FURNITURE DESIGN INTERNSHIP 2017
SAYALI UPADHYE
Hola! Welcome aboard! I’m going to take you on a journey through my graduation project. This book is a documentation of the projects I worked on during my internship and filled with the lessons I learned, mistakes I made, great (well, mostly great) ideas I got, amazing people I met, lovely experiences I had, along with a few bitter-sweet memories. I enjoyed every moment of working on it. I hope you do too!
SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
Acknowledgements The internship opportunity I had with Ek Design was a great chance for learning and professional development. Therefore, I consider myself a very lucky individual to be provided with an opportunity to get to know a different industry. I am extremely grateful to my industrial mentor, Prajwal Degwekar, for patiently correcting my errors and showing me a new perspective on the industry; and giving necessary advice and guidance. I express my special thanks to him for arranging all facilities to make life at Ek Design easier. It is my radiant sentiment to place on record my deepest sense of gratitude to my faculty mentor, Kuntal De, who in spite of being extraordinarily busy with his duties, took time to hear me out, guide and keep me on the correct path. I will always value his precious guidance for the rest of my design career. I would like use this opportunity to also thank Mr. Sanjay Jain, for his constant support in the early years of college, for always believing in me and encouraging me to step outside my comfort zones. I am immensely grateful to Mr. Dhimant Panchal, for inspiring me to work hard and pushing me to my limits to become a better designer. Lastly, I would like to thank all the wonderful people that I had the chance to meet, that have supported, inspired and motivated me to keep going over the course of 5 years at MIT Institution of Design.
SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
Contents
01 02 Breaking The Ice
3D Printed Joinery
New Trades
09
Kick-starting
21
Ek Design
11
Why ?
22
The Team
12
User Scenerio
24
Management Process
14
Market Research
26
My Role at Ek Design
16
The Idea
28
Brainstorming
30
Coffee Table
32
Concluding
46
03
Hexa Chair
04
Brief
51
Organic + Geometric
52
Inspiration can hit you anytime, anywhere
54
Choosing material, process and finish
56
Summary
71
Making Mistaeks
57
The Client
72
Correcting Mistakes
62
Concept Sketches
74
Costing
66
Initial Concepts
76
Technical Drawings
82
Costing
85
Making The Sofa
86
05 Retrospection
92
Saay Quilt Sofa
And It’s Done
06
Bibliography
94
01 BREAKING THE ICE
New Trades Ek Design The Team Management Process My Role at Ek Design
SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
DO Kick-starting WHAT YOU LOVE
New trades I always liked Jack; dabbling in all trades. But unlike Jack, I do intend on mastering some of them, if not all. In 4 years of college, I have trained to become a product designer. I learned how to think in the design language and pen down my ideas on paper, and perfected the skills required to turn these concepts into existing products. Now was the time to explore more in the design industry. Cause, if not now, then when? Right? I always had an interest in furniture. I love the way furniture can have an effect on a space. It decides the mood of the entire room. You can instantly feel fresh just by entering a room, on the other hand, some places can be uninviting just because of the furniture. I have always been intrigued by the form and structure of furnishing, and it has been my goal to design furniture. And then, opportunity knocked on my door.
SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
CHAPTER ONE | BREAKING THE ICE
Ek Design On my first day, when I reached the studio location, I instantly know I was going to like it here. Set in a very secluded natureoriented place, the beautiful office space had a very familiar sense of belonging. A perfect spot for a design studio. Ek Design, founded by Prajwal Degwekar, alumni of MIT Institute of Design is a furniture and lifestyle products firm run by product designers. Hardly two years old, it is a startup based in Pune. WORK ETHICS In any business, it is vital to have good relations with your clients as well as vendors. The relations are perfectly maintained by Prajwal, who always prioritizes clients or vendors over anything else. Quality of the product is something we refuse to compromise. Each piece is checked multiple times to make sure it is immaculately done. Punctuality and discpline are valued just as much as work freedom. There are no rules when it comes to working in the studio.
