Office Furniture
Alexander Newell
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Inspiration
Contents
7 11
Research
Case Study
15 17 21 Summary
Initial Concepts
Concept Development
25 29 31
CAD Development
I
Final Stage
II
Renders and Presentation
De Stijl
Inspiration
Personally, I enjoy the way in which this movement uses geometric shapes. With regards to this project, office furniture can benefit from this simplistic theory and help de stress an environment and improve the workers productivity. Colour coding could be used to distinguish important areas/ files or even establish a hierarchy of “things to do�. In addition to this, the rigid geometry will allow me to create simple modular components. 3
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Dieter Rams
Logic and Maths
“Design should not dominate things, should not dominate people. It should help people. That’s its role.”
Pengiun Books using ‘maths’ to design front covers.
Dieter Rams’ philosophy has been a large influence on my previous designs, in that simplicity and logic can both result in maximising an experience no matter how mundane it may be. I would also like to consider modular aspects, similar to the 606 displayed. In some ways it could be said that through this influence I will be helping those in the office de stress by using a product that is not disorganised like some other office spaces. 5
I love the way in which graphic designers use the grid method to work out the optimal positions for icons etc. I have used a grid method a few times when designing I find it makes the product look well designed and thought out, each pen has a place for example. Also this could prove problematic, this could create restriction in the work place thus leading to psychological problems in the workspace . 6
My Thesis
Research
What do I think an office is ? “An environment where employees carry out their allocated white collar aspect of their job.”
What do I think about offices ? “Dull, unless you work for a company that appreciates good design. I think that they need to be taken seriously these are the environments where people will be sat at most of their working life, they should be as stress free as possible, a stressed worker could be as dangerous as a worker who does not turn up, resulting in less or no production. After personal experience, I would like to improve a product that is taken for granted in the office and I think is not used to its full potential, the desk.“ 7
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Research and Annalysis
Common Office Products
“Furniture specifications should indeed be made to focus on the functional needs of the client and the employees; it should help them do their job in the most efficient way possible.” This is problematic, from my point of view; they suggest that the office should focus on the needs of the client i.e. the architect or interior designer who will be creating the space. There is no established meaning between the office and the user or employee comfort, in some cases especially during the 1980’s poorly designed interiors led to depression within the workforce having a drastic effect on production output. I understand commercial furniture will be governed by a budget, so I will make my furniture suited to fit within a certain budget.
Post it Note USB Stick(s)
Pens
Computer
Mug
“Pleasant things work better. I use a Japanese branded global knife, this knife looks beautiful and is very pleasing to use.” Donald Norman, a great influence but also his theories are just as fascinating. Norman incorporates how emotion affects the way we view and approach objects, he uses the example of a Jaguar E-Type in his TED talk and notes that even though they are unreliable the vehicle is a thing of beauty that is why people enjoy using them. However if I were to use Norman’s theory I would have to make sure that it balances in that I want my product to be aesthetically pleasing but not prove a distraction in itself.
File Tray Personalisation Inspiration
Phone
Inspiration
Offices do tend to get cluttered; however these are some of the most common products in office life. Now that I am aware of what type of products I will be working with I have already spotted a problem, desk tidy type products do not work, areas for pens, USB sticks etc. just get cluttered up with the intended product it is made for . I would like to create a product that de constructs the work place in a way where this problem cannot happen. This will be difficult; I will have to attempt to restrict the user in some areas. 9
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Case Study
Hedgehog 11
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Labs
App
Development
Illustrated here there is clear evidence of a communal office. Due to the nature of this office a creative atmosphere is vital for production. I am aware that this will not be necessary in every office, however being in an open space allowed me to feel part of the team, as opposed to being segregated into a boxed off area.
Main office shot
Note that every item is in roughly the standardised location there is no room for personalisation, I understand that this office is for creative purposes however the worker did suggest possibly modular or kits where you can build parts of the desk to suit the user. This would be ideal if every office worker had the time to assemble these components, however it is a place that I could incorporate.
Situation 1 Continued
This is the standard layout for each individual station. Evidently it is rather messy and when I asked the worker if she could put her hand on a document relating to a specification of an ongoing project she said she couldn’t. Although personal admin is partly to blame for this it is also the environment in which the user is working mounds of paper and a cramped workstation should never exist especially in situations like these, she did also note that she did not like her station due to the “crappy ikea standard furniture”. Situation 1
This worker evidently prefers to use his own laptop when working; I asked him why he was using his laptop on this occasion. “I prefer using Mac OS also we are waiting on the delivery of a replacement so it is ideal that I can log onto the server and access documents” this feedback was fantastic this could influence my design in that some workers may not need to use bigger computers to carry out simple word processing tasks, however I have not investigated ergonomics and the affects it would cause in the long run. Also he preferred to personalise his desk with action figures (Middle left) Situation 2
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My Thoughts
Summary
At the moment I feel that I should design a desk, evidently from my research off the shelf furniture does not give the user any freedom or particularly good at storing paperwork etc. I understand that my idea will need to be unique as commercial furniture is a big business, to do this I will attempt to give a rough budget to my product and focus on production methods possibly flat packaging. 15
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Concept 1
Initial Concepts
This idea will provide the user with the ability to customise their work space, allowing them to personalise the environment . Here is an example of a simple phone holder with the mechanism to connect it to the desk.
