Mesh Mashup

The art of taking something already created and transforming it into something new is harder than it seems. Remix culture, the culture of combining, editing, and sometimes subtracting original materials and concepts to create something new, straddles the fine-print line of copyright and artistic freedom simply for the sake of experimentation. In nature, it is a very human curiosity to experience something, whether it be a piece of art, music, or media, and wonder in what ways one could enhance that thing or change it's meaning/message entirely. Remixing does not devalue the original material, nor does it replace it - the original material and the remixed material can both be viewed individually and enjoyed in different ways, creating multiple unique experiences.

Now here are some of the remixes I've come up with this past week!

Cat iPhone

At first glance, this kitty-themed phone may seem counterproductive, as it blocks most of the screen, but it actually adds 3D immersion to all of those cat videos we love to watch!

Phone: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:457767

Cat: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1640984
Apple Logo: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:180589

Teleknuckles

This combination of a phone and brass knuckles represents the hurtful impact of words, which is better summarized by this quote from The Fairy Oddparents (2001 - present): "Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words leave psychological wounds that will never heal."

Phone: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:35563

Brass Knuckles: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:420443

Bathplug Diffuser

This is a bathplug that doubles as a soothing diffuser! The diffuser's design was inspired by a flower which with rest on top of the water with the help of the removable pole that is inserted into the plug. The plug can also be removed so that the diffuser floats in the bath while still dispersing essential oils from the center.

Bathplug: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:595

Flower: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:415314

Leaf: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:819523

Spooky Snowglobe

This Halloween-centric snowglobe was inspired by the fact that it is almost October, and I also took inspiration from the edgy character Reaper from the video game Overwatch, which, I admit, has taken over my life for the past year. I see it as a fun knick-knack party and dollar stores would sell around the Halloween season.

Reaper: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1651983

Reaper Mask: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1903283

Bats: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:12587

The Road Rage Burger

The fact that I was hungry when designing this one was probably my biggest inspiration, but I also took inspiration from the 2010 indie film "Tire". I enjoyed the movie simply because it was weird and made me laugh, which is something I always try to incorporate into my ideas. Sometimes there is no need for a hidden message or a reason, sometimes you just have to create weird things for the sake of being weird. So here's a tire burger.

Tire: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:72097

Leaf: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1912175

Tomatoes: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2288852

Caragon

I like the concept of mixing something medieval with something modern because the two have very, very different aesthetics. Modern objects are sleek and perform their function efficiently, whereas medieval objects are obviously outdated, but they have a fantastical charm. I decided on a dragon to mix into this car because I feel a dragon represents both fantasy and medieval elements - and it also looks cool as heck.

Wings: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1541238

Tail: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1517785

Skull: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1386439

Car: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:302706

Partythrower

The "Partythrower" was inspired by the fact that if modern weapons were designed to, say, dispense soda and play sick beats, we'd all be a lot happier. It also comes with a Hello Kitty keychain!

Flamethrower: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1780508

Soda: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:15229/#files

Boombox: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:222758

Hello Kitty Keychain: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:961490

Bulbasaur Lamp

This design was simply inspired by my undying love for the video game series Pokemon. I imagine this lamp, featuring Bulbasaur, would be eco-friendly, made from recycled materials and being solar powered, to better represent the nature-inspired character.

Bulbasaur: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:381599

Lamp: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:775168

Solar Snail

This cosmic snail houses Saturn on its back, whose rings double as a sunhat for our gastropod friend! I chose these two objects because the idea of a living creature surviving in empty space fascinates me. What would it look like, what adaptations would it have? In this concept, the snail and the planet itself have a symbiotic relationship.

Snail: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2538533

Saturn's Rings: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:773278

Skull Hive

The combination of skull and beehive was inspired by plants that thrive from the nutrients that the dead leave behind. In a way, that's as close as we are going to get to a remix culture in nature. Death is the original material and the plants and therefore animals and insects "edit" that original material, creating something new.

Skull: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1040192

Bee: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1325754

Beehive: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:953918

Objectified

After watching Gary Hustwit's Objectified, I was inspired to recreate a peeler shown fairly early into the documentary, designed by Sam Farber. The Oxo brand vegetable peeler was created with the concern of arthritis and other such disabilities in mind that would prevent a person from using this tool effectively. I believe more companies should consider challenged customers in their development process, if possible, as it challenges designers to create smarter, more accessible designs and widens their audience - and is also just a kind thing to do!
So, without further ado, here is the Oxo peeler I have recreated in TinkerCAD! This was a lot of fun to build!

 

Bonus shots of some detail work you might have missed in the above pictures!