Final Project - Design Is Like Tetris

Design Is Like Tetris - By J. Felix Lara

        Design is like Tetris, it requires technique and one can only become more proficient at it with time and experience. Similarly, design can have snap-fit elements that often show voids, and it is up to the designer to fill those gaps with cohesiveness, in order to convey the right message.

While I chose to create this Tetris display as my final project, I originally intended to give this Tetris piece to my lovely wife as a graduation gift. In a way, I feel that it resembles a metaphorical representation of our lives, as we both collaborate to find peace and harmony.

        An 'unfinished' Tetris heart... just waiting for that one last piece to fall into place. The message I tried to convey was how that last piece serves as a reminder, that design has the ability to “freeze” an art expression making it timeless. The frame was built using recycled plywood. I primed and painted it with a chalk base paint. The mosaic tiles were made from recycled glass. These recycled pieces added an extra ‘dimension’ to my work, as they protrude from the black cardboard base. 

        Surprisingly, one of the biggest challenges I faced while executing my design, was setting the pieces in a position where they would create a Tetris heart. Trust me, it was no simple task due to the geometry, size constrains, and mechanics of the game itself. Nevertheless, all of my efforts paid off in the end, as my wife saw the piece and loved it more than anything I could have bought her. Overall, I feel accomplished to consummate a project using my own hands.

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