3D II Project 1

Client: Chia Te

Ideation: Initially, I thought of making a cup holder for her. (A set of 7 made from different materials with different sizes. Rationale: She can use and change 1 per day or use the one most suitable for the type of mug/cup she is using) However, after knowing more about her, I realised that a cup holder does not suit her personality. I had decided to do a gift based on the vibes she gave me. I felt that she is a pretty cheerful, positive and easy going person. She is also a nature lover. I wanted my gift to revolve around the idea of a sustainable design, something to do with recycling and reusing as well.

Process: I have decided to make a handmade lamp for her using 4 pieces of wood I found. Initially, I thought of attaching the 4 pieces of wood together. However, it lacks novelty which does not makes it different from just a normal wooden lamp. Hence, I have decided to include a slight tinge of interactive element to it, making it a portable and foldable lamp.

My initial idea was to cut strips of wood and attach it on the back side of the piece of wood. My trials as shown below included strips of cardboard. Subsequently, due to the unavailability of suitable wood strips, I used ice cream sticks instead. I had to cut the 2 ice creams at a certain length. (measure) and attach them together at the back. I also sandpapered the ice cream sticks as well as all jagged edges on the pieces, including the borders of the holes.

To make the lamp foldable, I had to find possible hinges for it. At first, I thought of using the metal bindings found in calendars. I measured and cut out the shape of the holes in the wood and attached it. However, it did not turn out well because the protruding part of the binding looked odd and the colour combination was also off.

I then made a trip to the hardware store and bought the smallest available metal hinges. Although there are plastic hinges on sales, I wanted the lamp to be stable and sturdy, something which plastic hinges lacked.

After which I attached appropriately sized diamond quality tracing paper along the gaps between each piece of wood to ensure that certain angles, the light will not shine directly into the eye. User friendly and comfort was also one of my key considerations.