Ideas Generation

The theme for my main project had to relate to my progression route which is product design. It was quite challenging to think of a simple, yet effective concept from the start. Therefore, I decided to brainstorm one theme that I could explore in my project and then generate ideas to find the best one. I will be making a product suitable for a specific target market with unique functions and aesthetics.

The theme I decided to further explore ideas on was ‘conservation of space’. Conservation of space is something that many individuals, including me, struggle with on a daily basis. As a student, especially a university student, you may not get the opportunity or might not be able to afford a large studio apartment. This limits the space available inside and it can be frustrating to many students but also adults. I want to create a product which includes all ages and can be used to save space. 

A project as big as this one, requires great research and effort. For success to be achieved I needed to make sure that the theme I chose to follow is the one that inspires me the most. I decided to pick a theme that I can relate to and inspires me to produce something effective.

As mentioned above, I want to include a variety of ages in my target market in order to provide comfort to a range of people. However, I will be focusing more on students, university students or even people that work and need storage or space to study. A part of my target market will also include disabled people and elder people so I need to make sure that it is simple enough to figure out. I always stress how important it is to keep everything simple and effective. Doing over the top designs can be very tricky especially with multifunctional furniture. I was always advised with a simple word, ‘K.I.S.S’ which stands for keep it simple stupid. I chose university students as my main target market because they don’t have a lot of space in their apartments usually. The goal of my product is to design something that conserves space, provides comfort and to make people more productive which is ideal for students.

Marie Kondo

Before starting my thorough research of different products that can be designed, I was inspired by a Japanese organising consultant and author also known as Marie Kondo. Kondo has written four books on organising, which have collectively sold millions of copies and have been translated from Japanese into several languages. This was a huge inspiration for me as I do like having everything very tidy and organized. Marie makes videos on how to be organized (e.g. Colour coding your wardrobe). Since I did want to design something that conserves space and combining Marie Kondo’s ways of being tidy, I thought about creating different types of furniture. In order to conserve space, you need to be tidy, which is why Marie was an inspiration to this overall project.

Heatherwick's studio

Additionally, I got inspiration from Heatherwick’s studio plank. It is a plank that can transform to various shapes, a chair, a table. This was a huge inspiration to my design as it made me think of ways to fold and unfold a certain shape in order to create various furniture designs. This is a great way to conserve space and be innovative.

 After I had my main theme, I decided to brainstorm 3 different ideas that I could potentially develop as my final project. I thought of a few different ideas, without finalising them so I could develop them at a later stage. I wanted to keep my ideas very general to further sketch and develop in order to be able to sketch many initial ideas that are completely different but have the same topic theme.

The first idea was to create a multipurpose table that can have room to study/ eat and relax at the same time. The table can be made out of many drawers that can be opened in different ways (sliding,  pushing it in or out). Another idea is that the table can be made out of planks, inspired by Heatherwick's studio, so it can fold and unfold in different ways. The height might be adjustable and I can explore different materials that could be used for this. The primary purpose for this table is storage and to be able to study. Therefore, I need to research and develop my idea to maximise productivity.

The second idea was to create a coffee table that you could adjust the height of it so that it becomes a dining table. This will save up a lot of space as you can include both functions in one design. People looking for coffee and dining tables but don't have the space, can purchase this one. The height could be adjustable as a means of making it easier to use. 

The third idea I thought of was designing 2 chairs that can turn into a dining table. The chairs could have a specific pattern that would allow them to interlock with each other to form a table. However, I discarded this idea immediately. When the 2 chairs form a table, you will still need to have more additional chairs in the room to sit around that table. This doesn't conserve a lot of space as you would end up with a lot of chairs (2 chairs that can become a table, and the other chairs used in order to sit around the table). 

In all three of my designs that I brainstormed, I can include research for anthropometrics, ergonomics and materials. I will always consider my innovation, marketability, form and function too in order for this to be a successful product design. The three different ideas have different furniture concepts because I wanted to explore different items that I could design.

Concluding, I think I will research my first idea in greater depth and analyse it. The coffee table that becomes a dining table doesn't really attract me. As my main target market are students, it isn't a necessity for them to include a coffee table in their apartments. However, it is a necessity to include tables that they can study so they can be productive and efficient. Therefore, I will be focusing on my first idea and developing it in the next posts. My first design is something that I can also relate to as I spend hours a day studying and know what I have to include to maximise the productivity of an individual. I believe that your surroundings can really influence your concentration which is why I have to keep in mind the aesthetics of it.

I can create product design boards of my idea and include sketches, research, software designs of my final product. 

References:

https://sporteluxe.com/heres-why-marie-kondos-netflix-show-has-the-potential-to-change-your-life/

https://ebryden.wordpress.com/2014/03/03/thomas-heatherwick/