Hi everyone!
I’m planning to apply for the Bachelor’s degree in Object Design at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU) in Switzerland, and I’m currently trying to figure out how to approach my portfolio.
I’m not really sure where to start, so I’d love to hear some advice from people who have applied to design schools or have experience with portfolio preparation.

• What kind of work should I include?
• What skills or qualities are admissions teams usually looking for?
• Is it better to show a variety of different projects or focus on a few strong ones?
• Are there any common mistakes I should avoid?

I’d also be really grateful if anyone who has applied to a similar programme would be willing to share their portfolio or examples of work they included in their application.
I’m interested in object design, making things by hand, experimenting with materials and potentially working in theatre workshops in the future.
Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Working on a design project prototype right now (doesn’t have to be perfect but as close as it can get). I’m doing some material research and looking for a translucent sheet or film that behaves like frosted glass (that I can stick to acrylic) using which an image behind it should be significantly blurred at roughly 8mm away, but visible when it’s closer, around 2mm(preferred) or 0.

Constraints:

I'm not using backlighting for the image, so just the light from the side of the acrylic should be enough.

Surface-frost effect preferred over a milky/opal look, so colours stay fairly crisp up close

So far I’m considering matte polyester drafting film, frosted window films, spray frosting the acrylic itself. Has anyone compared materials like these at different gap distances, or know a better option? Any tips on adhesives that don’t clear up the frost would also be appreciated. Though if the frost is one sided I could just use adhesive on the other side.

I haven’t decided on the image behind yet so maybe if anyone has any idea of different art styles that could work with this kind of concept (show through when close and blur significantly at around 8mm distance) please let me know.

Hey all, I’m not a designer, but I’d appreciate opinions of people whose into the industry. I wanted to get a custom TV wall and the carpenter added the shelves completely out of design and he thinks he did an amazing job and told me it’s irreversible. I’m trying to get used to it, maybe after adding books on the shelves and a big tv on the cabinet would make it look more tolerable. I’m really trying to love it because I spent a fortune for the material and it’s a good quality tv unit.

right now am in 4th year of design college (grad year) and am thinking of buying a graphic tablet, am pretty average at drawing on paper so i thought i would draw somewhat better stuff on a tablet, thing is idk if drawing on paper is better or the tablet is better, what do you guys think?

Been building Tequila with Claude for a while: a free, open-source app for product renders. It renders with Cycles, Blender’s engine, but in a simple workspace made just for product shots. Drop in a CAD model, drag on materials, hit render.

It comes with 300+ procedural materials, supports plugins, and runs on Windows and Mac. It could be a handy quick tool for students or freelancers who need nice product shots without pricey software.

I described what I wanted, Claude wrote the code, and I stared at a lot of renders. Still rough, but I’m pretty proud of it. Feedback welcome!

https://github.com/ifpintac/tequila

Hey everyone! I’m working on an enclosure for a small hardware device and trying out a few different looks.

Which one would you go for? Feel free to leave your pick in the comments—I’d love to hear what you like about it too!

I notice that it's sometimes hard to conduct research since it's hard to find the exact information I need.For example,target user.Are there any tips for research or is it better to just use Gemini?

Voy a la carrera de diseño y me asusta que el campo laboral no sea tan increible como la carrera y quisiera saber como es el trabajo de aquellos que ya ejercen la carrera

Bulbous proportions and steep rocker geometry for extra comfort.

Designed as a hybrid between marathon shoe geometry and Yeezy inspired curvatures.

The continuous wrap band strap was a unique quality in the construction that I hadn't seen before.

I’m a French designer recently graduated from Design Academy Eindhoven. *A Room for Echoes* is a collection of sculptural steel furniture inspired by the Neo-classical funerary architecture. The collection includes a bookcase, a rotating chair and a monumental desk, handmade in my Paris workshop. The project explores memory, permanence and mortality through sharp forms and a deep black, glossy finish.

I don't know the OP, but please do check out the survey. Hopefully it reaches the right audience!

Hey, I'm Jesper, a founder from Denmark.

