Initial Design
The brief stated that we were to start by sketching 60–100 pictures of an animal. Due to the fact that I have never been the best at drawing, I was quite nervous to undertake the project. After the initial 60, there were another 32 based on certain words, plus another 5 in a specific style.
These are a few of the 97 elephants sketched. There's a good chance that the least embarrassing ones were done by friends... Three out of the four final sketches were done by me.
Digitalization
The selected sketch was transformed into a digital vector illustration, preparing it for the laser cutting process. The design needed to be simplified and optimized to work as a puzzle with clean, cuttable lines.
Laser Cutting
Instead of contacting a vendor, I glued the illustration to wood, which was then laser cut on the path shown above. As you can hear on the video, it was a little nerve wracking watching the laser cut through both layers.
The fabrication process required precision and careful monitoring to ensure the design cut cleanly through the material without burning or warping.
Product Images
The final product is an interactive children's puzzle featuring the elephant design. The laser cutting process created clean edges and precise puzzle pieces that fit together seamlessly.
The natural wood material gives the puzzle a tactile, handcrafted quality that enhances the interactive experience for children.