Lists of awesome things

 

Random things that are awesome

1. stepping on crunchy leaves
2. the smell of burning wood
3. windy days
4. good books
5. engaging teachers

 

Foods that are awesome:

1. french toast
2. my Dad’s omelets
3. Fresh, crunchy apples
4. lasagna
5. the Engineer (turkey sub) from Firehouse Subs

 

Electronic devices (that I own) which are awesome:

1. Playstation 2
2. laptop
3. alarm clock
4. scanner
5. George Foreman Grill

 

 

Project 2 (simple mechanism)

As the title might suggest, the new project for our studio is a simple mechanism. A “simple mechanism” is defined as: a product that uses a simple machine or component to accomplish a task. We are tasked with redesigning an existing simple mechanism, but that doesn’t mean that the redesign has to look like its predecessor. The inherent challenge of this project is not to just redesign a product. the emphasis must be to fix an existing problem, not just make another variant of the same thing. For example, a 3-hole punch could be redesigned to be high-density clear acrylic, to let the user actually see where the holes are going to be in relation to their paper.

simplecomponentschart

PotentialProjectList

I have chosen a clipboard as my project. There have been many redesigns of clipboards, some of them good and some not. I’m not afraid of utilizing good ideas, (and I probably will) but I do want some thing that looks different. I’m not sure what that means yet.

Get excited for the endless potential that is a new project!

Lamp, complete.

Whew. The lamp project is done.  Above,  you can see my design prototype. I’m actually very happy with it. Thanks to the power of Duplicolor auto paint, I got a very professional finish. I’d say that my lamp was definitely one of the most comprehensively made lamps in our class.

Even though I had a wedding cut into the last 3 days, I’d say that this was the most well time-managed project I’ve ever had. I guess it’s true that a lack of time really forces you to schedule you time wisely.

It will go on display in the GT College of Architecture for the upcoming Family Weekend.

Here are some more images, including the lamp during my presentation.

Still working on the lighting project.

Yes, the project is under full swing. However, My personal schedule for this project is a little bit accelerated, due to me missing the three days before the presentation. So everyone know what that means… no finishing up at the last minute. Which is a good thing, I guess.

It worried me a bit, but since I planned out my accelerated schedule two weeks ago, (and I am somehow still on track) I’m not too worried. On the docket next is a material and color study (partially shown below), and then I begin the process of building the prototype. Keep in mind that this is a working prototype, so we all must delve into the realm of electrical wiring. But the guys at Ack Supply, a local electronics parts store, have been very helpful to me, so I should be able to make something that won’t burn the building down.

Anyway, I have some of the parts on will-call at McMaster-Carr and some other parts I’ll have to pick up at the local Home Depot. Getting simple shaped parts for your prototype that are pre-made can be more expensive than making everything by hand, but in the end, you spend more time getting to the level of quality making tubes, etc. by hand than you really need to. And, as with any project, time is always in short demand.

Well. It’s time for some sleep… for tomorrow, the crafting begins.

The beginning of senior year

I am now a week and a half into my last year at Georgia Tech. My studio this semester is mostly with the same people I worked with over the summer, so we are already in the habit of hanging out after classes. I’m sure this trend will continue.

My studio instructor is Mr. Lionel Gillespie, better known to us as “Mr. G.” He has been teaching for a long time, and has been in the design industry even longer. Because he has been in the industry so long, he does a lot of things “old school.” I really thought that his traditional methods would clash with my fast-paced way of working, but it seems like it is fast becoming second nature to me.
The biggest difference is sketching style; he prefers pencil with shading, where I prefer felt-tip pen. But I seem to take very well to the pencil method, mostly because it’s what I grew up sketching with (until I got to Tech). I’m learning a lot from Mr. G.

