03 — 2025.11.6 — 2025.12.19
Light Up SDGs
Symbolic Lighting Object
01 — Inquiry
I chose SDG 4: Quality Education because education creates opportunities that extend far beyond the classroom.
•Research highlighted the continuing barriers many people face in accessing education.
•Books, trees, and light repeatedly appeared as symbols of growth and opportunity.
•Edge-lit acrylic offered a way to make these symbols visible through illumination.
•The challenge was communicating a message without relying on text.
•Every design decision needed to support both function and meaning.
02 — Ideation
Several concepts were explored before arriving at the final direction.
•Early ideas communicated information clearly but felt more like displays than products.
•The combination of an open book and a growing tree created a stronger narrative.
•Tree branches were repeatedly adjusted to improve both symbolism and manufacturability.
•CAD modelling helped refine proportions before fabrication began.
•Throughout the process, I kept asking whether someone could understand the message without explanation.
03 — Prototyping
This became the most technically demanding project I had completed at that point.
•Combined woodworking, CAD modelling, laser cutting, and electronics within a single product.
•Designed the acrylic pattern in Onshape before preparing it for laser cutting.
•Learned soldering while assembling the lighting system.
•The slot intended for the acrylic panel was accidentally cut 0.5 cm too short, requiring careful modification after assembly had already begun.
•A small measurement error quickly became a reminder of the workshop habit: check before cutting.
04 — Evaluation
The final lamp successfully communicated the idea of growth through learning.
•Different fabrication methods had to work together within one object.
•The project improved both technical confidence and problem-solving skills.
•Electronics introduced an entirely new area of making.
•Mistakes during construction became valuable learning opportunities.
•The final product felt like a successful combination of storytelling and engineering.
Next Project
Endanzoo
Interactive Educational Installation