I've spent most of my career in computer graphics. I did a PhD in the field, worked in research, led product development at KeyShot, and later worked on web graphics engines with some seriously talented game-engine people from Unity and Crytek at The TMRW Foundation.

And recently, I started a company based on all those learnings.

Building my own product is honestly a bit of a dream, and the jury's still out on whether betting the house and career on it was a brilliant or terrible idea. You can help me figure that out!

I've always been frustrated by the gap between having the CAD and actually exploring and communicating a design: trying materials and colors, making variants, getting good renders, putting together presentations, and sharing it all with the rest of the team.

That's what we've been trying to solve with Figurement.

It's a web-based 3D workspace where you can bring in CAD and immediately start working with materials, lighting and variants, create renders and presentations, and share the whole thing with others. No install, always access to your files, and you can basically open it and be working in seconds.

And yeah, there’s AI in it too. I’m very excited about AI, but I don’t think the answer for product design is to replace the 3D model with generated pixels entirely. I’m much more interested in using AI to help you work with the actual geometry, materials, colors and scene, while keeping everything editable and predictable.

I’d love to know whether this is actually hitting the mark. It’s free to get started, and I'd love to hear what feels useful, what feels unnecessary, and what would need to change before you’d use it. I know how hard it is to take time away to try something new, so I appreciate you taking a look.

It's best on desktop - but works on recent phones as well.

www.figurement.com

Interested to know your thoughts

Hey folks!

Old-school vet here from the digital product / service design space, and looking to get into / do actual physical product design for household products (think IKEA’s electronic items). I’ve done a bit of research on how to start, but I’ve got a little bit of cash on the side to jump straight into “industry standard” tools. Basically, I’m not looking to get into the “Canva” equivalent, but straight into the Adobe’s and Figma’s for physical product design.

Platform doesn’t matter (Mac, Windows, etc.) - I’ve got the opportunity to have a clean slate to start from.

Hi all,

Quick background: I'm not a programmer or an engineer. I'm a dad building something cool for my daughter, learning as I go. I turned the small space under our stairs into a "secret room" for her, and I'm building a screen-free control box that sets the whole mood of the room: music, ambient sounds and lighting.

**What the system does (already working!):**

- Raspberry Pi 4 running a custom Python app

- Tap an RFID tag to play a Spotify playlist. The tags are tiny stickers, so they can go on almost anything. My current idea is magnets with album art on a magnetic "album wall" next to the box: she picks one, taps it, and puts it back. A parent-only "master card" assigns new tags.

- 12-key macro keyboard (Music functions, Moods like Rain, Forest, etc., anc colors) with 3 knobs (volume, light brightness, light color)

- Small 1.3" OLED screen (song title, volume...)

- WLED-controlled LED strips that reacts to the music's beat/mood

- Arcade buttons: hold-to-record voice messages that play back over the music, a "surprise song" button, and a rocker switch for a "quiet/off mode"

**Where it's going: a mood room, not just a music player.**

Some of the keys will become "modes" that change the whole atmosphere: sea (waves + slow blue light), forest (birds + soft green), rain or snow, a disco mode, and so on. The box is really a controller for the room's ambiance, with sound and light working together.

**What I need designed:**

A control panel that holds everything. My first idea was an insert for one cube of an IKEA KALLAX shelf (opening approx. 33 x 33 cm, depth approx. 39 cm), but I'm completely open to other ideas and improvements, including a totally different form. I'd love input from someone who thinks about objects for a living.

- **Front:** OLED screen window, the macro keyboard recessed into the panel, two arcade buttons (approx. 30 mm and 36.5 mm), a rocker switch, and an RFID reader (maybe hidden behind a thin "tap here" area).

- **Back:** mounts for the Raspberry Pi, a USB sound card and cable management, with ventilation

- Kid-friendly: rounded edges, sturdy, nothing that can be pried off

My preference is wood (laser-cut or CNC plywood), but I'm open to other materials, 3D printed parts, or a mix. I don't own a 3D printer or any cutting tools and have no fabrication experience. I'm based in Vancouver, BC, and plan to bring the files to a local makerspace or a laser-cutting/3D printing shop.

