A second build-off of the Endangered Animal series, this is a physical model made from scraps of industrial plastic. This project aims to accurately reflect the proportions, characteristics, and movement of a chosen animal.
Product Design | 3d Translation
Initial Experimentation
• Testing various plastic materials for usability (ie. cutting, bending, twisting, and gluing various plastic materials).
• Translating pre-made plastic forms into representable forms of the animal.
• Considering the form and proportionality of body parts to increase association.
Repeated Refinement
• Finding ways to increase association by adding additional body parts and adjusting their position and proportionality.
• Analyzing ways to use as less plastic as possible given plastic shortage.
Reflection
The most challenging part of this project was identifying shapes within existing forms that accurately represent the forms and proportions of my animal. Throughout the project, I realized the importance of diving straight into the exploration process because it gave me unexpected realizations of representational shapes.
I believe a balance of planned and unplanned decision-making plays a critical role in the design process as it carves unexpected pathways that could potentially lead to quality products. Experiencing this process has made me realize that although I might plan to drive my project in one direction, the end result could take a completely different path.
This project has made me more comfortable with visualizing shapes and forms through a three-dimensional lens as well as manipulating existing designs to create desired forms.
