Organic Minimalist Puzzle Holder – Specs & Constraints

Specifications: What are the top 5 things you want your project to look like, to feel like, to do??

1. I want my project to successfully give off organic minimalism vibes (simple, neat, elegant, etc.). Hopefully people can look at it and recognize the aesthetic I am aiming for without me having to specify it.
2. I want my project to be comfortable to use. I don’t want to get splinters or scratched while using it, I want my hands to rest comfortably on the top frame and the felt while spending hours on a puzzle, and I want it to feel relatively lightweight (at least for me personally) so that I can easily move it around.
3. I want my project to be convenient to use. I want the drawers to fit snuggly so that they do not slide easily out but are not too difficult to slide back in to the base. I want them to successfully store my puzzle pieces, so that I can color coordinate them and keep them from being lost.
4. I want my project to be aesthetically pleasing. I want the materials I am using (and ultimately- the final outcome) to look good (to me) and better support the organic minimalist aesthetic I am trying to achieve. I want the quality of my work to come out nicely. Hopefully I can add some extra decor to give it additional beauty!

5. 

   I want my project to successfully accommodate my large puzzles. Hopefully the size I have chosen will adequately fit 1500-2000 piece puzzles, since those are the sizes I usually work on.

To me, I will consider my project a success if I have met my 5 listed specs above! Of course, some of my specs are subjective and depend greatly on my own idea of what I am looking for. I think if my project ends up looking like my CAD model, that will suggest I accomplished the visuals/aesthetic I was going for. Additionally, if my product ends up being functional (primarily in regard to the drawers), then I think that shows functional success as well. I aim for a pretty good balance of achieving form and functional success.

What are you prioritizing?

I acknowledge that since my aesthetic is relatively simple, there is a lot more time and effort being placed on the functionality of the puzzle holder. Thus, I have been prioritizing the fabrication of the puzzle holder itself over the decoration as of right now. However, functionality isn’t everything for me- since I do want my puzzle holder to LOOK nice and give off the organic minimalist appearance I am aiming for.

 

What are the top 5 constraints you face?

1. 1. Skills! This is my first time creating a woodshop project. I haven’t really dealt with wood before. So the woodshop workshop was really the first time I got to try out certain tools/saws by myself. Due to my lack of experience working with wood, there are a lot of things I do not consider when designing or working on my project. I hesitate quite a bit when trying something new for this project, as I am worried to make a mistake that may waste materials or set back my progress.
   2. Space… my project is slightly large (and does not bend or roll up to save space). Since I am fabricating everything in the Idea Forge’s woodshop, I am sharing the space with others and am storing my project there. The woodshop is not the largest area… so my large and rigid project can be a little inconvenient to work on if space is limited in the shop.
   3. Time. Similar to the aforementioned space constraint- the woodshop I am working in has set hours for use. This means that I can only work on my project during their alloted times (which are only during weekdays). I have been trying to work around the shop’s schedule as much as possible, but it has been a constraint towards my progress.

   4. 

      Ideas… as mentioned before, my aesthetic is relatively simple and has an emphasis on the “less is more” mentality. This means that I don’t want to risk adding too much to the project that will take away from the minimalist aspect, but I also want to ensure that the project gives off organic minimalist vibes. I have been contemplating painting on vines on the sides of the base boards… but am worried that may contradict the minimalism… thoughts? Additionally- I keep bouncing around with what approach I want to take with the drawer handles/slot, so I have been looking into ideas and trying to decide.

1. Materials. I have been very lucky to be able to use a lot of scrap/left over material from the wood shop, however- that means that some of the wood is not in the best condition or slightly differs from original intentions. I have tried designing the board in such a way as to account for this (and cover these differences). However, it has been slightly time consuming to search through the scraps and find sufficient materials, and it does impact how I can execute my aesthetic visions.

Skills, time, and space are definitely the most challenging constraints for me, especially since they largely depend on others’ resources/availability.

 

Featured image shows the original design of the puzzle holder and shows the felt (tan) and top trim (white), which should offer the user comfort and puzzle security during puzzle building (according to the spec listed in #2 above).

 

References:

[1] https://www.cloudberries.co.uk/puzzle-size-guide/?v=0b3b97fa6688

[2] https://atopserenityhill.com/handpainted-vine-as-window-valance-alternative/

[3] https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/10-of-the-best-minimalist-chest-of-drawers-catesthillcom–144115256815868752/