Product in context

In reference to a person..

The design is quite lightweight,yet sturdy and has been tested by myself.The chair is portable and can be easily transported. Assembly of the chair does not take long as all the joints and locking system are pretty straight forward. Overall this chair is very comfortable, especially when leaning on the back rest as it gives an angle for a more relaxed posture.

Branding

In here I incorporated Saloni logo onto the design.

Finally!

Assembly process

Parts for the final model

Another part that is not included in the image above is the cover for the seat, which act as a holder that keep the seat together at the same time.

Branding Research

These are just some of the logo that are used in existing events. I would have to come up with a branding for my chair design.

X-Board in action

It is time to experiment with the Xanita board!
As the pictures above shown, I was trying out different ways of bending and folding. Experimenting with the material has also allowed me to further discover its properties and durability. To prevent the board from getting damaged or torn, extra care has to be taken. Moreover, each bending or folding method has its own advantages and disadvantages, therefore, careful planning is needed.

Backrest Model

I decided to create a model from solidworks as I was having difficulty in creating the angular shape and cutting line. As the back part of the chair is tilting backwards, it needs to be standing steadily on the ground and therefore, requires cutting to a specific angle as accurate as possible. Moreover, the design also consists of a few foldings and therefore, sheet metal modeling in solidworks is very useful to replicate the shape and outcome.

TOP VIEW

BACK VIEW

Technical Drawing on main parts

Refinement and development in details

1:1 scale mock up

Creating the 1:1 model was a hustle, but was worth the try as many errors and potential problems were spotted. Firstly, design has to be scaled down due to limitation of materials.
Moreover, locking system was not as strong, therefore needs to be altered and improved. Next is the bending of backrest that were intended to provide comfort, needs to be modified due to the potential difficulty in creating one using 10mm Xanita board. Finally, the whole design needs to be more crisp, neat and clean.

Just a passer-by

Found this image in one of the blog for Salone Satellite. I feel that this image is intriguing, showcasing many chairs, giving inspiration and ideas into the thoughts. In one look, we can learn the scale and size of the design.

Chosen Concept

The chosen concept is CONCEPT 3.
The reason is because this concept has the most potential in terms of design and also more open to refinement and development. In here, I've started on considering better forms and posture of sitting down. Locking systems too are being considered.

Initial Concepts

Finalised social acitivity

I decided to change my social activity due to the potential problems on designing a furniture for the screening and lecture area (my initial activity).
Firstly, to design a lecture chair, a small desk need to be integrated to the design and it would cost more materials and therefore money. Furthermore, due to the constraint and limitation on the given material for this project, it will be a problem.
Secondly, using more material for the design makes the design not sustainable and more difficult to be transported and assembled.
Thus, my chosen social activity is going to be happening in the lounge and coffee place. I imagine the place to be for the audience to relax, have some coffee and mingle around fellow visitors while having conversations among themselves.

Sketch work - ideation

Brainstorming

Brainstorming ideas regarding the event and about the design would be a good idea at the start as we will have a rough idea on how things going to be. Choosing a social activity for the event is also an important aspect in the initial stage as the chair design will be fitted together with the activity

Event Research - SaloneSatellite Milano

To start with, I did research on the event looking at its audience, target market, and also the space inside the exhibition. As a result, the audience ranges from young to old. Moreover, in this event lighting aspect is being maximised and very well utilised as the displays seems to be exhibited clearly. Furthermore, every images show similarities in a way that they have space for audience to take a moment of and rest. Therefore, designing resting chairs for the event would be a decent idea as visitors can sit on them while enjoying the displays.


Moving on to the displays of the chairs, there are a lot of varieties on shapes and pattern. Some of them are meant to be mass produced while some are just being used for display. However, from here, I can acquire the initial and rough ideas on sizes and basic shapes for the furniture design which will be used for this event.


Next we will look at the possibilities on how the furniture design will be integrated into the event. Will it be for screening and lecture area, resting place, lounge, coffee and eating place or kids section?? As we all know, the venue for the chair, will decide and affect the final outcome of the design.

Esquisse 4 - X board Cube

This fourth esquisse required us to create a hollow cube using Xanita Board.
The dimension is 60x60x60mm and the cube has to consist of 3 types of corners and a locking system. Firstly, one of the corners used in this cube is formed by having a rectangular depression all the way to the bottom on the inner surface so that it can be easily folded in an angle of 90 degree. Secondly, an isosceles triangular cut is made on the inner surface so as to create a perfect 90 degree corner when folded. Last but not least, a stripped thin layer of the board is peeled away to allow the corner to be bent, creating a curve on the outer surface.

For the locking system, this cube uses a dovetail joint for a stronger hold.

Esquisse Three

Esquisse two - Locking System

This is my structure for locking system. The three cylinders have different locking systems on each of them. They are connected to each other by a smaller cylindrical tube. My priority in this practice is to use the material as minimum as possible. This structure is able to withstand my own weight (the slight deformation on the edges explains how hard this structure has been through).

Geometric Forms

Flat pattern of the geometric shapes

The Cube and Pyramid are formed by folding the surfaces up from the flat shape pattern. The sides are connected by inserting the small trapezium shaped edges into the rectangular ones. There is a small cut in the middle part of each rectangular edges. The sphere is formed by sliding different size of circles to create a 3D form. Each circle has a half cut line through the middle to join with another circle. The extra cuts on the sides are for the smaller circles. These pattern provides stability and strength as the circles are holding one another through its repetitive formation.

Above is the mock up using singular pieces slid and joined together forming a 3D pyramid structure.

Frank Gehry and Phillippe Starck

George Nelson and Eero Aarnio