Week 2 — Computer-Aided Design

Software focus: Blender (3D modeling for my final project concept)

Assignment Scope

This week I focused on 3D modeling in Blender and created an early concept model for my final project. I prioritized shape exploration, form language, and main structure planning at this stage.

Software Selection

I chose Blender because it is fast for concept iteration, flexible for organic and mechanical forms, and convenient for moving between edit mode and sculpt mode in one workflow. It is also useful for visual communication at this stage, where I need to test proportions and interaction layout before detailed engineering constraints are fixed.

What I Modeled

I modeled a character-like outer shell and supporting side structure for my brain fog device concept. The model includes a front display area, rounded body features, and accessory geometry that helps me evaluate overall proportions and visual identity.

Process Summary

Opened a clean Blender scene and reviewed default workspace settings.
Blocked out the basic body and side components using primitive meshes.
Refined silhouette and major openings in edit mode to establish overall shape logic.
Switched to sculpt mode to smooth transitions and tune the soft organic form.
Adjusted details from multiple orthographic views (front, back, bottom).
Generated final concept views for documentation and future iteration.

Initial Blender interface with default scene — Step 1 - Initial Blender scene.

Mid-stage model without final thickness — Step 2 - Mid-stage model before thickness refinement.

Front orthographic view of final concept model — Step 3 - Finalized front view.

Back orthographic view of final concept model — Step 4 - Finalized back view.

Bottom orthographic view of final concept model — Step 5 - Finalized bottom view.

Perspective final view of concept model — Step 6 - Final perspective review.

Compression and File Management

I compressed all documentation images to keep web loading efficient. The six screenshots on this page were exported as .jpg and each file is under 100KB.

Original design file:

Download Blender source file (.blend)

Reflection

This exercise helped me quickly transform a rough idea into a visible 3D form. The current model is concept-level, but it already supports the next steps: structure segmentation, shell thickness strategy, and fabrication-oriented redesign for later weeks.