The idea of this concept is that the desk will be split up into sections and have the holes to allow the user to position the holders into different places. Choice of materials will be vital in this concept as I would like to relate my scheme to something similar to De Stjil colour theory. 17
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Concept 2
Concept 3
Pre Existing Paper File
This product will be available to retro fit to any desk, or possibly after further development as a stand-alone table. This will focus on organising and prioritising routed channels allowing the user to insert their document holders, pens etc. into the designated areas; this will require further development with regards to the dimensions of the overall piece. 19
This concept plays on the idea that we should de construct our work space and only have what we need in the vicinity. Striping down the area to its bare essentials, this could prove highly productive for the user, or in fact do the opposite as this rigours restriction may make the user feel pressured and claustrophobic. 20
Concept 1
Phone Holder
Desk
Mechanical gears have worked for centuries
Concept Development ‘Geared’ areas
Monitor
Keyboard
After consideration the mechanism in the initial idea seems complicated for production, I have tried a simpler method of attaching products to the desk. Inspiration for this came from the way gears and cogs slot together when in motion. In addition to this as a commercial product I could release more than the standard range for a standard office. 21
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Concept 2
Concept 3
Desk Topper
Phone
Original Desk
Computer
Keyboard Notes
This product could help reduce production costs, if the client, for example Hedge Hog App Development were asking me to redesign their office I could assess the dimensions of their current furniture and design this to be directly put onto their table, reducing the cost on the client but also saving the environment and reducing waste i.e. the old office furniture. 23
The theory behind this desk is that by reducing the amount of space on the desk, there is less room for clutter, when I visited Hedge Hog, a number one concern was messy desks, and they stated that when a client comes to visit they are often put off by the mess in the work place although it is ‘productive’. Applying this desk into other situations will also allow for more desks in an office, another benefit from this is the close quarters work space provides the workers with interaction a thing that is often lost in an office area. 24
My Thoughts
CAD Development
After consideration I will be prototyping concept 1 I feel this will allow me to address the problems I have seen in the office from first-hand experience . In addition to this I will be able apply all of my inspiration to this product in a fluid manner. 25
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Basic Developments
Main Table Developments 800 x 800
800 x 1000 File Storage
Phone Monitor Prop
Keyboard
1000 x 1000
I would still like this product to come as a flat pack piece however I would like to have the legs protrude through the entire table this I feel will give the aesthetic that the entire product is one even though it is modular. 27
1000 x 1500
Using a grid, I have been able to design several layouts. The 800 x 800 desk is too small with regards to fitting all components on the main desk space. I feel that the 800 x 1000 and 1000 x 1000 would be best suited to a small office or home office compact and still has the room for the basic stationary. I think that the 1000 x 1500 will allow the user to obviously have more space but also customise their space with more exclusive props. 28
Table Developments
Table Developments
I would still like this product to come as a flat pack piece however I would like to have the legs protrude through the entire table this I feel will give the aesthetic that the entire product is one even though it is modular. 29
I have decided to remove the beds for the monitor keyboard and paper trays this is to allow for more space, but also I feel that the beds could over restrict the user and have the opposite effect in that they cannot customise their personal space. I will now have to decide on a suitable material for the components on the table at the moment I have rendered them in the materials I would like. 30
Material Choice
Renders
Main desk made from Ash and the interchangable parts from yellow Birch
Issue when working with wood, when it is worked into a cylinder like this, there is a tendency for it to split on the edges. I will have to change this to a square for increased strength
With regards to materials I would like to use a form of wood, I think that contrasting woods are aesthetically pleasing . In addition to this I think that wood is an easier and quicker material to work and manufacture especially for the shapes I have proposed. I would like to use locally sourced woods I have found that there are three main types of wood grown in the north east: Aspen, Ash and Birch. To achieve the dark and light contrast with these woods will prove difficult as they are naturally lighter. 31
I have decided to use the lighter Ash and the Yellow Birch, however before the final render I will need to develop the legs and change the shape of the cylindrical components. From previous experience I know that when working with wood cylindrical components are hard to work with especially with such a small wall width, I have therefore decided to change the cylindrical pots to square pots. 32
Leg Design
Final Stages
The legs and frame under the table will be similar to a ladder chassis in that 4 box steel sections roughly 25x25 mm will be welded into a frame, then in turn the legs will be put onto this frame. I have decided to have the legs 720mm above the ground this is the recommended height by British Standards and a recommendation by Stephen Pheasent (Ergonomist). For aesthetic purposes I have chosen a 60 Degree kick out on the legs to help give the table a powerful stance. 33
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Prototype Models
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Office Furniture
An office should be a stress free environment, however due to advancements in technology and a genreal change in social norms we all want more, NOW! The product before you gives the user the experience to enjoy working at their desk with natural locally sourced materials this product allows the user to not only organise their personal space and fully customise their area, but to also fully enjoy their experience while working from their station. Alexander Newell