniture
Things I Enjoyed
I really enjoyed the creative aspect of this project and just making the house overall. I had fun since I could make the house however I saw fit and that allowed me to make things that I thought were cool and aesthetically pleasing. Overall, this was one of my favorite projects, although it was very tiring to complete.
Credits:
Created with images by Angelov - "Empty ceramic plate, gray round tray plate isolated on white background with clipping path" • ldinka - "Ink fluid art. Green and gold abstract texture. " • zhennyzhenny - "White sheet of paper, eucalyptus branch and long shadows. Empty postcard scene mockup. Flat lay on the green background in sunlight, top view."