The overall way that the dolls came out made me really happy. I am glad I was able to make so many different face plates for the two that are completely finished with outfits, and that I managed to create the other two despite there being some things that I may need to add. The.. … | Continue reading
This class was very interesting; the way it was taught was very similar to my regular art/studio classes. To start off, my upcycle design project was very nice because it allowed me to experiment with embroidery and patchwork, and having to choose a specific aesthetic for the des … | Continue reading
This semester in Aesthetics of Design gave me the chance to step outside of the typical engineering mindset and really think about what design can mean. Not just in terms of how something works, but how it feels, looks, and connects to people. I had two major projects this semest … | Continue reading
This semester in AesDes has pushed me to explore new skills, think deeply about form and function, and pursue projects that combine the digital and physical worlds. I challenged myself with two very different builds: one focused on woodworking and visual illusion, and the other o … | Continue reading
This semester has been a blend of creativity, challenge, and personal growth as a designer. From repurposed glassware to custom wood fabrication, I’ve had the chance to explore how design can be both beautiful and deeply functional. This final post brings together the two corners … | Continue reading
Project Timeline During my design preview, I presented the following steps with “done by” dates that would give ample time for troubleshooting and experimentation. When starting the actual process, I decided to skip redesigning the CAD model, as I figured it’d be near impossible … | Continue reading
Introduction Every project begins with an idea, but turning that idea into a physical object is a journey filled with decisions, pivots, trial and error, and a lot of improvisation. This clothing rack began as a vision: a rugged yet refined piece of furniture that could bring tog … | Continue reading
For my final project, I designed a piece of furniture that was meant to be a stand for a record player that also provided a cool way to display and store vinyl records. My final aesthetic was a blend between farmhouse, mid century modern, and punk. Inspiration During the first ha … | Continue reading
Throughout this semester in Aesthetics in Design I have accumulated a great deal of knowledge on how to create artifacts that match a certain aesthetic. Through the multiple projects I have undergone this semester, including Upcycle and the Final projects, I have gained a great d … | Continue reading
Over the course of this semester, I’ve explored how form, light, and perception can come together to shape compelling visual narratives. Through both the Upcycle and Main Projects, I was able to push myself creatively while applying engineering and fabrication skills in meaningfu … | Continue reading
Now that we have reached the end of this course, I want to look back at everything that I have accomplished in this semester. I initially enrolled in this course as I was interested in learning more about how art worked alongside engineering, and I am very glad that I did. This s … | Continue reading
Brutalism: A Raw and Powerful Aesthetic Brutalism is an architectural and design aesthetic that emerged in the mid-20th century, characterized by raw concrete surfaces, rigid geometries, and a focus on material honesty. The term comes from the French béton brut, meaning “raw conc … | Continue reading
This semester in Aesthetics in Design, I faced a lot of challenges and successes. Through inspiration from different aesthetics, I was able to creatively make my own projects with the aesthetics of my choice. I learned to be functional in my designs while also making things look … | Continue reading
Upcycle Project: https://www.aesdes.org/2025/02/19/naturalist-hangboard-2/ Final Project: https://www.aesdes.org/2025/04/30/final-project-part-2-bamboo-lamp-creation/ This semester I had the opprotunity to create projects that both improved my ability to apply aesthetics to desig … | Continue reading
This course has been one of the most creatively fulfilling experiences of my college career. From the moment we started, the emphasis on aesthetics in engineering design challenged me to think beyond function and into the emotional and visual impact of my work. This final blog po … | Continue reading
Final Project Report Part 2: How Project Timeline Overview To complete my vintage sports-themed framed picture with integrated LED backlighting, I went through several phases, including research, skill development, material acquisition, design iteration, and fabrication. The foll … | Continue reading
This class was a great exercise in aesthetic explorations and creativity. I love how all of our projects were open to us for interpretation , and I found so much value in creating for myself. Both projects in this class were made to be gifts, and I couldn’t have found a more wort … | Continue reading
This semester in Aesthetics of Design has been a rewarding and challenging experience, one that allowed me to explore creative design through hands-on projects while developing a deeper appreciation for aesthetics and personal storytelling. Through both my Upcycle project and my … | Continue reading
This semester, I completed two major projects in Aesthetics in Design: an upcycle project focused on converting glass bottles into functional household items, and a final design project centered on building a portable, rugged camp table. Both projects emphasized practical problem … | Continue reading
Inspirations and References My primary inspiration came from Scandinavian minimalist woodworking, which emphasizes clean lines, functional simplicity, and respect for natural materials. I was particularly drawn to examples I found on the Vogue magazine website, where simple geome … | Continue reading
For my main project this semester, I set out to create an Adirondack-style chair, originally envisioning it built from old skis my dad had collected since the 1980s. This chair was meant to celebrate our shared love of skiing and the retro, adventurecore aesthetic of 90s ski cult … | Continue reading
Timeline of the Design Process The creation of this project followed a non-linear but intentional design process. My timeline included exploration, ideation, material acquisition, prototyping, and several iterations of design adjustments. Much of the time was spent adapting exist … | Continue reading
Inspiration and Adapted Designs The inspiration for my final project, a vintage sports-themed framed picture with integrated LED backlighting, came from a blend of nostalgic sports memorabilia and modern backlit artwork. As someone who appreciates the history of sports and the ar … | Continue reading
This semester in Aesthetics in Design, I learned a lot about designing something with only its appearance in mind, and created two very unique projects. All posts created over the course of the semester are linked here, and I urge you to look further into them for more details on … | Continue reading
