Centrix
As part of an experimental design course, the task was to design a stacking and balancing game. Centrix consists of curved plastic shells with movable snap-in weights that let players adjust the centre of gravity of each element, creating opportunities for complex balancing situations and open-ended construction. Leather-covered surfaces improve grip and add a tactile quality, while the resulting structures often take on figurative or architectural forms.
Brief
Stacking - balancing game.
Approach
Shifting the centre of gravity forces a lightweight structure into unusual positions.
Core idea
Movable weights in every lightweight shell - control over the centre of gravity.
Prototype and validate
Built early physical prototypes to check how the shifting weights actually behaved in the hand.
Formal variations
Explored a range of shell forms to find shapes that stayed playful while staying easy to grip.
Print and test
3D-printed and hand-tested the strongest candidates for balance and durability.
Optimize for injection molding
Refined the geometry to meet the wall-thickness and draft-angle tolerances needed for production.
Centrix earned the 2025 Stefan Lengyel Excellence Scholarship - recognition that reinforced my interest in designing systems that stay open-ended rather than solving themselves in one obvious way.