Rolling Rapids
Engineered to ensure fairness, be taken apart with ease, and be the highlight of your table-top games.
Details
• Photoshop
• Rhino 7 & Keyshot
• Lead & Sole Designer
• April- May 2024
Skills
• Product Design
• Concept Development
• Brand Consistency
• Time Managment
THE BOTTOM LINE
Challenge
Design a working dice tower that ensures fairness, breaks down easily, and can be a piece of art.
Constraints
Was given four weeks to go from concept to printed prototype.
Solution
Research into existing dice tower mechanics revealed that no product on the market balanced aesthetics with function.
Using a koi pond as the visual foundation, I engineered a modular two-piece structure connected by magnets and pegs, designed to be as beautiful stored as it is in use.
Using a koi pond as the visual foundation, I engineered a modular two-piece structure connected by magnets and pegs, designed to be as beautiful stored as it is in use.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Planning
Planning started with orthographic sketches to map structure and proportions before touching any software.
This helped me identify connection and assembly challanges early and go into modeling with clear direction.
Modeling
Nearly a full week in Rhino 7 building every detail, koi fish, bamboo, lily pads, stone texture, and waterfall channel, while learning new commands to stay efficient and on schedule.
THE FINAL STRETCH
Printing
To maximize time I split the model into two sections and printed them simultaneously across two rolls of filament.
Each section connects via a custom magnet and peg system, making assembly intuitive and storage clean.
Rendering
While the print was running I moved into KeyShot to develop the final renders, using color, material, and lighting to bring the koi pond vision fully to life.
ORTHOGRAPHIC RENDERS
KeyShot Render: Disassembled
KeyShot Render: Assembled
INSIGHTS
Impact
Rolling Rapids demonstrates how functional design can elevate everyday objects into art; turning a game mechanic into an experience worth displaying.
Key Takeaways
•Blending two concepts pushes your creativity further than designing from scratch
•The techniques you learn along the way shape the outcome just as much as the concept
•Good design accounts for waste before anything is ever printed
Let's Connect✦
Have a project, opportunity, or feedback? I'd love to hear from you.