Blog 14: Final Project Report Part 2: Why and What Next? Reflection on the semester. Compare your original project intent to what you ended up with. What did you learn from your project, and from the class? What will you do next with the project? What do you wish you had done differently?

My original project didn’t change very much from my beginning design to the end – the main difference being that it wasn’t physically made (albeit this is a major difference).  Since we weren’t allowed to use school resources, and I don’t have access to tools, I made a 3D model and step-by-step instructions. My aesthetic remained the same and materials choices stayed the same.  Overall, I’m still proud of what I made.  I think I tried to go above and beyond given the circumstances, and I’m glad I did; if I ever try to physically make this, I have a written list of instructions ready to go.  If anything, this showed me how much preparing can help you along the process.

I sent my drawings and instructions to my parents, and they might attempt this while they’re still quarantining.  I hope to be able to try to make this, if only because it will be practice for building my own designs later on down the line. However, since I don’t have a permanent residence and don’t have any tools yet whatsoever, I won’t be able to make this any time soon.

After seeing so many different types of projects in the final EXPO, I was torn between how amazing some of the projects seemed and how unfair it was given the differences in money and available resources.  It didn’t make me regret anything, but I wish I had been given the opportunity to create something with the same passion some of the other people had – not that I didn’t have the same passion, but I wasn’t able to physically touch my product.   

I think the main lesson learned was that everything will take seven times longer than you expect, and that aesthetics are just as important as function… sometimes even more important!

I never thought too much about aesthetics unless they were over-the-top, shoved in my face, or I very much disliked them.  I started looking at the insides of breweries and restaurants, and even department stores (all before quarantine), and thinking about what their aesthetic was and if they achieved it.