Brainstorming for an idea is the hardest part. Once you get pass that, everything starts to fall together. I sketched out some ideas of what I wanted to cast. After that, I found out that silicone molds are relatively cheap to make and they can withstand heat. This means that I can safely melt down acrylic using an old saucepan in a well ventilated area and pour it straight into the mold.
Gathering acrylic is one of the exciting parts. I have to find scrap acrylic that has the right color for my mold. Looking around, great places such as the laser cutter room has acrylic scraps.
After that, silicone to make a mold, and a figure to create a mold of. I still need to see if everything will work out. A test for how the acrylic will melt and form will be done as well.
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I like your thoughts on the design process. I totally agree that brainstorming is the hardest part, it always takes me so long to come up with an idea but once I have it the project really accelerates. Recycling acrylic is a great idea, there is so many scrap pieces created when anyone uses the laser cutters.
Jason, this is a great representation of the design process. It’s high-level enough that it can be applied to many projects, yet specific enough to show what specific actions were taken. One question I had looking at this is after the block “Good Product?” How is it determined if the product is a good or a bad one? Is there a set of objective criteria, or is it a subjective decision? Are you the sole input in this process or do you get feedback from others?