Mythological Thingiverse Mashups

I believe one of the earliest forms of remix culture comes from mythology. Specifically, mythical creatures. Mythical creatures have always been based on real life animals and people, which have been blended to form a new type of animal. This includes both human and animal hybrids like the vampire or werewolf and mixes of animals like the griffin (part lion, part bird). 

So, I felt inspired to create my own mythical creatures, remixed from Thingiverse. 

Garden Alpaca

This is my Garden Alpaca. I was inspired by the unicorn to make this creature both majestic and something that would fit right in at a fancy European garden. 

 https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2542369/#collections

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:651316/#files

 Sea Lion

What sea lions should really look like based on the name. A mer-lion, if you'd like. The tail comes from a mermaid after all. The gills were kind of cool to make in Adobe Illustrator.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:182229/#files

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:182231/#files

Elephant Centaur

This is my fresh take on a centaur. Instead of the body of a horse, the centaur has the main body of an elephant, tusks included.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:182136/#files

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:182094/#files

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2338902/#files 

 Octopin

Octopin, both the creature and the name, was born by merging the octopus and the penguin. To me, it looks like a mysterious creature that would spout prophecies to passersby. 

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:182123

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:182246/#files

 Dragon Snail

The idea of the Dragon Snail came about because I love dragons and the contrast between the ferocity of the dragon head and the tame, peaceful snail intrigued me.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1700233/#files

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:38988

 Flying Dolphin

I just wanted to put butterfly wings on a dolphin because it has a cool aesthetic.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:816098/#files

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:182131/#files

 Horned Fox

The Horned Fox looks like the type of creature that would accompany you on a quest and fight alongside you to bring peace to the land. I was inspired to add ram horns to the creature after reading the comic series Saga, where one of the main characters, Marko, has the same feature.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:934033

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1942502/#files

 Soul Bound

Thus far, the creatures I've mashed together have been peaceful or harmless creatures. So I had to try something a little more mysterious/dangerous. As you can see, the Soul Bound was born. I like to think the spirits of this dog and spider have merged and that this creature wanders the countryside scaring travelers. I also had to include what this creature would look like transparent, and more spirit-like.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2513814/#files

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2500135/#files

Bear Bird

I honestly think the Bear Bird looks majestic. It maintains peace in the fictional world in which it lives.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2471245/#files

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:182072/#remixes 

Bee Head

Last but not least, there is the Bee Head. Truly a strange creature. In mythology, there are many examples of strange animals that stall heroes in their quests or ask riddles (such as the sphinx). Also there is a historically weird fascination with animals that have human heads so I had to try it out for myself. 

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2236505/#files

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:979818/#files

Objectified Response: A 3D Model of a Camera

The object I modeled was inspired by designer Karim Rashid, and the view he expressed regarding digital cameras and their design. "Why do we feel like we need to keep revisiting the archetype over and over again? Digital cameras, for example, their format and proportion, the fact that they're a horizontal rectangle, are modeled after the original silver film camera. So in turn it's the film that defined the shape of the camera. All of the sudden our digital cameras have no film. So why on earth do we have the same shape we have." Photography is a medium I've been working with for a few years now, so I found what Karim Rashid's had to say about cameras incredibly interesting and I had to try my own take on the digital camera.

Here is a front corner view of my design. You'll notice I kept the design pretty similar to that of a typical camera, but I have also twisted elements of the design to make it stand out from its predecessors.

For instance, from this top corner angle, it becomes apparent that the camera is not a solid block as most cameras, but actually a thin, foldable design. This makes the camera more portable than most. Because of it's simpler design, it does not have all the technical features of an expensive camera with exchangeable lenses and an array of adjustments. It doesn't really need them, though. It's designed more for people on the go than professional photographers and would have the bare necessities such as digital storage of photos, and a focus feature by turning the circular portion at the front of the camera.

The camera is also designed to be smaller, and thus could be held in one hand. A photographer could hold the camera like they would a book, with the thumb pressed in the crease between the two sides. The sliding square on the right interior wall is the power button, and three circular buttons on the left interior wall allow for users to click up and down between images and also trash images that aren't to their liking. A small red button on the top right wall allows for pictures to be taken. The two walls are able to fold into each other easily because of a thin, circular rod that rests between them. A panel on the back wall, held in place by screws, would be the site of the battery and other necessary electrical parts that would need to be accessible. This would include a USB port that would allow the user to upload pictures to a laptop or desk computer.

To better show the size and placement of the screen, I've edited this lineup in photoshop to incorporate photos I've taken in Calgary, Hawaii, and Japan.

What I think really makes my design differ from other camera designs is that the way the user takes the images is changed up a bit. As you can see from the insides of the lineup of cameras, the digital image display (used in place of a viewfinder) is on the opposite side of the lens. This means that while a person is taking a picture they can either face the side of the lens and photograph a subject blindly (forcing the photographer to estimate the result of an image based on camera placement alone, which can have surprisingly great results), or they can face the screen which allows the camera to take pictures of the side instead of the space directly in front of the photographer. This could be useful in a variety of photographs, including photos of skittish animals that could find eye contact intimidating or photos of the sun without having to turn your eyes to the harsh light.

Karim Rashid's opinion on digital cameras had me question the overall function and design that have become the standard for cameras for decades and it was an overall fun idea to explore in tinkercad. As a bonus, the lineup of cameras was also inspired by Karim Rashid's idea that "design is about mass production."

Why do we feel like we need to keep revisiting the
archetype over and over again?
Digital cameras, for example, their format and
proportion, the fact that they're a horizontal
rectangle, are modeled after the original silver film
camera. So in turn it's the film that defined
the shape of the camera. All of the sudden our
digital cameras have no film.
So why on earth do we have the same shape we
have.

Read more: https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/movie_script.php?movie=objectified

Why do we feel like we need to keep revisiting the
archetype over and over again?
Digital cameras, for example, their format and
proportion, the fact that they're a horizontal
rectangle, are modeled after the original silver film
camera. So in turn it's the film that defined
the shape of the camera. All of the sudden our
digital cameras have no film.
So why on earth do we have the same shape we
have.

Read more: https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/movie_script.php?movie=objectified