Grid

I like grids and hard edges, so I started experimenting with grid sizes that would look good on the wall and not hurt my wallet too much. 18" x 48" served best and, in hindsight, I would recommend this to you, as well. 4' wide is a pretty standard size of MDF or plywood so it won't break the bank. This also gave me a 2"x2" pixel size.



I wanted the motherboard panels to fit well within their wooden cubbies, but still allow light to pass through so I had to be very careful with this part of the design. I went through several iterations and settled on the configuration you see in the images.



I also wanted to start looking at how I would hold these panels on. Threaded rods were the cheapest route to take. I'll get back to these in a few steps. I just wanted to point out what the you see in the images. You'll notice that I only have one rod, per panel. Originally, I had two, but I found that this doubled the price (obviously) and also restricted some of the light output.



Note: You can see in the image that I digitally "sketched" my ideas. What you don't see are the several iterations that were either unsuccessful, too costly, or just plain ugly. I highly recommend recording your design ideas in one format or another. Don't hesitate to grab an pencil start with some hand sketches and, if you like, pull them into digital format. You don't need to be an artist to design. Plus, this not only gives you record of your idea (disregard if your memory is 100% perfect, unlike mine), but it allows you to step away and then come back with a fresh set of eyes to self-critique.



(Also, when you finish your creation, get famous, and become rich, you likely be able to sell those napkin sketches for a pretty penny :)