I’m Hooked

A playful wall hook exploring form, ergonomics, and modular assembly through iterative prototyping.

Brief

Design a functional wall hook with complete freedom over form, material, and interaction, encouraging experimentation beyond conventional minimal hardware.

By Hook

or

By Crook

By Hook or By Crook

I initially explored minimal wall-mounted forms that blurred the line between hook and sculpture. However, these concepts lacked clarity in use and felt visually static. This led me to explore more expressive forms that introduced character while maintaining clear functionality.

Research

  1. Review of common wall hook geometries and failure points

  2. Exploration of expressive forms that retain functional clarity

  3. Early sketches testing orientation, load direction, and visual balance

Development

Bringing the sketch to life started with thick card, and I tried to mimic the shape using an acrylic sheet, bending it with a heat gun. However, it didn’t look the way I wanted. I then modeled it and 3D-printed the arms along with the mount that held all the pieces together.

  1. Initial acrylic bending tests revealed inconsistent curvature and poor repeatability

  2. 3D printing enabled tighter control over geometry and faster iteration

  3. Arms were separated from the mount to simplify assembly and testing