Designing my prototype has allowed me to look much deeper into the overall design of my box. Although I did not completely answer the question of “what design goal am I striving for with my jewelry box?” I feel as though the comments and constructive criticism both classmates and Professor Hertzberg offered have been very helpful.
Photos of my finished prototype:
After finishing this cardboard prototype of my box I have a much better idea of how I am going to go about building it. This jewelry box is a present for my mom on Mothers Day. My mom loves nice wood pieces, as can be seen from her many recent additions of wooden tables, cabinets, and other pieces of wooden furniture into the house. One style my mom was attempting to achieve was a room of antiques. After purchasing an “antique” bed frame, which is something between a double and a queen I believe, she began to fill the rest of the room with antique furniture. I believe giving this jewelry box an antique style will make it a nice addition to my mothers room.
The first method I plan on achieving this antique style jewelry box is to go with a “antique” finish. Here is a jewelry box that has a nice finish that gives it an antique feel:
This darker finish gives the box a cool rustic feel, which will fit perfect in her new room. I also really like the hooks used as necklace holds on the bottom of the lid, so I may steal that idea.
The next aesthetic I wanted to go with to give the box an antique feel is an older style latch that will keep the lid secure while in the closed position. After doing some research on older jewelry boxes I found a couple old latches that I thought would look good then decided to go with something like this one:
I figured trying to buy one of these latches would not make it look that old so I am going to beat it up a little before I put it on the box.
The last design of the box I plan on adding are a couple of finger slots on the side of the lid which will allow for easy access into the main compartment once the latch is unhooked. These should be fairly easy to add with a small drill bit, and if I use the correct drill bit I can keep the consistency of having sharp edges throughout the box.
Citations:
- https://www.allurez.com/productimages/large/00424S13.jpg
- https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1.aldIXXXXXa4XFXXq6xXFXXXa/Small-Vintage-font-b-Jewelry-b-font-font-b-Box-b-font-font-b-Antique-b.jpg
9 Comments. Leave new
Making a project as a Mother’s Day gift is a really cool idea! Everyone tends to like gifts that they can actually use, so this is a very practical idea. The fact that it will be handmade also makes it a little bit more significant, so overall it is a great idea for both a gift and a project.
It seems like you have really taken advantage of the “works like” prototype. Like we discussed, you may need to flesh out the aesthetics goals a little more to match your mom’s aesthetic. We talked about how to this a lot in person but perhaps you could post it as an update in this design review report.
Great project for your mom. I like how you wanted to do the jewelry box out of wood so that your mom would like it more. A suggestion would be to have art on the box such as with paint or laser etching. This can also be your aesthetics as well.
It was great to see a design that would come in by someone else afterwards. Personally I think the simple look to it great. Maybe you could alternate the woods you use so there is a striped pattern on the box? You could also, laser etch into the wood and use a clear stain afterwards.
First, I really like that you are making something for your mom. I think she is really going to love something home made! Also, I like that you are adding drawers and indents so that there is lots of storage. Maybe you could add a gold or silver handle or draw something on the wood from the laser cutter! Great idea though!
I like your inspiration for this project, it makes me want to call my mom. As professor Hertzberg stated, you might want to give a little thought to an aesthetic to design towards. I think you’re off to a good start, but make it stand out!
Like the idea of making a gift! The solid works model was a good idea. Gives a way to see how you want to set the box up without being constrained by materials. The prototype looked good as well. Might be good to focus in on an aesthetic, maybe something matching other things your mom has throughout her house or in her closet.
I like how your inspiration is something that you can make for your mother. Your prototype is very detailed and I like how you made it the size you are actually going for, and with making the prototype realized that it will be too big, and you can go back and make a new prototype. I also like that you are considering using maple or another nice wood, because it will turn out great. Good job!
Cool idea! I enjoyed hearing about what inspired you to create the jewelry box project. I also enjoyed hearing about how you have already worked and plan to create additional prototypes for the project. It was interesting to hear how your box prototype model informed your realizations about the sizing of the various elements you plan to include in the final design. Have you considered discussing your mother’s preferences with her regarding which features she would enjoy having in the jewelry box, or would you prefer to keep the project a surprise. Great job!