Research: Multi-Purpose furniture

During my project sign off, I discussed different ways in which I could develop my project with my tutor. At first, I thought that I was meant to design 6 different products. However, my tutor informed me that I could design 3 products that could transform and have 2 functions. 

With that in mind, I decided to look into some existing multi-functional items to draw inspiration from them. Hopefully, by the end of this blog post I will finalise my 3 items and what they will transform into. I will look at transforming furniture in greater depth in later stages as this is just a start to my research. 

Transformative chairs (n.d.)

 

Sensei Transformable Chairs and Coffee Table (2011)

Both of these designs are very similar. They are both chair designs that interlock with each other to form a table. I really like how they use the existing shape of the chairs and then just connect them tto form another object. Even though this is a very creative idea, I would not be able to create something like this that would be foldable. The primary purpose of my designs is to be able to fold them and store them any time. Looking at this design, it would be very complex to implement mechanisms for both transformation and a folding function. Additionally, I feel like the shape of the chairs is very common. I would like to design items that perhaps have a more unique aesthetic. 

However, I do like that the colours are opposite, creating a harmonic contrast. In my design, maybe I could look at different colours and how they can be used to create a nice contrast. 

Comfortable Transformable chair of organic material (2012)

In my opinion, this design is much nicer than the previous one. What I really like about this design is that it can transform without having to interlock with something else, like the previous one. You can transform the chair by rotating the top part, turning it into stool or tables that an individual can work on. However, I feel like the product it transforms to (two stools/ tables) is not as valuable or as important for me to consider in an apartment. Additionally, 

Table (n.d)

The top of this table is used to rotate in order to show more surface area. It is used to study/ work or eat and you can slide it back any time. I really like this function as it does not require a lot of effort or confusion on how to work. The user can easily slide it back to the original position at any time. This causes less frustration and is less time consuming which eventually will lead to more people wanting to purchase this. I am really intrigued by this function and I would like to explore it possibly in one of my designs. People like simple solutions for complex problems such as conservation of space. A product that easily slides to reveal more surface area can be ideal for people that need a lot of space to work on. 

Plank (n.d)

This is a similar design to Heatherwick's studio plank which was the product that sparked the idea of foldable products for my project. I really like the innovation of using one plank and transforming it to form various other products. I think that it is a very useful function to have one plank that transforms into multiple products. I can easily see this plank being a foldable one that can be stored in a cupboard. I see a lot of potential with a plank deforming into different shapes and this is definitely something I am very interested in exploring. 

However, even though this is a very interesting concept, I feel like adding 2 functions would not be achievable in 6 weeks. I have to be rational and not over-complicate my project. Making my products both foldable and multi-functional would require intense research. I would have to look at multiple components to make this work and it would be very complex to create on software. 

In the process of drawing the initial ideas and development, I might explore some new concepts on how to make my designs transformative. I could potentially look at how the cupboard or how the table could transform but I do not believe that all my products will be transformable. Designing 2 products that will be transformable and the rest just foldable could be a more realistic target.

I  am not completely discarding the idea of transformative furniture. However, I do feel like it is not achievable. I will draw some initial ideas and see how I can develop them to be transformable. The outcomes of products that are both multi-functional and foldable will be striking, therefore, I want to try to sketch a few ideas to start thinking of ways I could achieve that. 

(See the next blog post for some multi-purpose/ foldable product initial ideas!!)