**What I can offer:**

- Full credit as the designer in the GitHub repo, the build guide and a YouTube build video, with links to your portfolio/socials

- The design will be released as open source (license of your choice, e.g. CC BY or CERN-OHL), so it's a public portfolio piece

- All code, wiring diagrams and component measurements, plus quick feedback from me: I'll print and test prototypes and send photos/video

If this sounds fun, comment or DM me with a bit about your experience or a link to your work. Ideas and suggestions are welcome too, even if you don't want to take on the design. Thanks!

Hey everyone!

I recently completed an intensive course in Digital Fabrication and Rapid Prototyping, where I explored areas like hardware design, electronics, product design, prototyping, and digital fabrication.

I’m particularly interested in the intersection of technology, design, and art, and I’d love to build a career around it.

However, I’ve been struggling to find internships or entry level opportunities in this field.

I come from a software development background, so I’m still figuring out how to position myself and my skills for this industry.

For those working in digital fabrication, rapid prototyping, product design, hardware development, or related fields:

* Where do I start looking?

* What job titles should I search for?

* How important is a portfolio? Should I focus on building personal projects and documenting my process, even if I don’t have professional experience yet?

I’m based in India, but I’m open to exploring opportunities elsewhere as well.

Even suggestions on where to begin would help a lot!

Thanks!

I started designing this because I wanted to keep my PC off the floor and give it some protection from spills or pet accidents from above—without putting it inside a closed cabinet or hiding the build.

The current concept uses transparent acrylic platforms, stainless-steel guide rods, two assisted-lift supports, and caster wheels. The top is intended to have around 150 mm of height adjustment for different PC cases.

This is still a render, not a finished prototype. The lifting force, locking reliability, stability, and final manufacturing cost still need to be tested.

I’d really appreciate honest feedback:

1. Would this solve a real problem for you?
2. What would you change about the design?
3. What price would you expect for something like this?

If anyone is interested in following the prototype process or testing an early version, feel free to message me.
[ceadk7@gmail.com](mailto:ceadk7@gmail.com)

Hello all,

I'm currently about to graduate with a Bachelor's in ID, and I'm particularly interested in the toy design field. I recently came across an ad for a toy design course by ELVTR, and was wondering if it was worth taking. I looked into the platform itself, and it seems like course quality varies by instructor. I also found 3 positive reviews on the course and instructor from trustpilot, but not much else. Has anyone here taken this course before, and if so, how was your experience?

​

What if geometry could move, morph and respond directly to your touch?

Introducing ArcFlow Live Drag in FlowSketcher — a new approach to interactive geometric design, combining continuous circular arc chains, real-time curve manipulation and dynamic shape transformation.

From CAD design and CNC machining to computational geometry, digital art and motion design, FlowSketcher explores new ways to create, manipulate and bring geometry to life.

🔹 ArcFlow – continuous C1 tangential arc-chain geometry

🔹 ArcFlow Live Drag – interactive, real-time geometric manipulation

🔹 OvumPath – organic, continuously flowing geometric forms

🔹 FlowSketcher – touch-driven 2.5D CAD/CAM and CNC toolpath design

Designed to bridge the worlds of technical drawing, industrial design, CNC manufacturing and creative geometry — directly through touch and pen.

No conventional spline approximation. Just geometry in motion.

Ocean presents FlowSketcher.

Where geometry flows into a new form.

#CAD #CNC #CAM #ComputationalGeometry #ParametricDesign #DigitalArt #MotionDesign #CADCAM #CNCmachining #FlowSketcher #ArcFlow #OvumPath

​

First Flight of FlowSketcher.

Featuring ArcFlow LiveC¹ OvumPath.

Geometry in Motion.

A browser-native sketching system where geometry is created live, not drawn frame by frame.

No CAD constraints. No approximations.

Just direct geometry, live motion, and CNC-ready paths.