Welcome to the Aesthetics of Design Website. This site displays student work in the Aesthetics of Design class at CU Boulder. This site serves as an archive for past student projects, and for current students to develop their portfolio and documenting skills.
This year’s 13th post, the Portfolio. Students collect all their posts, describing both the Upcycle and the Main projects.
Portfolio-Floating Wine Bottle Holder and House Display
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Throughout this class I enjoyed the fact that we could be as creative as we wanted while also holding ourselves to a high standard. I was able to finally dig deep into something that I’m passionate about; architecture (and wine of course). That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed my first project. It was a “floating”…
Duncan Laird Project Portfolio
Throughout the Aesthetics of Design course I have learned so much about the design process and about different types of aesthetics. Most importantly, I have learned how to implement those aesthetics to products and create an aesthetically pleasing experience for the user or viewer. The two main projects where I could build my skills of…
Portfolio
Project 1 Upcycled Industrial Barcart barcart3 I made a bar cart that takes on an industrial theme, I made it out of upcycled wood and steel pipes. It’s functional and it looks great! Look at some of my posts to know more! Design report https://www.aesdes.org/2024/02/22/industrial-style-bar-cart/ Upcycle Progress https://www.aesdes.org/2024/05/08/upcycle-progress-12/ Project 2: Programmable LED Display made by…
Kyra Anderson Portfolio
Hi, my name is Kyra Anderson! This semester is Aesthetics for Design, we were tasked to create 2 open-ended projects. The first one was an upcycling project in my aesthetic of choice and the second one could be anything as long as it had a dynamic component and fit into the aesthetic I chose. This…
Post 13: My Portfolio
Over the course of this class I created 2 aesthetic projects that I am proud of. First, for my upcycle aesthetics project I made a desert themed flower pot out of Lego. The goal of the project was to take a store bought plant and plant it in a Lego flower pot I built to…
Ethan Silverman Portfolio Post
Reflecting on a Semester of Creation and Discovery This semester has been a lot of learning, creativity, and exploration, culminating in two projects that not only challenged my abilities but also gave me more appreciation for the art of upcycling and industrial design. Here, I’ll take you through the highlights of my projects, “Bolts” and…
Portfolio – Garrett Miller
In this class I learned new skills and tools to utilize in project planning, ideation, and especially design. I learned the most through doing, by creating both of the projects required in this class. My first project was for the upcycle project in this class, where we had to take some used and/or old materials…
Post 13: Portfolio
Post 13: Portfolio This semester I worked on two main projects for MCEN 4279: Aesthetics of Design. Project 1 The first project was a paper mache head that was inspired by the art work of Duane Flatmo. Duane is an artist that is based out of Eureka, California. This project challenged my drawing abilities and…
A Semester of Aesthetics: Crafting Artifacts from Concept to Completion
Introduction As this semester draws to a close, I reflect back on a journey marked by creativity, challenges, and learning. This portfolio page is a culmination of my efforts in a class that pushed the boundaries of what I thought I could achieve. From upcycling materials that were destined for the scrap heap to designing…
Post 13 -Portfolio
Portfolio Overview: A Semester of Creative Evolution and Technical Mastery Introduction Welcome to a showcase of my semester in design innovation, where each project was not just an assignment but a journey into the integration of aesthetic design with functional engineering. This portfolio highlights my primary project: the Evolution of the Steampunk Aesthetic Globe, which…
Post 13: Portfolio
This is a short portfolio linking to a variety of different projects I have worked on this semester, focusing on work completed for and relevant to aesthetics in design. AesDes Work: Upcycle Project: Pioneer-Primitive Cradle finished cradle, me The first project I did for aesthetics in design was the upcycle project, where I created a…
Final Post Portfolio – Alex Reynolds
Hello, my name is Alex Reynolds and this is a summary of the work I have done throughout the semester in the course, Aesthetics In Design. To begin, I had always been inspired by industrial and brutalist design. I think that the idea of exposed rebar, concrete, and sharp edges is astonishing. In addition, I…
Portfolio
Joshua Beijer Portfolio This semester I undertook two main projects: Naturalist Hangboard : The goal of this project was to upcycle something we could get for free. I chose to turn an aspen log from my parent’s house into a practical and charming hangboard. I learned a multitude of woodshop techniques and gained an appreciation…
Jace Aschbrenner Final Portfolio: Charred Chess Board and 3D Printed Shoe Midsole
