The Zen lamp design was inspired by an advertisement I saw on Temu. I named it the Zen lamp because of the serene posture of the figure, which embraces the light source in a way that evokes peace and reflects many Zen principles. The figure's meditative stance suggests it has been in a state of contemplation all day. The Zen lamp features a minimalist aesthetic, and I dedicated significant effort to capturing the figure's form as accurately as possible. This project also marks my first individual AutoCAD endeavor. The lamp's unique design includes a feature where twisting either foot activates a switch to turn the lamp on or off. Users can also adjust the brightness by varying the degree of the twist.

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To begin the project, I created hand-drawn blueprints that included dimensions, shapes, and several design ideas for the lamp. For example, I crafted a half-oval for the head and revolved it 360 degrees. The body, however, presented a greater challenge, requiring constant adjustments to ensure accurate proportions. I began by drawing lines at various angles and then filleting them into the desired shape. Afterward, I converted the 2D sketch into a 3D solid and used another solid to subtract from it, creating a hollow body frame.

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From an aesthetic standpoint, I focused on refining the subtracted areas, testing multiple fillet radii to ensure they were not too extreme. I then created the hands, arms, legs, thighs, toes, and the light source, using the symmetry of the object to mirror elements. Aligning the arms, thighs, and legs at different angles was the most time-consuming part of the process, as I struggled to snap them into place. However, I eventually achieved the desired alignment. Toward the end of the project, I felt something was missing, so I added a base to enhance the lamp's realism for potential commercialization. The base itself was built from rectangles, incorporating various fillets and arcs.

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Overall, I am very satisfied with the outcome, including the precision of the dimensions. If given more time, I would focus on perfectly aligning the angles with the joints. As my professor Ryan Marshall advised, I should have designed the joints as a single piece from the beginning. This would require significant planning and forethought. Since this was my first independent AutoCAD project, I see room for improvement in the future.