The final model/post for this project can be viewed here.

PANDORA BOX:
THE PROCESS (i.e. failures before the success)

Sticking my hand into the pandora box, the magical word that I received was…

MIRROR

So here are my attempts at creating 3D sketch models out of boxes of different shapes and sizes to showcase the word, as well as my 2D sketch analyses on them.
*Measurements may not be accurate due to photo angles

ATTEMPT #1:

The idea that I had was just to make the entire model be symmetrical while it has some interesting design to it. Hence, everything was made centralised, and even the negative voids are mirrored. Although it’s not the point, I also took into consideration the general colours of the boxes (white/orange), and made them mirror as well. Hence, all the whites mirror the whites, and the two orange sides mirror each other as well.

I intended for the lowest block to be the dominant, the middle to be the subordinate and the top to be the subdominant. However, after taking a closer look at the model… I guess my plan didn’t work out so well.

The supposed dominant and subdominant are too similar in height, so when the model is viewed from the side, it is unclear as to which box is actually the dominant. Seeing this, I replaced the supposed subordinate with a longer, thin strip of foam.

However, the model is also only symmetrical from 4 sides (as pictures provided), but should the model be toppled over, it is no longer symmetrical. If viewed from the bottom, only the biggest box would be able to be seen and if viewed from the top, the smallest box in the centre cannot be seen.

From this, I would like to keep in mind that I can work towards making a model that will showcase the word ‘Mirror’ from all sides, although that would be very difficult as I am trying to make things symmetrical and interesting at the same time (i.e. not just putting everything in the centre on top of one another) with boxes of different shapes and sizes…).

Furthermore, although the blue strip of foam is actually two thirds of the top box when taken apart, they look too similar in length when put together. Hence, I took the model apart again to make one with an obvious subordinate.

This was the final model I had, saved as a back-up plan should I be unable to come up with something more interesting. I was planning to use a clear box for the dominant box so that the model will be fully visible from the bottom as well.

ATTEMPT #2:

After cracking my brain for hours on hours, trying to think of a different way to represent ‘mirror’ other than the use of symmetry, I decided to google for other meanings of mirror. I then got the idea of ‘parallel’ and ‘reflection’.

In this model, I intended for the big black box to be the dominant and the base (not a very smart idea, but my brain was really dry on fuel), the blue tissue box to be the subdominant, and the two little boxes on the sides to be subordinates.

The idea was that the 3 boxes standing on the base are all parallel to one another hence mirrored, and the two subordinates are also reflections of each other across the subdominant.

When flipped to the side, one side also mirrors the other side due to the presence of two subordinates mirroring each other. If there was only one subordinate, one side would only be able to see the black box and the tissue box. Furthermore, the subdominant box also acts as a larger reflection of the subordinate.

(P.S. something I found quite funny was the fact that the lady on the raisin box looks like she’s looking into a mirror, which is the shape that is formed by the tissue box hole. *note that the lady exists on both sides of the box*)

I scrapped this idea because it was just too un-interesting.

ATTEMPT #3:

For this attempt, I focused on having the model be symmetrical from most angles WHILE looking intricate and not just have boxes stacked on top of one another. Hence, I played around with wedging and piercing.

However, as easily observed, there is NO subordinate present in this model because the thinnest rectilinear volume was also the longest. While the design is more intricate with the use of mirroring negative voids (that are not just shaped in rectangles), the intricacy gave no added value to the model in relation to the word ‘mirror’. Hence, this model was instantly a failure.

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Through all these attempts, I noted down what I wanted to achieve for my final model:

• Have obvious D, SD and SO from all angles
• Placement of blocks/creations of negative voids should have reasoning
• Don’t need to have a super complicated design