The entire space is our canvas!
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DESIGN IDEOLOGY At Ek Design, we believe that exceptional concepts can blossom even from inexperience. Sometimes, when you stray from normalcy, you can come up with something completely new. Hence, learning through experience is practiced wholeheartedly. Constant attempts are made to include hardware which will dictate how the form of a piece turns out. Special attention is given while designing forms, as we like our furniture minimal but having a presence in the room. We love exploring material and form combinations to make our work stand out. It is always a good idea to follow your beliefs right from the beginning; Prajwal thinks the same and hence, takes his environmental responsibilities very seriously. The majority of the wood used while making furniture is salvage wood; which means, it is upcycled from waste or scrapped wood. DESIGN STYLE Minimalistic Simple Friendly and approachable
Non-intrusive Transparent Understandable
The Team Prajwal runs the entire firm on his own with some help from the interns and vendors. It is a welloiled machine that runs on good communication amongst everone. Even though it is small at the moment, the efficiency and the rate of making furniture and other products are as good as any well-established company; this is possible through hard work, along with some sweat and blood, shed by the team.
Prajwal, The Bossman
Right from handling the client, designing, to oiling or sanding the product, Prajwal does it all. Apart from being extremely busy growing the business, he also manages a 3D printing company called Phantom 3Dworks. He takes about 50 decisions every day without any glimpse of exhaustion. A patient and friendly boss, he explains where you have gone wrong without losing his temper.
The Interns
( That’s me and my friend Aashna) Both from the same batch, we have been friends for a long time now. So, working together felt just like college. Be it the coffee breaks in the backyard or the talks during a low day, she made these 4 months absolutely fun and entertaining for me.
CHAPTER ONE | BREAKING THE ICE
Babbu Bhai, The carpenter
Arshad Bhai, The sofa manufacturer
Raj Bhaiyya, The fabricator - A new addition
Gopal, The painter
A skilled craftsmen in his trade, Babbu will never let you down. Blindly handover a job and you can expect nothing less than perfection. A jolly fellow to talk to, he will never turn down your work, however small it may be or however busy he might be.
to the team, Raj is always eager to make new designs possible. He understands exactly what you want and delivers the same with finesse.
SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
A perfect example of professional commitment, he will never be a day late to finish a job assigned to him. Apart from being good at his job, he is always ready to try out new designs.
Any painting job, any oiling or finishing needed, you call Gopal. He will come to the studio and finish the job on site in no time, and he will never complain if you tell him to give another coat on the chair, just for good luck.
The Process Ek Design follows a very systematic process while dealing with clients. This way, we are sure that furniture of the up most quality is being produced. As there are various steps in the entire project, certains jobs are alocated to people (mostly interns, cause our responsibilties keep changing.) Sometimes you get an entire project to take care of; sometimes its team effort. Constant communication is the key.
A furniture piece that goes out from Ek Design is a fruit of many people’s hard work. In no circumstances do we take each other for granted. Respect is highly valued.
“Many hands make light work.
“
Whether it’s with a client or a vendor, updating is vital. We believe that everybody has to be on the same page in order to avoid any miscommunications. Regular follow ups and sharing updates are done on the phone (thanks to whatsapp).
But mostly, we all love your work and enjoy every detail of it.