The first project is a lighting device. My direction so far is a table lamp. I could try to explain it in words, but I think an uploaded sketch will work much better. Just give me a little bit to figure out how to scan pencil drawings without picking up wrinkles and smudges…

End of Summer

Well, the summer design internship at Resource, LLC is over. I learned a lot, laughed a lot, and slept… well, about average (for me)

I learned:

some things to do/not to do about running a company

• be nice to your employees, and make them feel happy because productivity is a lot better
• don’t stay up all night
• It’s all about who you know, and the art of the SALE
• be energetic and other people will be, too (lead by example)
• No apologies

I beefed up my weakest area of design (the 2D genre commonly referred to as graphic/web design) and that is a worthwhile achievement

I got to keep my sketching/designing skills from getting rusty by participating in a bunch of design projects

I got to be a part of starting a company. That was really cool. I don’t know how many people get to be a part of that in their lives.

We designed a built a BUNCH of stuff. We helped a lot of people. Plus, we got full access to the shop. And I learned a lot about the importance of an internet presence.

I helped create the corporate culture, and even ran reviews of our workflow (lovingly called “Efficiency Summits”). This resulted in a BUNCH of great innovations, like the 2:30 photoshoot, which serves to re-energize everybody right before the otherwise inevitable mid-day slump.

We had great times, and stressful times. We learned a lot and had a lot of fun. This was a very beneficial summer.

Summer learning

Well my little experiment with making and selling frames was a success. I sold around 9, and that’s really all I was looking to do. After all, I was just trying to see if there was a market for that kind of handcrafted gift in this economy. Not bad, eh?

Me, needing a haircut

In the meantime, I have been creating other custom gifts for family, friends, and other clients. I think that this is one of the most rewarding areas of product design that I have been a part of. I love knowing how much emotion is drawn from an object. A lot of thought goes into making these products, and hopefully, they stir up some warm feelings on the other end of the table

Also, I have been working for my former instructor as a designer /intern at Resource, LLC. It is a multidisciplinary design group that is based in Atlanta. It’s a wild ride, and I’m enjoying it a lot. Check the website here.

Cheers to a productive summer!

Need a Father’s Day Present?

I have designed and crafted some Father’s Day Frames just in time to get Dad a perfect gift. They are $14 each, and have each been handmade by me.

The frames feature maple veneer, with inlaid walnut veneer lettering. Splines keep the frame secure for years, and a layer of polyurethane keeps the wood safe and sealed.

To order, call or email me by June 18th at agraiser3@gatech.edu or 770.866.1212.

I’m making these frames for two reasons. The first, of course, is to bring a little happiness into the world.

I also am trying to see how receptive people are to hand-made products from small businesses (escpecially in this conomic climate). Are people willing to try out custom objects off of a friend’s referral?  I aim to find out. I hope to sell at least ten frames, and I already have 5 called for.

Summer update

After some serious hibernation the first week of summer, and a trip to visit my brother in Canada, I got to work designing some summer projects.

Some are for me, while others are for real clients (I’m getting paid peanuts, but it’s the experience I’m after).

So far, I can tell you three things that I wish someone had told me.

1. If you are going to be your own boss, be carefull not to work  only in your living space, because it’s very distracting.
2. The same goes for parents. Very distracting.  ooof
3. Don’t let lack of tools stop you. There is always a way to get things done once you stop making excuses.

so yeah. Those are my lessons learned, one third of the way into the summer.

But I am making some cool stuff, so it’s not all bad!

oooh, and… New Camera! I’ve always want to get into photography, and thanks to some spare birthday cash… well…  I got it.

Oh so sexy

Cannonbaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall!

Time for summer break to begin.

But no rest for me. I’m going to design a few projects for myself and a fiew family friends this summer. It should prove interesting.

Maybe I can start up a website and get myself publicized. Maybe I can get into some local design boutiques. Maybe I can start a small little boutique of my own. Who knows?

If my instructor from this past semester has taught me anything, it’s that impossible things happen when you get the right combination of luck, hardwork, and friendliness.

It’s going to be rough, doing all of this without a job. This means that I’m really going to push selling my stuff, and I’ll have to do some crazy odd-jobs (see yardworking, mowing, etc) But it wil all be worth it.

Even if this endeavor goes nowhere, as long as it is not from a lack of effort, it will still be a worthwhile experience. This is how stuff gets started. Keep in touch as this summer progresses, and you may find some neat stuff going on in my corner of the world…