Hello everyone! This has been a great class, and these two projects were awesome experiences. For my upcycle project, I created a rustic shou sugi ban chess board. The rustic nature of this chess board gives way to a natural, stripped, and simple design. Shou sugi ban refers to charring wood to acquire new coloration,…
My Portfolio – Nick Olguin
This class taught me a lot abound design project planning, prototyping, and how art can be integrated into our designs as engineers. Project 1: Upcycle My inspiration for transforming a Clase Azul bottle into a vase stemmed from a desire to celebrate the inherent beauty of these bottles while also contributing to sustainability efforts through…
Portfolio
Cyber Helmet: For this project I was inspired by designers that I enjoy to follow and some things from my childhood. I want to create a helmet that is made of cardboard and resembles the brutalist and cyber aesthetics. My first source of inspiration comes from Japanese manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori. He is the one…
Emilee Novak Project Portfolio
Aesthetics in Design Course Throughout my projects for this Aesthetics in Design course, I utilized my current skills and also learned new ones. I was able to reach out of my comfort zone and also learn a lot about aesthetics. I learned that engineering is not only about the functionality and efficiency of a product,…
Post 13 – Project Portfolio
This is my portfolio for some of the projects that I have worked on this year in Aesdes. Overall, I have enjoyed this class as it is something different to what I normally have taken in the past. I liked learning about the various aesthetics throughout different time periods, and personally exploring some aesthetics that…
Post 13: Portfolio
Hello everyone, this semester I made two projects for the Aesthetic in Design course at CU Boulder. For the first task we were given the assignment of creating an upcycled project. For this project we had to focus on using already owned or recycled materials to create an object with the theme of a certain…
Portfolio
When we started this course we began on upcycling old things to become something new, giving old things life again. For my upcycle project I created a Horse Purse crafted from a horse toy I found at Goodwill. I aimed for a whimsical and fun aesthetic for this project. With some minor cosmetic upgrades and…
Portfolio
In the Aesthetics of Design course, I gained insights into the diverse styles found in various products and arts. This included studying the unique characteristics and elements that define different styles, such as minimalism, art deco, modernism, and postmodernism. Through this exploration, I developed a deeper understanding of how design styles evolve, influence each other,…
Juliette Goubeaud Project Portfolio
Upcycle Project: Mushroom Book I decided to use a duplicate of a book I had called “House of Salt and Sorrow” by Erin A. Craig in a goblincore aesthetic to make my upcycle project. I wanted each page to look a little weathered and colored so I dip dyed almost 200 individual pages in various…
Jonathon Gruener Project Portfolio
During my time in this class, I was able to refresh and develop a lot of my skills. I learned a ton about different aesthetics, from clothing to chairs. For our larger projects, I was able to refresh my skills with SolidWorks, as well as build up new woodworking skills Upcycle Project For my upcycle…
Post 13: Portfolio
Alex Fitzgerald Project Portfolio In the Aesthetics of Design course I created two artifacts. The first was an upcycling project using recycled materials in order to create a minimalist metallic wall sculpture. In the second project I created a dynamic wind sculpture following a similar aesthetic to my first project. Upcycling Project: Alternating Waves For…
Aesthetics in Design Portfolio
Overview of Class Over the course of this class I created two artifacts that I am quite proud of. The first was an upcycled hook and ring game which featured that Japandi aesthetic. I was really happy with the result and have played it multiple times at house parties! The second was a Nature-core door…
Noah Howell Project Portfolio
This page serves as a portfolio to represent my work during my time in the Aesthetics of Design class at CU Boulder. This class taught me to integrate both form and function to intrigue and impact the viewer by challenging me to analyze and create things within certain aesthetics. Upcycle Project [1] Stardust Motel Print…
Aesthetics Portfolio
Recap Throughout this semester I have managed to complete two successful projects! For the upcycle project, I designed and built a clock which utilizes a moving chain as opposed to clock hands to tell time. Second, for the final project, I designed a PCB lamp for my room. Upcycle Linked here: [https://www.aesdes.org/2024/02/24/chain-clock/] is the link…
Project Portfolio – Helen Do
Aesthetics in Design Course When I signed up for the Aesthetics in Design course, it was meant to be a respite from my engineering course. However, it became a class that taught me how to embrace the engineering method but also to incorporate aesthetic design to make products and art more enjoyable. I learned that…
