Slate Lounge Chair
Design a chair with three other students, take it from concept to production, then market and sell 7 copies (for $75 each) through in-person sales (no sales to family members, no shipping).
Objective
Chair must be built entirely of wood, no upholstery. (Wood can only be 1 thickness; strict cut constraints: 2 widths, 5 lengths)
Constraints
As a team we brainstormed concepts, built prototypes, refined iterations, and formulated and carried out the production process and marketing strategy. I designed the concept of the chair we selected to take to production, created jigs and guides for the production process, formulated the manufacturing sequence, & took the lead on paint-finished surfaces. Chair sold out in less than 24 hrs. of the pre-sale announcement.
Process
The Slate Lounge Chair has a comfortable seat angle, all wood hand-finished construction with white & black seat options.
Features
Ideation
Early stage ideation sketches for chair concept. The point at which the design concept focused on a rectilinear design. The design sketches were broader than the constraints of the final deliverable. We felt it was better to ideate our most desired aesthetic and then adapt it to apply the required design constraints.
Prototyping
First prototype is based on our sketches, done entirely in douglas fir. Our attachment methods were focused on structural needs rather than aesthetic quality. In constructing the chair, we found design compromises had to be made to execute our concept with the wood we were using. Ultimately, it helped us explore some of the more abstract features of the design but proved to be more chunky and boxy than we wanted in our design.
First Iteration
Second Iteration
This is the second prototype of our design. We decided to change to red oak and planed the wood to be thinner, as the original prototype seemed too primitive and obtrusive. We worked to make the chair more structurally efficient and visually pleasing by making the back and seat physically interface with the arms and legs of the chair. We changed our attachment method to pegs, which allowed us to hide the majority of the joinery from view. We fine-tuned the angle of the seat and back and lowered the arm height relative to the seat to feel more relaxed and feel more like a lounge chair.
