To design the panels, the first step was to create a jig by tracing the inside of the spokes onto a piece of plastic, and then cut out the 2 shapes the panels would need to be. Then I grabbed a box of scraps and made piles of different colors to play with, and arranged them in random patterns and designs. I also wanted to do minimal cutting, so most of the pieces I used were already in their existing shapes, I just had to figure out how they would fit together, starting with the larger pieces and filling in the gaps with smaller and smaller ones. It took a while to get a feel for it, because I was never a big fan of abstract art, until something clicked and then the process became almost completely automatic. The only thought I really put into the design was that I wanted the panels to each have their own individuality, so that while still very random, the overall look would feel much more intentional than the original wheel in the sample photo.