Post 13: Portfolio – Sophie Berry
Upcycling Project: The Shoe Project Project Prompt: Upcycle, make anything you want from recycled free or low cost materials, such as cardboard, bottle corks or rags. Motivation for the Project: I wanted the shoe to be more repairable than the modern sneaker. Today I think most…
Aryan Gandhi Project Portfolio
I am going to use this post to talk about my work done when being enrolled in Aesthetics in Design course during Spring 2024 in CU Boulder. There have been two major projects I have worked upon during the enrollment of this course, having different aesthetics choices. This choices inspired from various aesthetics ranging from…
Nicholas Gotlib Portfolio
Throughout this class I’ve had the opportunity to really work on design choices understanding design principles. This was the first time I’ve been in a class where there are minimal guidelines for project and majority of the work you do is self-motivated and inspired. This honestly provided to be more challenging than a class where…
Sierra Greeley Project Portfolio
Throughout my projects in Aesthetics in Design, I utilized my current skills and learned new ones. I also learned a lot about aesthetics. In the past I would tend to stick to the one aesthetic that I enjoy most, surrealism. This class taught me that there are other aesthetics that I like and can incorporate…
Post 13: Portfolio
Aesthetics of Design Spring 2024 Blake Wilson This semester I created a sculpture and a bikepacking frame bag. The sculpture was part of the upcycling project, where I used recycled bike components in a cute industrial aesthetic. The frame bag is a functional piece of kit, built in the outdoor minimalist aesthetic. Upcycling Project: Industrial…
Abigail Angwin’s Aesthetic in Design Portfolio
This semester I worked on two projects, a trumpet lamp and a stunt kite. Trumpet Lamp The only requirement for this project was that it use mostly upcycled materials. I used a trumpet that was donated to me by Rocky Mountain Music Repair because it was deemed beyond repair. The lighting portion I did buy…
Post 13- Ari Matrajt
Throughout this course, I was able to learn new skills and improve my artistic abilities. I learned how to build things using wood, got to meet new cool people, and was able to use recycled materials and turn them into something new. I also got to learn many different aesthetics and explore ways of incorporating…
Jason Allshouse – Portfolio
Starting with my upcycle project, I made a steampunk aesthetic box out of old beer boxes and cans. My goal for this project was to create a dynamic piece that matched the steampunk aesthetic, using the most simple materials possible. I believe that despite clear challenges, I managed to hit the intended aesthetic, as well…
Hailey Usher – Portfolio
Blog Post 13 Hailey Usher – Portfolio Introduction Hi! Let’s take a walk down memory lane this semester. For this class, I completed two projects that each taught me a lot about adhering to an aesthetic and a set timeline for myself. Upcycle Project – Wall Art I started off the semester strong with…
Kevin Kim Project Portfolio
I had an informative and fun experience during this Aesthetics of Design course. I signed up for this class to step outside the standard mechanical engineering curriculum and to learn more about aesthetics, something I feel that I am very unfamiliar with. I learned quite a lot about different aesthetics such as mid-century modern and…
Portfolio – Brandon Phillips
Hello everyone! My two projects for Aesthetics of Design this year was a 1950’s space age inspired light up sign made of soda cans, and a Bauhaus inspired table that I up-cycled from an old school desk. One of my biggest struggled with these projects was how open ended they were. I couldn’t decide where…
Project Portfolio: Alex Gebben
During this semester, I was able to fully realize two functional products with wildly different aesthetics. Both of these items are currently being used as furniture in my house! The first project was an upcycled shoe rack made from used skateboard decks. This shoe rack has a skatepark graffiti aesthetic which I think came out…
Chris Wachuta Project Portfolio
Hello my name is Chris Wachuta! You’ve reached my Project Portfolio. There were two main projects I worked on this semester. The first being a floating bookshelf made from thrifted books and the second being a lighted bottle display. These projects were fun to make but I still struggle to get beyond the functionality of…
Portfolio: Ian Farrar
Hello, my name is Ian Farrar and this is my portfolio for aesthetics in design spring 2024. In this blog post, I will discuss what I have learned in this class and what I have accomplished. Heading into this class, I was excited. Despite the fact that I am an engineer, I have always been…
Aesthetics of Design Portfolio
Aesthetics of design was one of the more enjoyable classes I’ve taken at CU. We discussed the development of various aesthetics and related principles over the course of history, as well as their applications throughout history. Through this process and the projects we did in the course, I have gained appreciation for the selection of…
