Building the Box
Time Capsule Part II
For this portion of the “time capsule” project, I was tasked with building the physical case to hold the components. With my contents chosen and theme established from last week, I got to work.
Theory & Theme:
With my theme revolving around the implied “cost” of objects and how they can affect change and structure who we are, I wanted a time capsule design that reflected those ideas. In my story mockup, I used an e-commerce site to tell the stories of objects because I believed that reflected in the overall theme.
Design:
I started the design process by doing some research. I looked at famous time capsules, time capsule containers available for purchase, and historians’ input on time capsule contents. I sketched a few iterations of different shapes including basic primitives like cylinders and cubes. I wasn’t excited about any of the layouts and I felt they wouldn’t showcase the objects as intended instead of being thoughtlessly stuck into a container. I took some extra time to think about my theme and how I would want the items to be received. I thought about what moment of receiving items and commercialization stood out to me. For this, it is definitely the unboxing process when first opening a new item. Companies such as Apple, Zune, or Teenage Engineering, that design good packaging that builds anticipation of the first use, make it more fun to engage with the contents. This definitely resonated as an emotion I wanted to convey in this process as the feeling of excitement and possibility is the same I get when holding most of these items.
I then shifted my designs by exploring a more premium shape such as a set of stacked trapezoidal prisms, each containing items of interest. I mocked these up in some 3D software including drawers and slots for items. The shape didn’t feel as “premium” as it appeared in sketches or my mind once seeing it in 3D so I shifted back to the box approach.
I used a van’s shoebox from my pile of recycled materials. I started by cutting out foam core to create a liner and internal supports. To create a good unboxing, pieces should be satisfying to see and move. To do this, I made sure to cut all pieces as snug as possible with my knife. I also 3D designed a bracket for the seed pods in Fusion 360 so they can all slide in and out of the package seamlessly while maintaining the same satisfying feel. I also managed to fashion the opening and closing of the box and placement of items to mimic the snug fit of a commercial package where everything is meant to be.
After that, I reused some decorative tissue paper from Adafruit inside of the box to increase the feeling of quality. I like the paper because it is minimal but elegant. Once the inside of the box was looking good, I began to place the items. I got hung up on the placement of both the seed pods and the Warped Tour banner. I had allotted space for them both but they were small enough to be interchangeable. I experimented with swapping them and placing the seeds at the boxes opening and that felt right. They’re the most visually striking piece and I thought it best to have them be the showcase. Lastly, I arranged the items and printed labels for the box and taped them in their appropriate areas.
Challenges:
In hindsight, I wish I had chosen a more specific theme because I have been struggling to weave a narrative and reflect it in my design. Another challenge was the size difference of many of my items especially the deceptively large book. This dictated significant changes in the physical design of the capsule. I definitely struggled with the overall shape of the project. I was hoping to make something intricate, creative, and different but sometimes the items are restrictive or the ideas don’t always flow. Once I had moved forward with my decision though I started to feel better and more confident. After making a few decisions such as lining the box and designing shelving support I started to open up and lean into what I appreciate about good package design to help improve the project. After putting some work into the box I didn’t account for the extra space my additions would take up and had to re-cut some of the edges. I also ran into problems printing my 3D brackets to hold the seed pods. Despite using calipers and CAD software for exact measurements the parts were too small. I had to make some iterations and this took a few revisions but I eventually got a nice fit.
Takeaways:
I have several takeaways from this portion of the project. The first is to be patient upfront with the design process. Sometimes Ideas come quickly and other times they have to develop. Following that, I think it’s really important to put a part of what you enjoy into the design. Usually, if you like it, you can design from a place of strength and reference, but this should be done in moderation as it’s easy to fall into imitation. Being flexible in designs also helped a lot. But doing many sketches and rudimentary 3D models it was very easy to abandon an idea that wasn’t working such as the prism shape. Laying out objects for the design was also incredibly helpful. I feel as if I was continuously rearranging items within the box, by themselves or on foam core to get a good fit and feel.
Hopes for the future:
First, I would like to paint the exterior of the box. I would also look into getting some better tools for prototyping such as a better utility and craft knife. These would help make cleaner and faster cuts. I would also like to add some sliding door mechanisms to access the lower portions of the box without having to always open the top and remove the contents. I will also be working on improving my sketching abilities because I want to get better at thinking on paper.
