Outcome

Intention

My goal in this project was to design a clock that would fit exactly to a specific person's taste, along with mine. I designed this clock with the intention to gift it to my mom. Although we do have a family clock at our home, it looks a bit old outdated. This is why I wanted to design something that had a more modern touch. I also wanted to include a flower in my design as flowers are one of my mom's favorite patterns to wear, keep in her home, and garden in her backyard. My intention was to design something I would have fun making but would also fit my mother's tastes. 

Sketch

Research & Context

Upon research of acrylic clocks, I found that many designs kept use of colors and negative space to create unique shadows and forms. Below is an example that I found in my research, that became very helpful for me to decide which direction to take my clock design. This minimalist design helps accomplish my goal of making a more modern looking clock than the one that my mom currently has in our living room at home. 

Aesthetic & Inspiration

I started my research with looking at minimalist designs for all kinds of things. This included looking at living room interior designs with a minimalist approach. Although the living room in the home I grew up in doesn't have a minimalist interior design, I thought that envisioning the type of room that a minimalist clock would hang was good inspiration. The motto of a minimalist approach is "less is more." Because I am not as used to this kind of an approach, I had to step out of my comfort zone to try and achieve this inspiration design.  

Process & Procedure

I mostly used the same design that I started with (shown in sketch above). However, I had a bit of trouble in choosing where to etch and score. I wanted the numbers and my mother's favorite Bible memory verse to stand out. This was why I knew that I would cut these out, to play with some shadows on the white acrylic surface. However, I wanted to keep my clock simple and was more reluctant to make distracting designs with etching and scoring. That is why I decided to make 2 small rings in the middle of the clock that showed some etching and scoring. However, when I first printed out the clock, I realized that these designs would be covered by a piece of the clock piece that keeps the hands together. Additionally, the etching was too subtle to be visible, unless seen from a close distance. I then decided to make an additional clear acrylic layer in the middle that would feature some more visible etching and scoring. I was able to accomplish this in the end, especially when I made the etching in a different power setting in the laser cutting machine. 

Two Renderings

[Two renderings on complete project styled with finished background, lighting, positioning, reflection]

Five semi-pro photos

[Five semi-professional photos with care given to context, lighting, staging, scene]

Reflection

Looking back, I really learned how to express my creativity confidently through laser-cutting art. In my last project, it was the first time I had ever worked with laser-cutting. It was very difficult for me to print anything out from my own creative ideas, as I didn't know how to use the tools to make them. 

If I could do anything differently, I would consider putting a third layer in my clock. It may have given it a bit more 3D dimension. 

Overall, I am very content with my final product. 

I also want to give a special thanks to Professor Louise Larson for all her help and feedback throughout the whole project. Additionally, I would like to give a special thanks to classmate Irina Javed for her help in helping me use the laser printing machine in this project.