Five concepts developed from sketches to parametric parts, assemblies, CMF studies, renders, and PLA appearance models
01
BRIEF + THESIS
What if the objects on your desk behaved like toys?
Stacky translates the friendliness of a construction toy into an exploratory family of everyday objects. Instead of treating playfulness as decoration, the project asks whether adding a module could make an interaction more legible and memorable.
Project scope: concept development, CAD, CMF, rendering, and 3D-printed appearance models. No formal user study or functioning electronics are documented.
THE DESIGN THESIS
Stacking as interaction.
01
Repeat a module
Use a shared visual grammar so separate objects read as one family.
02
Give stacking meaning
Explore placement as a gesture—not just a way to store parts.
03
Review it physically
Move from rendered intent to appearance models that reveal scale and proportion.
02
THE PRODUCT FAMILY
Five objects. One modular language.
The family ranges from desk utility to focus and display. Each concept uses block-like proportions, visible studs, candy color, and an explicit stacking direction; the functions are proposals rather than verified electronics.
Power Stack · 3D-printed appearance model
01 / 05
MODULAR TOWER
Power Stack
A concept exploring outlet, speaker, clock, and camera modules within one shared stackable form language.
6 WEEKS
From brief to bricks.
WEEK 08–09Explore + sketch
Early form studies and first directions
WEEK 10SolidWorks CAD
From sketches to modular parts
WEEK 11More modules
One object became a five-part family
WEEK 12KeyShot CMF
Color, material, and lighting studies
FINALPrinted family
FDM appearance models and review
Fig. 02 · First exploration: handheld-player studyTHE PIVOT
Not one playful object—a modular family.
The handheld player tested candy color and toy-like mass, but the stronger opportunity was not the object itself. The project shifted toward a system where one visual and physical language could support several product ideas.
PLAYFUL FORM→REPEATABLE UNIT→PRODUCT FAMILY
IDEATION · WEEK 09
The Timer Bot made stacking an action.
Thumbnail sketches explored tracked robots, stacking timers, functional cubes, organizers, and planters. The turning point was a Pomodoro concept where placing a brick could represent starting another focus period.
“Each small block stacked is a new task time period—Pomodoro + interaction.”Original sketchbook note
Fig. 03 · Refined ideation board based on original sketches
04
CAD + SYSTEM LANGUAGE
Built in SolidWorks, reviewed as a family.
CAD translated the sketches into block-like shells, rounded edges, visible studs, and clear directions of assembly. The available files show form and assembly intent; they do not document connector tolerances, cycle testing, or production validation.
Chunky volumes keep the family toy-like and legible.
02Visible assembly direction
Studs and stacked silhouettes make the intended gesture apparent.
03Color as identity
Primary and secondary colors distinguish modules without breaking the family.
05
CMF + CONTEXT
Color carries the playful voice.
KeyShot became the material lab: candy-colored plastic established the family, translucent and metallic treatments tested the cactus form, and context scenes explored how the organizer and planter might live beyond a studio render.
CMF 01 · Cactus Organizer: translucent and opaque studiesCMF 02 · Hex Wall Planter colorwaysCONTEXT 01 · Organizer on the deskCONTEXT 02 · Planter on the wall
06
FDM APPEARANCE MODELS
From rendered intent to physical form.
The parts were FDM-printed, finished, and assembled as appearance models. These physical artifacts make scale, proportion, surface, assembly direction, and family consistency easier to review than renders alone.
PROTOTYPE 01 · Timer Bot: PLA appearance modelPROTOTYPE 02 · Timer Bot: front and rear detailPROTOTYPE 03 · Power Stack modulesPROTOTYPE 04 · Brick House SetPROTOTYPE 05 · Roof pen cup detail
WHAT THE MODELS SUPPORT
Form and assembly review.
The physical models support hands-on review of scale, proportion, assembly direction, surface quality, and visual consistency across the family.
WHAT THEY DO NOT CLAIM
Function is still a proposal.
The models do not contain functioning electronics, powered outlets, cameras, speakers, displays, or a validated timer system. Electrical performance, track movement, durability, safety, repeated connection cycles, and long-term fit were not formally tested.
OUTCOME + NEXT ITERATION
Six weeks. Five objects. One modular idea.
The project resulted in five related concepts, a shared form language, CAD models, color and material studies, and a set of 3D-printed appearance models.
01
What held together
A consistent mix of block-like proportion, visible studs, rounded edges, and high-chroma color made varied objects read as one family.
02
What remains open
The documentation does not include formal user research, quantified performance tests, electrical integration, manufacturing validation, or production readiness.
03
What I would test next
Choose one flagship product, define connector dimensions and tolerances, test repeated assembly, add functional architecture, and evaluate the stacking gesture with users.
Independent student project. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the LEGO Group, Dyson, or Muji.
DESIGNED · MODELED · RENDERED · PRINTED BY COCO YIN
