Chair Branding

The branding for this chair is very simple and represenative of the design event that I designed this chair for. The '100% design tokyo' label (name of this particular event) is very simple, and I felt that I could work with this in order to brand my chair. I came up with the idea to brand my chair as '100% seminar tokyo'. In the same font and style, I put this title onto my chair. I feel that is immediatly demonstrates that this chair is appart of this event and it shows the location within the design event that this chair belongs to.

The Final Chair - 1:1

This is the final chair which I designed and constructed. I will be honest that I definately struggled with this chair, especially the internal structure of this chair. However, coming up to the final, I did come up with a wrapping and overlapping solution which I feel has worked quite well in holding this whole chair together (as this was the main element I was lacking). I am quite happy with the over all design, and I have met the aims that I had set for myself before I began this project. I aimed to design and create a chair which had a back rest and arm rests and was to be constructed from one single template which is all folded together to create the chair. Almost like an origami chair. Origami is Japanese and this chair that I have designed is for a Japanese design festival. The '100% design tokyo' Interior design event. This chair has been specifically designed for the seminar area within the event. This chair reminds me of a 'noodle box', its shape, quite compact in style and is easy to move around. The exposed side tabs act as small handles which also assist in moving this chair around.

Folding the final chair together

These images demonstrate the way in which this chair is all folded together from the flat pack to the final product. It does get quite tricky at times to fold this chair together as the final piece which wraps around the whole chair is quite tight and locking the last two tabs into place is a little difficult. However, once the chair is all folded together, the chair holds together really tightly.

The final template - flat pack

It took a while to get the final template together. The hardest thing I found was ways in which to hold the whole chair together.

However, once I began experimenting with the zanita board, I could begin to understand how the material worked and the limitations I faced with certain tabs and folds. Over all and after many many smal concept models, I came up with this template which seems to work the best.

Branding Options

I have been trying to think of branding options for this chair. Something really simple and that demonstrates the design festival this chair has been designed for. Something along the lines od '100% seminar tokyo'. It matches the logo which represents the design festivall and also demonstrates the area this chair has been designed for. It can be easily identified as a chair which belongs to this design event and that it belongs in the seminar space.

Experimenting with Zanita Board

These images demonstrate the experiements I under took in order to work out the right dimensions and cutting methods to create my chair. I looked at the 'Notch' fold mainly, as I have used this fold throughout my design. I also experimented with locking systems and tabs. Looking at how much of the material should be coming through the tab hole to support the required amount of weight when applied to the chair. As I was struggling with the internal structure, I also began looking at ways in which I could use the structure I had origionally designed and a successful way to lock it back into the chair so that it could all be held together. This is how I came up with the idea to wrap the material back over the back rest, as it seems to hold the whole chair together as one.

Concept Models - Internal Structure Development

The internal structure of this chair has been the hardest part the design. Creating triangles to add strength to this chair. The trainagles that I have been making in this chair have never been locked in, so therefore, there has been no complete stability to the design. These models I have been testing different tab styles for the sides of the chair and trying to come up with a way to lock the internal triangles into place so they do not move and hold the chair up when weight is being applied.

Refining my chair and the template

Coming up with a template and design which suits the material has been quite challenging. The internal structure to support weight when applied to the chair I have found really hard. Looking at the way tabs lock into the chair and ways in which hold the chair together are things which still need a lot of work. I have been trying to work these issues out via sketching in my work book.

Refining the locking system to suit exposed seat

Locking system - refinement

Refinement - continued

Chair Design - Refinement

Refining my design:

My chair @ 1:1

Experimenting via modelling

Further Concept Development

Testing my proposed concepts

100% Design Tokyo - Seminar Space Floor Plan

Here I have begun to look at the space in which I am designing my chair for. I have worked out the approximate area in which I have to work with. The plan demonstrates the amount of chairs I can fit into this space. The dimensions of the chairs are based on the dimensions of mock-ups I have begun to work with. I have allowed 1m walkways in between the chairs. This is a fair amount of space for a walk way so this could later be reduced in aiming to fit more chairs into this space, once my chair design has been further developed.

My Event & My Brief

Major Project - Concept 3

Major Project - Concept 2

Major Project - Concept 1

Japanese Floor Chairs

Japanese Floor Seating:

Japan has retained the custom of ‘Floor Seating’. The idea behind floor seating meant that there was no need to develop raised furniture for seating and reclining. When you are sitting on the floor, everything remains low and is therefore reachable from a sitting position on the floor. There is no need for people to stand on any of the furniture in Japan as it is all low to the ground. When people are seated on the floor, they will always see things from a ‘fixed’ perspective and it has been said that consideration to detail of furniture for example is only taken into account on the front of furniture pieces as this is all that would be seen from this level. The sides and back of a furniture piece, design is not important aesthetically.
This concept was generated from the Architectural idea of ‘From the Floor Up’. This theory is also known as ‘Shitsurai’.