CHAPTER ONE | BREAKING THE ICE
The Lead
A satisfied customer creates more leads. More leads means more clients
Home Delivery
Wrapping the furniture/ Delivery/ Approval from client
Home Visits
The Client
Designing
Quality Check
Concepts/ 3D Models/ Renders
Final Touch-ups
Manufacturing
Follow ups/ Finishing
SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
Client Meetings/ Brief/ Needs/ Reference Images
Client Approval
Modifications/ Fabric Selection/ Final Design
Designing
Concepts/ 3D Models/ Renders
My role at Ek Design The only cliche about being and intern at Ek Design was running around for coffee re-fills. But only for myself. And only because I can’t function without it! Interning in a start-up is like a roller coaster ride. There are very less people and and only so much to do. You have to handle multiple projects at the same time while delegating tasks to a whole set of different people. You snooze, you lose! The first couple of weeks, the voice in my head kept saying, “What have you got us into Sayali? How are you going to survive these 4 months, you stupid girl!” Being a small team, we had to take care of many things at the same time, so the design internship turned into a design+management+personality development internship. A trusting boss, Prajwal gave us responsibilities of important tasks like meeting the client, discussing the design concepts, taking on the spot decisions of certain projects and many other cool An intimidating job for a newcomer, it was exciting at the same time. It was almost like I was the boss.
Client Meetings/ Discussing needs and requirements/ Site visits/ Conceptualising and visualising/ 3D models and renders/ Presentations/ Going for client approvals/ Sourcing material and fabric/ Handling the vendors/ Follow up with respective vendor and client/ Being on track with orders/ Finishing and last touches/ Quality check/ Documentation/ Handling Deliveries/ On site finishing/ Keeping the client and the boss and the vendor and most inportantly, myself - happy!
This job constantly kept me on my feet the entire time and I loved dancing around, crossing out things from my everyday to-do lists.
CHAPTER THREE | WIREFRAME CHAIR
Actually, my most important role : secretly feeding the sneaky but adorable stray dog, Mili.
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03 3D PRINTED JOINERY
CHAPTER TWO | 3D PRINTED JOINERY
Kick-starting Why ? User Scenerio Market Research The Idea Brainstorming Coffee Table Concluding
SAYALI SAYALIUPADHYE UPADHYE||INDUSTRIAL INDUSTRIALDESIGN DESIGN
CHAPTER TWO | 3D PRINTED JOINERY
Kick-starting I have always been intrigued by flatpack furniture. Being an avid admirer of IKEA, my interest in flat pack was obvious. So when I got the opportunity to choose my own design brief, it was no surprise that I chose to design flat pack furniture. One day, while having the morning coffee (a ritual religiously followed at Ek Design), Prajwal told me about his plans for Phantom 3Dworks, a 3D printing company he started with his brother. He talked about how he wanted to introduce 3D printing to the Indian market.
and flat pack furniture?
I believe that 3D printing and flat pack are a perfect fit for each other. The idea appealed to Prajwal just as much, and thus I kickstarted my graduation project.
SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
design 3D printed connectors “To for flat pack furniture. The objective was to accentuate the joinery to make it a main feature of the product.
“
In my first couple of weeks at Ek Design, I had already found out that the firm’s client base consists of young professionals, who are more likely to be open to new ideas. And I thought - Why not combine 3D printed joinery
Why 3D Printing? For years, designers have been using 3D printing to create remarkable products, and only in the recent years, has the technology been available for any creative mind. 3D printing offers almost limitless scope for imagination, and this is also the case in furniture design.
There is a lot more freedom not only for innovation but also practicality. Complicated geometry that has been difficult or impossible becomes probable and simple to construct. 3D printing can serve as a substitution for tricky woodworking parts and joineries. 3D printed parts could assist furniture craftsmen, help them make something which is durable and sleek, without sacrificing the sturdiness.
3D printing is an asset for customized furniture, as the furniture components can be tailored according to the costumer’s choice. Alterations in dimensions, choice of wood, finish and colour are possible at minimal cost. Technically and easthetically speaking, it’s a win-win situation for both.
CHAPTER TWO | 3D PRINTED JOINERY
Why flatpack? Flat pack furniture has revolutionized the home furnishing niche since it was first invented in the 1950s. Both, the manufacturers and customers enjoy the benefits of ready to assemble furniture.
Space and storage friendly
Flatpack is your best friend when it comes to inventory management and improving storage efficiency.
