So many people ignore the importance of industrial design.
I strongly agree with you. I think many products are
over-designed, to the point of being toy-like.
...if you just used the frosted stuff because it was the only material you could find, or that it was the cheapest...
my choices were basically acrylic (plexiglass) or polycarb (lexan). acrylic is shit to work with; it melts and cracks. polycarb is much easier to cut and shape. a 1' x 2' sheet of acrylic is $9, and the same size sheet of lexan is $12; it's worth the extra 3 bucks. also, both come clear. the frosted comes from sanding the lexan with 150 grit sandpaper (w/ a handheld random-orbital). the one downside of lexan is that it scratches easily, so the decision to sand it was initially a practical one: if it's going to get scratched, why not pre-scratch it?
are you involved with industrial design in your career?
not exactly. my career at the moment is uncertain. I was in hollywood vfx for three years, but ended up leaving because of a health issue and because I hated los angeles. at the moment I'm taking woodworking and cabinetry courses. I've also started designing and building lamps, as well as some furniture. how all that will translate into a career is still up in the air, but at least my expenses are a fraction of what they were in the city.
anyway, thank you so much for the kind words.
