Hi, I’m Sofia Limena, a sophomore persuing a degree in Industrial Design at Carnegie Mellon University with a minor in Human Computer Interaction (HCI) and Business Administration.

     I’m a multidisciplinary designer obsessed with culture, having grown up in cities across the United States and Europe, my favourite designs are the ones that become a part of, and shake up the cultural zeitgeist.

     I take this into my own design practice, with bold (sometimes provocative) visuals, thoughtful modular systems and tongue-in-cheek storytelling.

     Outside of work, you can find me lamenting about the Chelsea Hotel, tattooing or adding another book to my “Want to Read” queue on Goodreads.    










Resume
Flow Form Spatula, Kitchenware Design for Carnegie Mellon University


Important Note: My process documentation is designed to be experienced by case use. If you are skimming this page, left-aligned black text provides concise TL;DR analyses of each stage of the process, while the grey text expands on the decisions behind the work for a more in-depth explanation of my thought process. 


Timeline
October-November 2025,
Four Weeks




Tools
Band Saw
Disk Sander
Belt Sander
Oscillating Spindle Sander
Various Hand FilesMaterials
Ash Wood
Tooling Board Foam
Pink Insulation Foam
Bondo
Gray PrimerProject Prompt: From a predetermined piece of wood (12” x 3” x 4”) produce one elegantly abstracted curvilinear form that extends the hand to facilitate scraping, lifting, and flipping.

Project Deliverables:
1. A wooden spatula and a duplicate in gray foam with painted finish.
2. Image documentation of form and Interaction sketches from each project stage
3. Studio and context images



Form Intention

 TLDR: 


Early research assembled into an image board defined the properties of flow forms, drawing from continuous, directional flow seen in natural forms like mushroom gills, and manmade forms like the transitional curves on the K Chair. These studies helped to inform direction, highlighting the visual tension between flow and function, soft and hard edges, and provided later references to avoid stylistic drift during iteration.








K Chair by Reynold Rodriguez⁠, hand-carved from charred almendro wood. I was drawn to this design as the transitions between curve and hard edges on this form feels subtle but strongly intentional, providing affordance.


 I started researching natural flow forms and found inspiration in mushroom gills (lamellae), which have subtle undulations, to maximise surface area for spore production within it’s compact underside.
Sketches

A series of low-fidelity, expressive sketches were developed and then translated into more certain, proportional orthographic drawings. This allowed for exploration of flow and tension while constraining the form within manufacturing limitations.

Side and top orthographic profiles were lofted together, defining the spatula’s three-dimensional geometry. Given limited opportunities for physical prototyping, these drawings were essential in resolving and anticipating the form prior to fabrication.




Foam Prototypes

For this assignment, only two opportunities for prototyping were provided, thus it became critical to resolve the concept through sketching before fabrication and make deliberate, calculated changes between iterations.

The orthographic drawings were taped onto foam block and trace-cut using a bandsaw, establishing the primary forms. The first pink foam model tested the feasibility of the orthographic profiles but felt fragile and uncomfortable in the hand. Revisions to the profiles informed the second iteration, which immediately improved ergonomics, fitting more comfortably in the hand while communicating flow through asymmetry in the handle and tension at the transition between handle and blade.

In these models, I decided to accentuate the dip in the handle, creating an intentional thumb indentation which would provide leverage for scraping and flipping functionalities and extend the ergonomic capabilities improved on in earlier pink foam iterations.

After establishing the overall geometry, the edges were filleted and refined through sculpting, following an additional assignment constraint requiring the form to maintain a balance of 50% soft and 50% hard edges.





































Fabrication

Prior to manufacturing, process drawings were developed to deeply understand each stage of fabrication, later serving as guides for duplicating identical forms in different materials and ensuring familiarity in the tools before applying them. The final models were fabricated in grey foam and basswood—drastically different materials where the process drawings proved invaluable.

The final pieces were similarly cut on the bandsaw, but sanded using handmade sanding blocks and cylinders using their certain geometry to ensure precision of the spatula’s surfaces. The wood spatula was finished with mineral oil after raising the grain and the grey foam was coated with Bondo, then several layers of grey primer.



Problems and their Solutions

Translating identical geometry across different materials revealed how material properties directly influence form and fidelity. The grey foam, light and composed of air, allowed for easier material removal and forgiveness in sculpting curves. In contrast, the wood’s density and fibrous grain structure demanded greater force and consistent precision.

This led to a steep learning curve, as I navigated how to duplicate the form in wood without flattening intended transitions and subtle nuances from the previous grey model.

At this stage, I moved slowly and lined up the grey foam often in the same line of sight while working on the wood model, ensuring that each stroke with the hand file would match the form adjacent to it.



Outcome and Reflection

During critique, I received feedback that the thumb indentation interrupted the overall flow of the form from the side profile.

While I initially agreed with the assessment, I believe that removing the indentation would have compromised the spatula’s ergonomics. This clarified a central learning, in that form and function are often in direct negotiation, and strong design requires consciously choosing when and where to prioritise each.