Highly customizable
Keeping all customers happy and satisfied is not a big task as flatpack can be customized or repurposed at will.
flat pack in British (flæt pæk) or flatpack
noun British a piece of furniture, equipment or other construction supplied in pieces packed into a flat box for assembly by the buyer It arrives as a flat pack and is bolted together on site. sold as an easy-to-assemble flat pack
Well, every coin has two sides, and although the list is short, these disadvantages cannot be overlooked.
They lack uniqueness in design as they are Self-assembling and dissembling
Having a party at your house and need more space? Not a problem with flatpack furniture!
Easy transportation and delivery
No need to worry about tempos with their skyrocketing fares when you can just fit it in your car.
simple and mass production oriented.
Not known to be durable
They seem to break without a sturdy assemblage.
Nightmare to assemble Compact
You don’t have to sweat over how to bring your furniture in your home, since its built on site within the comfort of your house.
SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
IT’S FUN
It is fun to put together two or more pieces and make your own flat pack hack.
Complicated instructions and lack of experience can jack your nerves.
User Scenerio Most of the clients that approach us are mostly first time home buyers who want something new and unique in their house. The other half are the clients who are renovating and wants a radical change. They are open to new ideas and leave the designing to us. Along with the existing clients, we also wanted to focus on renters.
Young professionals are generally in their 20s or 30s and are open to new ideas. Since a majority of them are early adopters, they are willing to try out new products. Young professionals are strongly attached to technology and media and are targeted by makers of these products.
“For those who find themselves in less than permanent situations while still needing all the modern convenience of life.� early adopter noun plural noun : early adopters a person who starts using a product or technology as soon as it becomes available. Early adopters are an important part of the customer base. They are smart, engaged and always on the lookout for something new.
CHAPTER TWO | 3D PRINTED JOINERY
Personas
Shreya 25 y.o. IT professional Unmarried Lives alone
Living space 1BHK Tenant
Has guests over on weekends. Parents visit rarely but for a long time. Spends the entire day outside. Expectations Fresh and new interiors. Trendy products. Needs Easily movable furniture. Temporary space easily available.
SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
Aditya 32 y.o. Architect Married, Lives with his wife.
Living space 2BHK Own house
Expectations A constant change in the house. Quality of the price. Functional products. Needs Ready to assemble furniture Customisable designs.
Yohan 27 y.o. Entreprenuer Unmarried Lives alone
Living space 1BHK First time home buyer
Works from home. Stores his office goods in the house. Has few friend over occasionaly. Expectations Space for storage. Foldable and durable furniture Needs Temporary seating arrangements Sturdy and strong furniture.
Market Research Without a shadow of a doubt, it is IKEA that made RTA pieces so popular. The worldwide fever over flatpacks is due to the combined effect of a company founded back in 1940’s, along with creative marketing and a forward design thinking. They are wizards at creating light and cheap furniture without compromising the aesthetics. Its reasonable prices are one of the reasons why people prefer it over ready-to-use furniture. The Swedish furniture giant is still the most popular choice when it comes to flat pack furniture. It uses a wide range of hardware that can be used by customers to assemble the components.
However, it is not always to assemble the furniture, especially for someone who has very little knowledge of tools, by following the complicated instructions. Many furniture building companies have emerged because of the difficulty faced while assembling IKEA furniture. The cam and lock fastener widely used in IKEA furniture. They call it a minfix.
Plywood, veneer and MDF are some of IKEA’s popular choices for materials.
CHAPTER TWO | 3D PRINTED JOINERY
The flat-pack culture in India is emerging the recent years. IKEA plans to open its first store in India later on this year. Apart from IKEA, there are very few companies that sell flat-pack furniture.
UBLYD is Bangalore based company
Popular furniture choices in Pune are mostly showrooms like @Home, Ekbote Furniture, Godrej Interio, Nirmitee Furniture, Natural Living, Just Antiques and recent favourites like Pepperfry and Urban Ladder which offer online services.
