Thelastpiece
Concept Booklet 2021 Frankie Hildrick Design for Industry
Thelastpiece
Frankie Hildrick
Fighting against furniture waste. One. piece. at. a. time.
Contents Project context Design principles Prop Series Overview Colours, Materials & Finishes Technical Specifications Product Details Waste Reduction Collaborative Consumption Visual Identity Website Design Customisation Possible Uses Product Story Prop Series
Prop Series
“Simple Complexity ” Furniture has been rented before, but no furniture has been designed for renting. The ability to change the mood of a space in seconds. Four typologies, each following a common vocabulary, but that can act as individuals, excluded from any system. Materials that offer simplicty and durability, as well as a simultaneous warm welcome. A product laced with intricate details, but ones that are cleverly covered, and integrated for a subconciously seamless experience. Rented furniture may have its doubters, but Prop is here to change that - you just might not know it yet.
As the consumer trends of modern life transfer from ownership to access; financing a car as opposed to buying one, co-living establishments and subscription-based services, the amount of goods consumed only grows, as of course does waste, simultaneously. Furniture seems to have evaded the world of access so far, but its waste has not been left behind. The products that elevate us from the ground in our own homes are notoriously difficult to dispose of, and today we are so used to a throw-away, quick fix society that we would rather buy cheap, temporary solutions that can be easily disposed of and purchased again, rather than the high quality, well-crafted products that our parents are fond of. The constant flow of suprises that life brings us needs to be catered for in every sense, and furniture is no different. Millenials who jump from home to home need products that can be borrowed, not bought. We need things that can cater for our everyday needs, even if we
don’t know what tomorrow may demand. The Prop Series is a system of reconfigurable furniture, designed to balance the need for flexibility and longevity, accessibility and quality, aesthetics and functionality. An integrated rental service provide the modern consumers with an array of access options, and the chance to use high quality furniture without spending a fortune.
Emeco’s Run Table, expertly designed, but far from a bargain
Collapsible table, a classic ‘throwaway’ furniture typology
The un-affordable and the temporary
Heatherwick Studio’s Friction Table, designed for maximum flexibility Affordable IKEA Odger chair, sustainably produced
Dieter Rams’ 606 Shelving system, notoriously longlasting, and yet so flexible.
Access, flexibility, and longevity
1.
1. Add-ons Anodized Aluminum
2.
2. Power Track Anodized Aluminum 3. Surface Moulded Beech Veneer
3.
4. Cable Tray Anozdized Aluminium
5.
4. 6.
7.
5. Frame Anozdized Aluminium
6. Connecting Nut Reinforced Polypropylene 7. Feet Reinforced Polypropylene
Design principles
i.
Longevity. Must be made to last, through build quality, and timeless aesthetic.
ii.
Flexibility. Must be able to react to changing needs of the user.
iii.
Circularity. Must be able to break down into various components for reuse.
iv.
Universality. Must cater for the masses, be useful to anyone.
v.
Personality. Must have an element of character within its simplistic design.
Prop Series overview
The Prop Series is made up of four domestic furniture typologies: a table, desk, sideboard, and shelving unit. Each product is configurable through a carefully designed system of components, designed to maximise longevity and flexibility. The series also contains a range of add-ons, designed to provide short term flexibility, with minimimal visual impact.
Furniture
Dining Table /Double Desk
Single Desk
Sideboard
Shelving Unit
Add-ons
Candle Holder
Power Port
Base Tray
Task Lamp
Work Screen
Colours, Materials & Finishes Prop components are constructed with materials that provide the level of quality and durability necessary to withstand the test of time, and rental. Colours and finishes have been carefully chosen to provide the product with longevity; a fashionless aesthetic that can slip seamlessly into any environment, whilst accentuated pieces offer a level of personality that rented products are often missing.
Framework Colour/material
Aluminium, Anodized
Surfaces Colour/material
Beech, Water-based Lacquer
Connectors (Caps, Feet, Connectors) Colour/material
Reinforced Polypropylene
Add-ons (Task Lamp, Candle Holder, Privacy Screen, Power Port, Base Tray) Colour/material
Aluminium, Anodized | Beech
Technical Specifications The Prop Series contains a selection of powered products, revolving around the electrified ‘Power Track’ that can be included in both the Table, and Desk configurations. electrified products are low voltage, so as to maintain safety in use, without compromising quality and user experience.
