Tomorrow’s Triumph

Tomorrow’s Triumph is a purposefully designed chess set that aims to establish a strong theme and family of form across all pieces, and provide the user with a comfortable playing experience.

Duration - 5 weeks

Skills Used - Research & Usability Analysis, Analog Sketching, Prototyping, Mold Casting, CAD

Initial Ideation

Continued Exploration

Since I was given so much flexibility in how I was able to make the set look, I started out by exploring multiple different styles and family of forms with brief sketches.

After deciding to continue the art deco & retro-futurism inspired aesthetic for my chess set ideas, I dialed in on exploring what some styles from the eras could potentially look like when translated into the pieces.


Inspiration

Choosing A Direction

The tapered curve from a wide base to a thin top is a key retro-futurist profile, making it essential to the pieces.

Now fully committed to a 50s retro-futurism design direction, capturing a family of form was my next step during my sketching phase of the process.

Iterating 3 different sets of the same style allowed me to see clearly what worked and what doesn’t.

Fusion Renders & 3-D Printed Models

While an elegant retro-futurist look with a cohesive form was achieved, a concern about usability grew since the pieces were round with sharp points.

To improve grip, I kept elliptical bases but flattened the top shaft with layered acrylic, balancing function and depth.

Human Factor Analysis

Common Piece & Mold Casting

I chose to go with white resin for the material of my cast, which is the base of each piece.

Due to each of my pieces having the same base and mid-section, I was able to keep my base the same size for each of them without it looking out-of-place.


Crafting The Pieces

After some difficulties with laser cutting files, I was finally able to cut all the pieces correctly and assemble them with acrylic glue.

Final Shots

Renders

Credits & Disclosures

Artworks used in the inspiration board are for reference purposes only and are not my original pieces.