Rhinoceros Beetle
Wall Clock

This project is a unique combination of two things I really love; the Academy of Sciences in San Francisco and the specific shape of Japanese beetles. The project was done a few years ago around the time the Academy of Sciences had finished their big remodel so I was super stoked about the museum! For the project, I thought it would be a great idea to do a clock that could be sold in their gift shop. After spending a long time at the museum I knew that I wanted my clock to be in the shape of an animal and also knew that it had to be an unexpected choice. I eventually chose the Japanese rhinoceros beetle. The idea to use the cardboard came after I did a few dozen sketches for designs and possible materials. My instructor Thomas McNulty suggested I go with something totally sustainable. He showed me a few examples and the one that really stood out was cardboard.

Final piece

For the final piece, I had my design laser cut out of corrugated cardboard. Once I got the parts back from the laser cutter I assembled the whole thing with spray mount and a lot of patience.  

Packaging

I designed the packaging to fit all the separate parts of the clock into one box. I wanted the design to be big and bold, so when it is displayed in stores it would stand out and pop.

Note: This photo was taken a few year after the box was comped, some of the materials had started to come apart.  

Design Ideas

I had a lot of initial ideas for the potential materials of the clock, and here you can see my explorations of them. In the end, I thought it was important to go with something that matches the sustainability of the museum.