samsvedlund
table of
2Venus Egg 1 Ingrid
3
Lotus
5 Inspiration
Contents
4
Anthropologie
1
Ingrid
The prompt for this furniture piece was to freely design a chair using only one form of inspiration. After researching current trends and what makes a chair the most inviting, I decided on the forest as my inspiration. The way trees seem to envelope you into their space, giving a sense of comfort and embrace, how the sunlight peeks through the branches in golden rays of glory, warming your spirit, and the cushioning moss on the forest floor inviting you to relax. These are the emotional reactions I want my chair to embody.
Moodboard Deciding upon an inspiration proved simple for me because of my obsession with woodland creatures and nature. I find the colors, textures and expressions magnificent in a place seemingly untouched by industrialization. I love the idea of an undiscovered world and how it may translate into design.
Initial Ideation
Sketches were done using fine tip pens and shading markers. Each idea was conceptualized with the inspiration of the forest, it’s colors, and the feelings one encounters while standing between the trees.
Final Form Sketch
Fabrication
The seat base and upholstered seat were both cut using a CNC machine to get the most accurate cuts. Each hole-connection was drilled at an angle using a built rig, and each brass piece was cut and fitted by hand.
Final Design The final design consists of ten oak spindles, a four by four foot, 3/4 inch thick oak plywood sheet, eight feet of brass tubing, and one yard of emerald cotton weave fabric.
2
Venus Egg How can one pick up three eggs from the floor using only potential energy, while constrained to a wheelchair, and deposit the eggs into a bowl sitting on a table 20 feet away? The Venus Egg Trap was designed using a mechanical device made of an air compressor, air-tight rubber tubing, an air pump, stop and start valves, and a pneumatic cylinder. The design was then encased entirely in a “stemmed” skin with a “trapping” head. Similar to how a venus fly trap traps insects to eat, the Venus Egg Trap captures eggs to carry.
Moodboard Inspiration for this project came from unexpected places. After considering current products, animals, technology, and many other categories for things that picked up, caught, and trapped objects, I found myself studying nature once again. I enoy the beauty and enchanting quality that the venus fly trap evokes. I also researched “nut collectors� for further conceptualizing.
Initial Ideation
Initial ideation began with rough breadboard models to help understand the functionality of possible design solutions. The next step included conceptualizing the potential energy mechanism and full scale prototyping for testing.
The bicycle pump uses the atmosphere to push air into the system. This is the first mechanism to begin the mechanical function of potential energy. The pump allows the user to choose when to use the device.
The small white connector is a one-way-valve that utilizes push to connect connectors. The one way valve allows air to enter the system, but not release out of the system, back into the atmosphere.
Because compact air compressors do not exist to purchase, I created one using through-wall valves and air tight clamps on the tubes. The air pumped into the system is stored in the bottle, compressing it until it is released.
Function Development
This 3-way push button is the most important part of the system. The push button acts as a stopper, a releaser, and an ejector. This valve controls the air entering and exiting the pneumatic, acting as a “switch� for more simplistic usability.
Above is the pneumatic cylinder, It has an internal spring, that when filled with compressed air pushes forward to release a trigger. When the compressed air no longer remains in the cylinder, the spring pops back into place, pulling in the trigger.
The function development consisted of a series of tests and materials to find the right components for the product. The most important aspect of the system was being air tight, careful not to release the potential energy needed to complete the task.
Fabrication
The exterior form proved more difficult to fabricate than initially intended. Learning a new technique, PVC bending, was a long, complex process. By heating and hand bending the tube, I was able to create the designed curves.
Form Modeling
I utilized solidworks to create a 3dimensional model. This form of modeling helped to better understand the housing form for the internal mechanism. A color study was also completed based off of the original mood board.
Final Design The final design was created using pvc pipe, acrylic tubing, dense foam and air tight mechanical connections. The curved body serves both an ergonomic and dynamic form.
3
Lotus
Restricted to one sheet of 3/4”, 4x8 foot baltic birch plywood, the project brief was to design a chair that formed to a given clients body, yet was still comfortable for others to enjoy. After performing exact body measurement specifications and user-centered research, I came up with a design that was oversized, allowing the user to enjoy the chair while sitting in many different positions, including “indian style”, also called lotus position, giving the design it’s name.
Moodboard Inspiration for this project came from the concept of solid and void, or “cut outs.” Because the project constraint was using one sheet of solid wood, I wanted my design to feel completely opposite, with a light, open form. I began by researching current designs that I thought successfully achieved this perception of ‘airiness’, while also studying architectural and artistic voids.
Initial Ideation
After discovering the inspiration for the chair I wanted to design, I created a series of thumbnail sketches to hash out many ideas quickly. Once a repetition in form became evident, I was ready to begin testing and fabricating my design.
Ergonomic Studies
Ergonomic studies were one of the most important parts of the lotus design. Since I was given a specific client to design for, I had to take numerous body measurements and study the ‘strain points’ of the chair to make the design as comfortable as possible.
Fabrication I designed my chair to be ‘flat-pack’ accessible and paid close attention to the connections between the wood pieces. I simplified my design to five pieces in total. The wood seat and back pieces attatch to the side pieces with eight screws on each side. In order to keep the “airy” look to the design, I countersunk the screws and covered the holes with wood dowels flushed against the wood so that the screws would not be seen.
Final Design The final design was created from one four by eight foot sheet of baltic birch plywood. I decided not to stain the chair to keep the integrity of the wood intact.
4
Anthropologie For ten weeks, I worked in collaboration with Anthropologie West Side’s Visual Team to create a truly unimagined experience through visual installation and design for holiday 2012. I learned a number of new skills and was able to assist in initial ideation, design fabrication and installation. My favorite experience as an intern at Anthropologie was being able to see how customers would react to our installations, putting a smile on their faces each and every day.
5
Inspiration
In the Summer of 2012, I studied abroad in Greece and Italy for seven weeks to learn about Art and Architectural History. I enjoyed being able to see another side of the world, opening my eyes to new kinds of inspiration. Growing up, I always loved capturng life behind the lens of a camera. Now as an Industrial Designer, I am able to use my photography of the environment around me to inspire my designs. The following photos are ones that I took during my seven week trip abroad.
Parthenon in Athens, Greece
The Bay in Capri, Italy
Park Guell in Barcelona, Spain
The Duomo in Florence, Italy
Rustic Doors in Vicenza, Italy
Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy
Cathedral of Santa Maria in Siena, Italy
Oia Sunset in Santorini, Greece
“Middle Earth” in Sorrento, Italy
The Cliffs in Santorini, Greece