The average height of a Japanese male is: 171.5cm (5’7.5’’)
The average height for a Japanese female is: 158cm (5’2.2’’)

The average height from the floor for a dining table chair is considered to be 420mm. When researching Japanese people and furniture, I found in the above extract that the preferred height of a dining chair for Japanese women is 368.3mm.

Reference: "Traditional Japanese Furniture" - Kazuko Koizumi, Alfred.T Birnbaum

Japanese Chair Research

100% Design Tokyo

100% Design Tokyo

I have decided to design my chair for the 100% Design Tokyo event. This event was established in London in 1995. It has become one of the world’s most influential contemporary interiors event. This design event is dedicated particularly to the latest and most innovative contemporary interior products. This event began in Tokyo in 2005 and is now considered to be one of Japans premier contemporary interiors event.

The scope of design that is shown at this event are:
manufactures
designers
wholesalers
distributors of modern contemporary furniture
lighting
kitchen
bathroom
fabrics & textiles
interior accessories
wall & floor coverings
handles & fittings
architectural products and
accessories & materials.

All the entries to this event are reviewed and assessed by a panel. This panel is made up of
leading architects
designers
retailers and
industry experts.

When entering a product into this event, if the designer/company have not entered a product within the last three years at ethier the Tokyo or the London event, it has to first go through an assessment. The entries are assessed on the originality and uniqueness of the design and the concept of the product. If it passes through this process, it can then be entered into the event.

I have chosen this event that my furniture piece is going to be designed for, because when researching the three events, I noticed that this event in particular focuses on Interior design. As this is the subject that I am studying at uni, I found it appropriate to use this event as the basis for my furniture piece and conceptual inspiration.

Major Project - Concept Sketches

Major Project - Concept Inspiration Research

Reference Website - 'Foldschool'

Cube - Folding Systems

Esquisse 3 - Variation 3 (re-worked)

Esquisse 3 - 3D Translation 'Variation 3'

Esquisse 3 - 3D Translation 'Variation 2'

Esquisse 3 - 3D Translation 'Variation 1'

Esquisse 1 - explanation of process

Cube: When beginning this task, I started with the cube. I wanted to create a cube only using folds, generating strength through folding mechanisms to hold this cube together. To create my cube, I produced a template which had an extra square to each corner, which was to be fold and pushed in to the interior of the square and then held together by tab which folded down over the top of this.

Pyramid: The same sort of idea was trialled to create my pyramid. However, I couldn’t work out a way which used the simular techniques and when folded together would fit tightly into the pyramid. Because the card was quite stiff, once folded correctly, I folded all the walls internally to the pyramid, with a slot holding the shape together as a whole.

Sphere: Honestly, I struggled a lot with the sphere and it was obvious in my final model. I had the idea of creating a sphere simular to that of a ‘world map globe’. However, in making the sphere, I found that I did not make enough circles in order to hold the sphere together as a whole. The slots needed to be slightly longer so that each individual piece met nicely at the centre.

Esquisse 2 - explanation of process

Before I began the second esquisse, I was fascinated by the idea of creating a strong object by the way in which it was folded. The cube I generated from Esquisse one was interesting in this way as the only locking system used was folding techniques.
To begin Esquisse two, I wanted to create an object, small and compact. I made a cube, the same way I had the week before, adjusting the template slightly by removing the lid of the cube and extending the tabs which were to fold down and over each wall of the cube to hold it together. Knowing that when forced would be applied to this object that naturally the walls would get push out to the sides, I began to brace the inside of the walls by ‘beam’ type objects. Rectangles which had been folded and were placed in each corner generating a cross hatching pattern. To complete this shape, a second cube was made, slightly bigger, and forced over the top of the first cube. I then cut rings which were to sit around the shape to also assist in preventing the cube walls to burst out sideways when force was applied to this object. Each corner of these rings was scored and folded, as the corners of the rings were where the bracing would fail when force is applied, as they would just tear. I found that by scoring the corners of these rings, it prevented tearing occurring.

Esquisse 2 - 'locking systems'

Esquisse 1 - Understanding form & Geometry

PROJECT 1: Designer research

Natassja Comelli
Student number: 5327687