Final Project: Initial ideas

 My project will be a multipurpose desk which will be wall mounted. When folded, it will act as a storage area and when unfolded it can transform into a desk to study or eat.

I explored different shapes that I could implement in my design. I focused on designing desks that will not have legs to enable adjustment of height, making them more customised. However, adding legs, may restrict the height that the desk can be placed at which might result to less potential buyers being interested. I will be exploring ergonomics, anthropometrics and aesthetics in this blog. Research for materials, colours, components will be added in separate blog posts. 

I started with a hexagon shape. While looking at the hexagon shape I realised that the shape is oddly satisfying. It is really trendy, especially when added multiple times to create a pattern. However, even though this can make teenagers more attracted to it, the more mature segment of my target market might not consider this design aesthetically pleasing. A hexagon is a specific and particular shape that might not appeal to the aesthetics of a large segment of my target market. Ergonomically, the hexagon shape is not ideal as the several edges created minimise the surface area available for storage. Complex shapes such as a hexagon, would be hard to install and may also be considered as a safety hazard due to the presence of many edges. Although I like it as an idea, it did not suit my specifications.

The next shape I examined was the triangle. This was my least favourite design out of all four designs. First and foremost, the triangle shape restricts the workspace available. The triangle shape reduces the surface area which might not make many students attracted to it. Additionally, the storage space is also limited by the shape. The  sharp edges can also be seen as a safety hazard. Since my product should provide enough work and enough storage space, I decided to discard this design immediately.

Even though the rectangle is the simplest shape, I consider it as the most effective for my product. It provides the user with enough storage and work space. It will enable me to easily add the height adjustment functionality while also satisfy the need for adequate work and storage space. I believe that short or tall people who struggle with finding suitable height tables will really like this one. 

When considering aesthetics, a rectangular shape is the most universally acceptable shape that can be used in most living spaces. I believe it will match the most with my targeted audience needs. 

This was my final design, which was the only one that included legs. One of the main themes for the project is 'conservation' for both space and materials. In this design, conservation of materials is compromised as I am using one more plank which might not be necessary. Adding legs not only uses more materials, which inevitably makes it more expensive, but also limits the height. 

 

In the next blog post I will design the last 2 initial ideas on software. I will ask other people for feedback before I start developing my final idea.