Task Lamp Electronics
Voltage Wattage
Construction
24 volts 25.2 Watts
Light Control
Touch activated
Light Source
COB LED
Luminous Flux
690 lm
Colour Temperature
5600 K
Manufacture
Aluminium body, extruded Polypropylene pin, injection moulded Acrylic diffuser, injection moulded
Power Track Electronics
Voltage Wattage
Construction
Manufacture
24 volts 25.2 Watts
Aluminium body, extruded Polypropylene caps, injection moulded 200cm cable
USB Power Port Electronics
Construction
Voltage
24 volts
Wattage
25.2 Watts
Port type
USB-A x2
Manufacture
Aluminium body, extruded Polypropylene pin, injection moulded Polypropylene housing injection moulded
The devil is in the detail...
The importance of designing the essential first, but then going beyond to create a product that surpasses the users expectations. Prop includes the smallest of details that the user may never conciously take note of, but that aid and improve their experience day in, day out. Scan the QR code below to take a closer look at the Prop Series’ simple complexity.
Prop Connector, Foot
Connectors
The connectors play a significant part in giving the system its own recognisable identity. Despite not being an immediate key feature, like the power track, they hold the ability to add a sense of character, and the range of colours provided allows users to gain control over a rented product, a rarity in the world of access. When reconfiguring Prop products from the desk/table, to the sideboard/ shelving unit, consumers can utilise the cleverly designed plastic connectors, designed for ease of use and maximum durability. The frame caps can be swapped out for connectors, which allow for shelf beams to be added, enabling the support of an additional surface, increasing storage and overall functionality. Connectors, feet and caps are fixed with M6 countersunk bolts, for added security and a sleek finish. Connectors are injection moulded using reinforced polypropylene, a highly durable material, chosen for its ability to be used again and again, perfect for life in the sharing economy.
Leg Anozdized Aluminium, clear, grey, black
Connector Polypropylene, various colours
Frame Anodized Aluminium, clear, grey, black
Surface Moulded Beech, clear, grey, black
Shelf Beam Anodized Aluminium clear, grey, black Foot Polypropylene, various colours
Prop Everyday Configuration
l o
Desk
Ch
S
o t i
Benc
g un
de b o a r d
h
e Dress
air She lvin
r
Chaise-lounge Coffee table n a m o f t u e t o P O b S i d o r D d Diningouble-bed Sofa table Cr ib
nit
Planned for permanence In modern life our needs are constantly changing. Flexibility has become a requirement, but longevity has been left behind. Consumers opt for what is most accessible; the cheap, temporary solutions that always manage to find their way to landfill. But the throw-away mentality is beginning to shift, younger generations are more concious of their environmental footprint, and access is overtaking ownership. Prop has been designed to take care of the uncertainty that comes with modern lifestyles, but to cater for uncertainty’s consequences, waste, materials must be carefully considered. Materials have been chosen to provide the necessary durability to create a long-lasting product, but also with a circular end-of-life solution - materials that demostrate thelastpiece’s drive towards sustainability. A timeless, reconfigurable design means that Prop can grow with you, or you can leave it behind, and it will grow with someone else until you are ready to be reunited one day. With Prop’s design and service model, there are outcomes to cater for everyone, stories to be made by anyone, and the materials and design allow that to happen.
e n de Table Prop b
Prop Task Lamp, Base Tray
Prop Task Lamp, Base Tray & Candle Holder
Prop Candle Holder in use
A hidden function
Access over ownership
The way we consume goods is changing. The demand for instant access is growing, with ownership being left in its dust. Services such as Spotify, AirBnb, and Uber are emerging as the new normal, and they are not going away any time soon. We, as consumers, are more than happy to rent a car, or a house, so why not furniture? There is a reluctancy towards renting furniture due to the sentimental value that it can bring, but Prop is here to change that, for good. Prop has been carefully designed for integration into a circular rental model. A considered collaborative consumption service offers users a range of memberships, each with varying ownership paths. With flexiblity at the heart of Prop’s principles, users can acquire products over various rental periods, with the option to adjust, renew, or even purchase at the end of each lease. What was once mine is now yours, sort of.
Thelastpiece website serves as a platform to tell the story of the brand and its values, guiding users through their purchase journey through the use of a product configurator and offering curated packages to make selecting their products as simple as possible.