This class has an incredibly unique structure. As a student you are given full creative freedom to construct whatever you can imagine without being group based. For the first time in my academic career at CU Boulder, I did not have to fight with other teammates on conflicting opi … | Continue reading
As this class comes to a close, I’m taking a moment to reflect on what this semester has meant to me, not just as a student, but as a designer, builder, and storyteller. This course challenged me to think about aesthetics not as decoration, but as a deliberate choice: a tool for … | Continue reading
For my main project this semester, I set out to create a piece that blended personal history, craftsmanship, and aesthetic storytelling. My original concept was to build an Adirondack-style ski chair using old skis from my dad’s collection. My dad, a lifelong skier since the late … | Continue reading
This semester has been filled with new experiences, new skills, and a lot of effort. From the start I knew I wanted my projects to involve wood, I didn’t fully know exactly what I wanted to create going in, especially for the Main Project but I knew I wanted to take full use of t … | Continue reading
Inspirations and Adapted Designs The inspiration for my portable camp table came from a blend of functionalist workspaces and rugged, outdoor environments. One major influence was Casey Neistat’s workspace—a chaotic but deeply organized studio filled with tools and gear, every it … | Continue reading
Art Deco Pendulum Final Report Part 2 I started the construction of the project with a wooden base and frame. I used a piece of 1×4 for the base, and I cut out a piece of ½ inch plywood for the arch. I did all of this construction in the carpentry shop where I work,... | Continue reading
The How Behind the Build: Fabricating the Cozy Cabin Perk-a-Cola Display This blog is all about the how—the behind-the-scenes process of actually designing and building my Cozy Cabin Perk-a-Cola Bottle Display. From testing switches to painting fake moss onto a 3D print, this was … | Continue reading
Throughout the course of this class, I have gotten the opportunity to fuse my engineering knowledge and skills with the thoughtful design of the many aesthetics that we have learned in this class. I have learned quite a bit about the different kinds of aesthetics out in the world … | Continue reading
Projects Overview Upcycle Project My Upcycle Project was to create terrariums out of discarded old kitchen glassware. I was going for a modern Bohemian vibe, where it took the floral, warm, and cozy notes of the Bohemian vibe and mixed it with the clean, smooth lines of modernism … | Continue reading
This semester has pushed me to become more resourceful, more creative, and more comfortable with ambiguity than any other design class I’ve taken so far. Between the upcycle project and my final nature inspired river environment build, I’ve learned how to let materials and constr … | Continue reading
I came across this picture when trying to find a functional, minimalistic woodworking-based project. My original goal was to create something that would fit into the decor of a log cabin. Since I have moved out of my family’s home, I have been trying to build what I need in the k … | Continue reading
Here are the two projects I’ve worked on all semester: Industrial Toolbelt: Modular Storm Skirt: Reflection: This semester in class has been a journey of growth and discovery. One of the highlights was learning how to sew, a skill I had never explored before. This hands-on experi … | Continue reading
Introduction: Vision and Aesthetic For this project, I wanted to make something visually compelling and conceptually reflective—both literally and aesthetically. Inspired by the Early Virtual Aesthetic, I focused on creating a piece that felt like a frozen moment inside a digital … | Continue reading
My final design project for this course started with exclusively aesthetic ideas. In the happenstance of exploration, I accumulated a vision of dreamy late nights, atmospheric urban environments, vibrant color, and ambient solitude. The following five photographs captured by my f … | Continue reading
My experience when it came to taking this Aesthetics of design class has been a wild but satisfying journey, and yet I know that I can still make some improvements. At the start of the class, we knew that we had to make two projects, one being an upcycle project and the other bei … | Continue reading
This post is late because I had to scramble to pull this project together in the last three weeks of the semester. In March, I tore my rotator cuff playing hockey, which put me in a sling and left me unable to use one arm for a while. That made working safely in the woodshop... | Continue reading
My design process for the river environment project was anything but linear. It unfolded through continuous exploration, trial and error, conceptual pivots, and a steep learning curve as I navigated unfamiliar materials and techniques. Creating a slice of nature that could functi … | Continue reading
Art Deco Pendulum Final Report Part 1 For my design project, I created an art deco pendulum. I think movement is really important to the Art Deco era, so something that has movement as its central component will exemplify the era well. For my entire life, I have been interested i … | Continue reading
This semester, I dove into two design-build projects, where I focused on the bedframe of a shuttle bus I have been recently building out. These projects pushed my creativity and ultimately transformed my shuttle bus into a living space I can be proud of. What started as a simple … | Continue reading
INTRODUCTION: For my final project, I decided to make a bucket hat with denim patches because I want to make a bucket hat that complements my face shape and something that I know blends in with all my different outfits for that quick and effortless look. If you want to learn more … | Continue reading
This week I made good progress in the fabrication phase of my camp table project. After spending the past few weeks refining the design direction, material selection, and function goals, I finally transitioned into physical progress. There’s something very nice about moving from … | Continue reading
WHY THE HAT? One of my favorite accessories are hats, I own a few different kinds that I wear when I want to add an accent to my outfits. They’re also a good accessories to pair when I decide to braid my hair. Out of all different kinds of hats, I chose to make a... | Continue reading
I signed up for this class because most of—if not all of—my other classes this semester were more STEM focused classes. I found this class by chance and decided to try it so that I could have more creativity in my schedule. I’ve very happy with my decision then because I’ve gaine … | Continue reading
Portfolio: Pisay Suzuki Aesthetics of Design has helped me develop a better understanding of how aesthetics became a part of society. What fascinated me the most was the amount of history that drives the connection between aesthetics and engineering. I believe that history is som … | Continue reading