SYSTEM DESIGN PROJECT Komal Goyal Furniture and Interior Design Semester 7
Guide: P Ramakrishnan Rao
BRIEF
To create a design business model for a furniture startup and to define the process of converting an idea into a business.
Target segment
DECIDING THE USER
Designs that suit the lifestyle, activities and appeal the age group between 14-40. Urban audience that enjoys a little play in routine, busy life and is open to experimentation. Niche product lovers. Have access to internet and frequent online shoppers. Working professionals, college students and people looking for new, interesting products.
DEVELOPING THE IDEA
UNDERSTANDING THE LIFESTYLE Busy Occupied No time for fun Enjoy quirkiness Space efficient Practical Experimental Want fun
TYPICAL ACTIVITIES Music
Typing Reading
Sunsets Selling Walking Thinking Swimming Relaxing Photographs Cleaning Napping Camping Speaking Fitness Travel Talking Waiting Organizing Pets Trekking Work Disposal Safety Party Learning Dressing Picnics Munching Dining Laptop Sleeping Making Laundry Classrooms Writing Leisure Driving Umbrellas Drinking Meeting Brushing Pooja Gardening Reaching Movie halls Catching breadth Socializing Serving Sewing Shoes Washing Concerts Storage Painting Guarding Display Entertainment Eating Posture Cleaning Cooking Conversations Doing hair Sleeping Feeling Video games Sitting Hotel stay
Looking at gaps developing in the multitasking and hurried urban life
INITIAL PRODUCT IDEAS Anywhere backrest
“Wait a min, I’m tired” seats
Sleep & laptop
Single person table
Wear shoe
“Catch my mess” work surfaces
“Hold my page” tables
Sit-stands
Good posture seats
Folding seating
Rockers
Re-purpose furniture
Clothes folding surface
Swings
Laundry bins
“Lets talk” seaters
the concept of
FUNCTIONAL PLAY emerged Designs that cater to the small needs created by your busy life while adding an element of fun to brighten up daily, boring tasks.
work
“My cables are a mess” solvers Sleep on table pillows “Hold my page” tables Single person table Snap on shutters Horizontal book stacking Laptop stands
Anywhere backrest Expanding storage Anything light “Wait a min, I’m tired” seats Car pillows “The bread crumb” trail Pile holders Hangers
travel
play
Floor seating Sofa snacking surface “Do my braid” seater Night light Floor rockers “Let’s talk” seater Mom’s lap pillows Bedside table Shoe keep
Chopstick like things Sforks “Hold so I can cut” Easy chutney Lunch boxes Cutting surfaces Bottles Glasses/mug Easy packing and chutney
eat
COLLECTIONS
PRODUCT CONCEPTS
SLEEP ON TABLE PILLOW Helping catch up on the ‘zzzz’ during a busy day is this product that packs flat for easy portability and provides a comfortable cradle to snooze right at your work desk without breaking your back. The need of this product arises from the longer work time and more casual work cultures. It aids the much needed break for increased productivity while reducing stress on the spine created otherwise.
ANYTHING GLOWS LAMP
Coasters that turn everyday water containers (translucent) into subtle ambient glowers.
This product gives the user the power to turn their everyday objects into fun pieces. The glow created can be used as a night light or as ambient light for theme parties.
“DO MY BRAID� SEATER Enabling the strong m o t h e r- d a u g h t e r activity by providing the perfect split levels that bring an end to the discomfort otherwise and bring happiness. People end up kneeling or getting into uncomfortable positions due to illmatched seating levels and take the joy out of this everyday but highly emotional task.
CHOP CHOPS Easy to use chopstick like food consumption tool that retains the connection with food. This concept arises from people’s facination with the use of chopsticks. Learning to eat with chopsticks needs practice and time which the target audience can’t afford. Hence enabling fun fast.
SHOE KEEPS
Solving your problem of shoes everywhere in a jiffy! Keeping them organized, clean and within easy reach.
This product looks at solving the problem created due to too many shoes. Their storage and accessibility becomes a great problem.
THE BUSINESS SIDE
When asked
WHY A STARTUP “To be able to teach”
“For the thrill of it”
“Freedom!”
“To be able to do something new”
“To be independent”
“To pursue my passion”
THE JOURNEY OF AN IDEA TO A BOOMING BUSINESS
The “big idea� has to be fully developed and a business proposal well drafted to convince the funders of the marketability of the project.
The idea can make money in different ways. This can be decided by the amount of investment you are willing to put into the project. There also some ways to make a side income just to keep things moving.
A team of bright passionate people keeps the project going and takes care of different elements that are necessary to keep the business going.
Customer satisfaction along with other idealogical and philosophical elements builds a love and respect for the brand. People’s love and finance are the indicators of a brand’s growth and success.
MY BUSINESS PROPOSAL To develop lifestyle products and furniture to suit the busy urban youth looking for some fun in daily routine life.
THE BUSINESS PLAN Executive summary A vision to bring fun and play in boring young busy lives. To understand the small needs of the people from the people and to create a community that cares and thinks and enjoys playfulness.
Business description An online retail brand that sells lifestyle products and to build a community of people passionate about the brand.
Customer analysis The busy urban youth that wants to add fun to daily activities and be associated with the cool tag. Age group between 14 to 40. They buy the products from online store or from promotion kiosks during events. They buy because of the function/ activity, playfulness, quirkiness, creativity, quality, coolness and the brand.
Strategy and implementation summary Generate visibility at youth fests and events and promotion events. Social media groups and pages to create community of users. Drive awareness of product lines. Announce new products. Croudsource ideas for new products. Conduct polls and quizzes understand what customer needs. Sales promotion and referrals, coupon offers. Interactive marketing and customized products.
BRAND IDENTITY Experimental Quirky Playful Sensorial Urban Casual
FUTURE PLANS To create a social impact by empowering communities in need either by means of employment or by charity. To create a market for traditional crafts in non traditional uses and settings thus empowering artisans. To promote and create awareness about healthy ecological behavior and green thinking. To build a community of thinkers and developers that believe in the concept of functional play and open source ideas and needs from the people.
FIN.