Source
Reuse (Re)Manufacture Quality assurance
Subscribe
Collect
Transport
Adapt
(Re)Configure
End of life
Use Disassemble Renew Subscription end
Purchase
Maintain
Service plan
Prop’s collaborative consumption model has been constructed to maximise flexibility, offering users the chance to adjust their membership regularly to suit their changing needs and lifestyles. Memberships range from 3-12 months, with monthly fees increasing slightly with shorter leases, and the option to renew or adjust at the end of each rental period. Consumers can also purchase products, with any fees already paid towards rental being deducted from the purchase price, so they will never pay more than the product’s retail price. When purchase goods, consumers can opt for a service plan, where their products will be maintained for a small fee, increasing the product lifespan, and reducing furniture waste.
Potential paths A.
User ends membership and returns products
B.
User buys out products with option for maintenance
C.
User renews existing membership
D.
User renews membership with adjustments
Visual Identity
Mark minimum size Screen: 30 px Print: 18 mm
A visual identity has been created for Prop to embody its character. Like the product, simplicity, longevity, and flexibility are at the forefront of its design, creating a brand that avoids trends. A website has been designed alongside the Prop Series, serving as a platform to paint the story and ethos of thelastpiece, whilst a product configurator guides consumers through their purchase, helping them to select a range of products curated to suit their needs.
Primary Blue
# 3F425C
PANTONE 2379 C
Secondary Blue
# 5E6578
PANTONE 19-3933 TPG
Secondary Blue
# 818DA0
PANTONE 2373 CP
Secondary Blue
# 9EAAB3
PANTONE 2162 UP
Primary Gray
# CFC7C0
PANTONE Warm Gray 2 U
Secondary Gray
# D7D2CB
PANTONE Warm Gray 1 C
Primary Gray
# D9D9D6
PANTONE Cool Gray 1 C
Secondary Gray
# F2F1F0
PANTONE P 179-1 C
Web Colours
Thelastpiece website design
Prop Product Configurator
Furniture rental. But this time, it’s personal
Prop gives rented furniture character. The CMF pallete offers a carefully selected array of colours and finishes, so users can configure products to their taste without being overwhelmed, resulting in products with character, consideration, and aesthetic longevity. Injection moulded feet, connectors and caps are available in a spectrum of 5 colours, providing accents ranging from the neutral to the more playful, allowing Prop to feel at home in a range of contexts.
Customisation Each element of prop furniture is customisable, including the anodized aluminium frame, moulded beech surfaces, and polypropylene connectors.
Moulded Beech Veneer
Anodized Aluminium
Reinforced Polypropylene
Work
Rest
Adaptive atmosphere When designing the Prop Series, the add-ons were orginally intended to provide additional functionality, offering users greater flexibility and therefore a wider range of uses. But modern life demands more from the traditional home, it is now a place where we have squeezed work and leisure together, and our homes must adapt to whatever task we are undertaking, or need we must fulfil. Because of this, the Prop Series add-ons serve a much greater purpose than pure functionality. A considered range of products have been selected for their individual ability to change the context of a space, and when paired in various combinations, this can be expanded to explore the various realities in which a table, desk, sideboard, and shelving unit may be used. Gathering insights for Prop and giving it a reason to exist in the way in which it does, relied heavily on analysing trends surrounding the behaviours and habits of consumers. The importance of understanding how people are living, or will
be living in the near future, was a priceless exercise in terms of outlining a direction for the project. Looking into both macro and micro trends can show the common needs of users, and offer realistic insights into how they can be fulfilled. Prop has been designed using the systemic thinking that comes with the role of an industrial designer, with its modularity clearly chosen for flexibility. But we can understand that people will not be changing the product everyday, or even every month. As a result, durability and quality have taken priority over fast reconfiguration of the frame components. Appreciating the demands for long and short-term flexibility results in the inclusion of the add-ons and Power track, which can be swapped in and out in seconds.
Atmosphere drawings - The working home
The traditional - Update drawings
The WFH Pro For the stay-at-home professionals
Study The perfect casual study buddy
Prop Series
The life of Prop
Rented furniture is often seen as uncharacterful and impersonal due to the sentimental value that furniture can have, its ability to become part of a home. The life of Prop proves that rented furniture can achieve that, even if you don’t keep the same item for a lifetime. The life of Prop is whatever you decide it should be. Scan the QR code below to watch the short animation
2021
2031
This is Prop. It can be more.
Imagine being able to afford high-quality furniture at the very start of adulthood. Imagine not having buy cheap products for your first home, only to throw them away when you move on. Prop is integrated into a circular membership model, so you don’t have to worry about high costs, or what to do with your furniture when you relocate. Prop is not just a piece of furniture. It can be more.