Bend
Designing, manufacturing, advertising, and selling a limited-production run of products
Timeline
2019
9 Weeks
Solo Project / Group Project for Retail Event
Skills
Waterjet cutting, laser cutting, AutoCAD, material sourcing, manufacturing, marketing
Goal
Using sheet metal, design a product to be sold at a local home goods retailer. Outsource manufacturing processes to create a small production run, and sell each product for less than $50 while making a profit.
First Prototype
I loved the idea of metal “peeling” away from itself. I created a small shelf inspired by Art Deco that has a small shelf peeling out of the piece.
In this initial concept, the metal peels away to reveal a mirror.
My first metal prototype was from a scrap piece of brass. I loved the vintage appearance but soon learned that a 1‘ x 1’ x 1/16“ sheet of brass costs $50+.
Iteration
I needed affordable alternatives to brass so I explored many different metals, mirrors, and coatings. I pivoted away from the mirror component due to cost limitations. I focused on these shelves as a decorative piece to highlight a favorite small collectible, perfume, plant, etc.
All of my prototypes were cut using a Waterjet Cutter, but for the final production, I outsourced laser-cutting from Trexler Industries.
The Waterjet Cutter doing a dry run at full speed.
I outsourced help with welding. This was to attach z-clips to the back of each shelf for mounting.
How it’s made: Terrazzo Finish
A prototype drying.
My most successful iterations were a stainless steel base covered with gold foil or gold spray paint. I patterned my gold foil to give the appearance of terrazzo, inspired by a previous trend prediction project. The gold spray paint was the closest finish to brass.
I was responsible for visual marketing for our Popup shop. I designed two types of posters.
The first was a fun, interactive poster that took the word “popup“ literally. I designed the file in AutoCAD and laser-cut the event details in a folded poster from which it literally popped. We hung the posters around Lehigh University.
The second poster category I designed in Canva. Each poster featured photos of each student’s product and was designed to be easily shared on social media.
I produced 25 shelves total: 15 gold, and 10 terrazzo.
I sold the gold shelves for $30, and the terrazzo shelves for $35.
Photos from a customer!
Continuing Projects
I liked the idea of the terrazzo finishes on different products, especially round objects. I created a few different earring designs and coasters.
