 |
| Industrial+Product Design | |
| 9 weeks | |
| Santina Bonini, Scot Laughton | |
| Group work
(Group of two) |
|
| Implementation with SolidWorks, all other steps of the design process were done together |
|
| www.sd.polyu.edu.hk www.design-bs.com www.scotlaughton.com |
|
This project was executed at the School of Design at the PolyU Hong Kong. According to the project brief groups of 2 had 9 weeks to design and build a load-bearing stool. Practical requirements such as stability, appropriate strength and comfort where emphasized. The fabrication of the stool should be planned around the tools available at the school. The students should consider the following: The space the stool would be used in. The long history of the stool and the understanding of originality and appropriation. Secondary functions or conveniences such as stacking or nesting, storage, the usage as work surface, etc. The materials, their appropriateness to their application, to the space, or to the user. The amount of material, its frugality and the process rather than excess of it.
Coming from Germany Marie Imhof and me where fascinated by the Hong Kong street culture and the street restaurants called "Dai Pai Dong". That is why we decided to design a stool that should fit into this particular surrounding. We were inspired by the existing monobloc stools, which are used in most of these restaurants and we tried to improve their details rather than the existing shape.
The result is called "Flip" and has 8 special features:
1. Form
The three-legged stool has a rounded triangle shape, which is 360° rotatable without giving a sitting direction ("grab and sit"). Getting closer to the basic functions of a monobloc stool we eliminated all decorative and ornamental elements. The form is orientated on the conventional injection moulding process, the position of the mould parting line and the diverse drafts of 3° allows to use the minimum amount of moulds.
2. Dimensions
Additional 35 mm to the height of a traditional Asian plastic stool in order to fit the growing average body height.
Seat: widest diameter: 320mm, smallest diameter: 270mm
Section thickness: approx. 3mm
Weight: approx. 1250g
Material: Polypropylene
3. Footprint
Reduced footprint dimensions to save space.
4. Leg
The legs have a double s-curved and a tapered shape for stiffness and a better weight distribution.
5. Feet
Rounded extension of legs prevent getting stuck to the ground when skating around and extra material prevents breaking caused by material fatigue.
6. Seat
The concave sitting area, which is sensitive to buttocks causes a better weight distribution and allows comfortable sitting.
7. Underconstruction
The optimizes constructive elements underneath the seat distribute forces that are applied on the sitting area evenly to each leg.
Furthermore the underconstruction also serves as a stacking distance, which creates a reduced stacking height of 50 mm per stool.
8. Colour
Traditonal colours like red, white and blue are supported by a fresh yellow and green. Rather bright colours prevent an appearing of streamlines, which are characteristic for the manufacturing process. Further colour patterns are possible.
