RISD Sophomore

A french press model slanted at a 115-degree angle.

Description

A collection of projects I created during my sophomore year at RISD as an industrial design major. Most of these remain mere explorations, with more elaborate projects linked in the related works section below.

Date
2021-09 to 2022-05
Colors
  • white
  • pale brown
Media
  • Graphite
  • Product design
  • Woodwork
  • Metalwork
Label
Rhode Island School of Design

Design Principles 1

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Freehand Cubes

A collection of cubes drawn in two-point perspectives without a ruler. Construction lines were drawn in blue while obscured edges are dotted.

Sketch of cubes in two-point perspective messily colliding into each other.
Sketch of cubes in two-point perspective on four different horizon lines, forming a circular pattern that’s busiest in the center.
Sketch of cubes in two-point perspective on two different horizon lines, glitching into each other and becoming a complete mess.

115° French Press

A redesign of the common french press with a twist – or should I say lean? The project also includes an operational sequence manual that is also cut at a 115° angle.

40 thumbnail sketches of possible french press forms. These range from rather minimal cylinders to eccentric sculptural forms.
Orthographic drawing of the chosen french press design. The press is slanted at a 115-degree angle, giving it a sense of movement without compromising balance.
Back three-quarters view of the final French press model. The main container is made from layered Bristol paper and the handle is made of sheets of chipboard.
Close-up of the top of the model. The lid and plunger of the french press are both slanted at an angle.
Close-up of the bottom of the model. The chipboard pieces of the handle form a repetitive pattern that looks like a heatsink.
Close-up of the handle from the top.
Cover page of the operation manual. The sides of the manual are also cut at 115 degrees. The cover shows an illustration of the french press that emphasizes its slanted nature.
The operation manual flipped open, showing five other pages with illustrations on how to operate the french press.

Wood 1

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Walnut Disc

A thin, walnut saucer with both the top and bottom bulging outward. Its surface is smooth, showing faint reflections of the studio lights around it.
Close-up of the top of the walnut disc.
Side view of the walnut disc. This view emphasizes its thinness. The curves of the bulges on both sides also match perfectly.

Twisted Lofts

A pair of wood projects inspired by the twisted lofts that CAD software like to create.

A twisted hexagonal prism made of pine wood with a deep cavity at the top.
Close-up of the sides of the pine piece. The carving marks on the surface add texture to the wood.
The pine piece laying flat on its side.
A twisted prism made out of 8 identical bent lamination pieces held together by a series of white strings.
Rough sketches of headphones defined by large, sweeping curves.
Close-up view of the bent lamination piece from a higher angle.
Top-down view of the bent lamination piece. The space left empty in the middle forms an octagon.

Design Principles 2

The Creature

A mechanic crab that crawls using Klann linkages connected to a turbine. This project was created in collaboration with Josephine Hostin and Sahil Balani.

Metal 1

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Serpents

A pair of modular metal sculptures that can twist and bend like snakes. The first uses hinges to introduce movement while the second utilizes the play between the folded sheets of aluminum.

A long sequence of modular triangular prisms made from tin sheets attached using hinges. These hinges allow for fluid movement in an otherwise solid object.
Close-up of the triangular prisms. The folds and layers that result from their construction are visible.
Close-up of the piece curled into a cylinder. Each modular turns slightly to form the curve.
The piece folded up into an almost unrecognizable mess. This demonstrates how flexible the piece is.
A long string of modular C-shaped clips made from aluminum sheets, each clipping onto the next in an alternating sequence.
The long string of clips curved into a backward S-shape.
Both pieces tangled together in a double helix like two snakes.