1. Starting Point

At the beginning of the project, I had to choose a basic geometric form that could later become part of a larger modular structure. I was immediately interested in a star-like shape because it reminded me of a shuriken, a traditional Japanese throwing weapon. I have always been interested in this visual language, so the sharp and dynamic character of the form appealed to me.

My first basic shape was therefore a four-pointed star with slightly curved sides. From the beginning, I wanted the final object to feel elegant and detailed rather than heavy or purely technical.

2. First Ideas

At first, I misunderstood an important part of the task. I thought mainly about designing the individual element and tried to give it a more personal character.

For one of my first concepts, I created an ornament inspired by eyes and eyelashes. I wanted to include something that represented me personally and make the element more decorative.

After discussing the concept with my professor, I understood that the main goal was different: the design of one element should not exist independently. Instead, it should support and reflect the appearance of the whole structure created when many elements are connected.

This changed the way I approached the project.

3. Developing the Visual Language

I started looking for a design that would work both as a single element and as part of a larger composition.

One of my first ideas was to create a cut-out in the centre. When several elements were connected, this negative space would remain visible and create another geometric shape.

I also introduced pointed cuts near the corners. These details repeated the sharp character of the original star and made the visual language of the element more consistent.

Through several sketches and laser-cut tests, I experimented with different versions of these openings and decorative details.

4. Changing the Proportions

During another discussion with my professor, we noticed that the original element still looked quite square.

I decided to change its proportions by making one axis longer than the other. This immediately made the shape more dynamic and created an intentional asymmetry.

This asymmetry became an important part of the project. Instead of having four identical sides, the element now had two longer and two shorter directions.

Because of this change, I also had to reconsider the ornament and the connection system.

5. Experimenting with Cut-Outs

I continued sketching because I was still not completely satisfied with the outer contour.

Instead of keeping the edges as simple, clean curves, I began to interrupt them with additional cut-outs. These openings made the element visually lighter and more complex.

I transferred this version into Rhino and produced another laser-cut prototype. Seeing the design as a physical object was especially important because some details that looked good on screen behaved very differently in the material.

This test convinced me to continue with the more filigree version.

6. Connection Problem

At this stage, the slots originally extended towards the centre of the element. I experimented with different systems: in some versions all four slots had the same length, while in others the long sides connected only with long sides and the short sides only with short sides.

Visually, this worked well because the connected elements created a clear star-shaped negative space in the centre.

However, there was an important functional problem.

If a short side could only connect to another short side and a long side only to another long side, the possibilities of assembling the structure became very limited. The system was too static.

After discussing this problem with my professor, I decided to redesign the connection principle.

7. Final Connection System

For the final version, I shortened and repositioned the slots so that the elements no longer had to meet exactly in the centre.

The connection system became much more flexible: a short side can interact with a long side and a long side with a short side. This allows the same element to be rotated and combined in different orientations.

At the same time, I wanted to keep my original idea of creating a recognisable negative space in the centre. I therefore redesigned the central opening into a smaller star-like shape.

The decorative cut-outs were also adjusted very precisely. They begin where the connection area ends, so the technical construction and the ornament visually flow into each other.

8. From Ornament to Structure

One of the most interesting aspects of the final design is that the negative spaces change depending on the viewing angle.

The curved openings in the individual elements can visually combine into a circle when the structure is viewed from one direction. From another angle, a more square-shaped geometry appears.

From certain perspectives, the complete structure even reminded me of Saturn with its rings. I found this especially interesting because it brought the project back to the visual theme of stars, space and celestial forms that was already present in my original inspiration.

The ornament therefore does not only decorate the individual piece. It becomes a part of the three-dimensional geometry of the complete object.

9. Reflection

The most important part of this project was the development process.

My first idea focused mainly on the appearance of a single element. During the project, I learned to think much more about the relationship between element, connection and overall structure.

Feedback and physical prototypes played a major role in this development. Every version revealed a new problem: sometimes visual, sometimes functional. Instead of treating these changes as separate corrections, they gradually became part of the design process.

In the final version, the ornament, the connection system and the overall geometry are no longer separate decisions. They influence each other.

This is also what I like most about the final result. The individual element already suggests the character of the complete structure, but only through repetition and connection does its full geometry become visible.

The project is called MORPHIS, inspired by the idea of morphing and transformation. I chose this name because the structure does not have one fixed visual appearance. Depending on the perspective and the way the elements are connected, different geometric forms become visible. From one angle, the negative spaces create a circle, from another a square or a star-like shape. The structure seems to transform as the viewer moves around it.

The name MORPHIS represents this constant visual transformation and the changing perception of the object.