City Furnish is another startup
Even though these companies offer amazing home decor solutions, they are, either not situated in Pune, or don’t offer the necessary services which open up the market for us.
which sells DIY furniture kits. Their furniture is eco-friendly and made from upcycled solid pin wood.
which allows renting furniture at affordable price packages. Popular between renters and students, City Furnish brings online, an eclectic mix of furniture.
Furnify is a home decor company
which enables you to customize your own furniture online, keeping your budget in mind, and helps you mix and match various material choices, colour tones and designs from their repository.
SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
The Idea After days of staring at my laptop, taking notes and obsessing over IKEA furniture, I concluded my extensive research. By the end of it, I was sure of one thing -
“A joinery which can be easily assembled by hand without any use of tools.� There is no question that the joinery has to be sturdy to last long. But, along with strength, it also has to be aesthetic. The Indian market is not used to 3D printed things, and it is vital they find the joinery attractive to show any interest in the technology. The joinery has to stand out all the while blending with the other components.
Celebrate the joinery.
I wanted to make the experience of putting together the furniture for our users as stress-free as possible. I did not want them to struggle with joineries and components. In case of multiple pieces, the users should always be in control of fixing the furniture without getting confused about what goes where. It should be as easy as putting together Lego pieces.
Thus, one joinery for all. Every customer is different and the requirements, not the same. As most of the furniture at Ek Design is made to order, variations in design are possible. Colour variations and material combinations and change in dimensions are possible.
Flexible design.
CHAPTER TWO | 3D PRINTED JOINERY
DURABLE SIMPLE INTUITIVE CUSTOMIZABLE TRENDY EASY SPACE SAVING WOOD + PLASTIC
SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
Brain-storming Focusing on stools and coffee table, I let my mind run wild. It was a struggle in the beginning as I did not know the concept of member and surface. After learning it from Prajwal, I conciously started ideating based on that concept. My idea was to somehow connect members with the 3D printing joinery first, as they are the foundation of any furniture piece.
CHAPTER TWO | 3D PRINTED JOINERY
SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
CHAPTER TWO | 3D PRINTED JOINERY
Coffee Table Designing furniture with no priar education or experience is not an easy job, especially when it comes to joineries. I was in the same exact boat, doing something completely out of area of expertise. So, I made things a little easier for me. I started with a coffee table. It’s the simplest of all furniture pieces, for me, as it doesn’t hold a lot of weight, not many joineries involved and overall less complications. And I was correct to do that, cause even that wasn’t an easy task. A few errors while making the prototype taught me how the simplest looking things arent always simple. It’s the first in the range of flat pack furniture and the only one that has reached the prototype stage. 3D printing is a risky business when you expect tensile strength from it. It might break in a few months if not structured properly. Hence, it seemed fit that we can explore the concept once we have tested out a prototype. So, let’s not waste any more time and see what concepts I could come up with.
SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
Concepts
CHAPTER TWO | 3D PRINTED JOINERY
SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
The Joinery Usually, while deciding joineries, the material can be replaced for a convient one. That goes for joineries as well. For instance, a tricky or a weak joinery in wood can be made strong by changing the material and using metal welding instead. (Of cource, that is a case where you decide function over form.) I was aiming at designing a joinery which won’t be possible without the 3D printed part. This acts as a unique selling point for Ek Design. So, I focus of fixing thigs ino each other, as that is difficult to replicate otherwise but extremely easy in 3D printing.
Just by fixing the leg in the circular hole, fixing the two supporting rods in the rectangular cavity and placing the table top, you have your furniture ready in no time. The joinery can’t get simpler than this!
CHAPTER TWO | 3D PRINTED JOINERY
The Locking System The joinery wont make sense if it the entire falls apart. To prevent that, I have added thread inserts in the top surface of the legs. A wooden cap is made by fixing a bolt between two disks. This way, once the leg is fixed in the connecter. All you have to do is screw the bolt in the circular legs as if you were to put a cap on the bottle. This will act as a sandwich for the connector and it won’t loosen up easily.
SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
The Assembly 1. Fix the circular legs in the connector. 2. Lock the leg into the connector by screwing the wooden caps in the thread inserts. 3. Fix the rectangular bars in the connecter and join all together to make a standing frames of the table. 4. All you have to do now is place the table top on the frame.
CHAPTER TWO | 3D PRINTED JOINERY
It can be assembled by hands without using any tools.
SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
The Connecter The 3D printed connecter is the part that holds the entire structure together. There are 4 of these, one for each leg, that joined together completes the table. The filament used in this project is PLA. Polylactic Acid is a bio-degradable thermoplastic, made from renewable recources like corn starch and sugarcane. Outside of 3D printing, it’s typically used in medical implants, food packaging, and disposable tableware. The main reason to choose PLA is that it’s easy to print.
Dimensions 3.5 inches x 3.5 inches x 4 inches
Wall Thickness of the connecter is 2mm. That should be the minimum thickness while printing a big part like this one, as it reduces the chances of warp and breakage,
Orientation Matters
As the printer starts printing the job, it determines where and how much support the part needs. It prints the piece along with some extra filament printed as support in between weak or very thin parts. This support can be easily removable, though the surface will not be as smooth as the one without support. Hence, you have to cleverly design your part so that a simple change in orientation can reduce the support.
The steps of 3D printing -
CHAPTER TWO | 3D PRINTED JOINERY
The Components The components include - a table top, 4 circular legs and 4 rectangular rods. The design is quite minimal and simple. Hence, very little job has been left where wood working is concerned. It can easilly be laser cut or even hand crafted in a workshop within a oouple of hours. The materail used is agrowood. It is an alernative for natural wood. it looks and feels like wood but is actually made from a composite of agricultural by-proucts like rice husk, coconut tree fibre and oil palm fibre. It was an ideal choice as it is mostly water resistant, strong and durable, flexible with other colours and finishes, cost effective. As different finishes are possible, I plan on exploring the colour combinations with the wood.
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Dimensions
Table Top - 24 inches x 24 inches, thickness = 36mm Circular Legs - length = 16 inches, diameter = 1.25 inches Rectangular Rods - 2 inches x 22 inches x 1 inch
Prototype
CHAPTER TWO | 3D PRINTED JOINERY
SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
CHAPTER TWO | 3D PRINTED JOINERY
SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
Concluding... It’s not a fullstop on the flat pack project for me; it is a semicolon. Bound by time and certain limitations, completing the whole range was not possible. Although, I am very determined to see how the whole range turns out to be. When I start a project, I never to start and after I start, I enjoy myself so much that I don’t want to stop. I loved working on this short but fun project that I want more of it. I already have a few concepts, can’t wait to dive into them and find out which of them are doable. Afterall, you never know, I might be the next IKEA. Just kidding!
for now! CHAPTER TWO | 3D PRINTED JOINERY
SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
04 HEXA CHAIR
CHAPTER THREE | HEXA CHAIR
Brief Organic + Geometric Inspiration can hit you anytime, anywhere Choosing material, process and finish Making Mistaeks Correcting Mistakes Costing
SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
Kick-starting
CHAPTER THREE | HEXA CHAIR
Brief A setting with fresh air, lush greenery and nature, and a vivid sunset is a textbook definition of any pleasant day. A big cuppa joe and a book to go with it just makes it even better. Nothing is more relaxing than spending a Sunday morning curled up in a chair in the garden or the balcony with a coffee cup. That's a pretty picture right? That's what I thought.
brief was to design “The a lounge seating for an outdoor landscape that captures the functional needs and aesthetics of the surrounding.
“
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Organic + Geometric A plethora of natural forms can be found in an outdoor landscape. I wanted the chair to stand out against the aesthetically pleasing natural background. Hence, I decided to explore geometric forms for the chair which will complement the organic backdrop.
MULTIFACETED GEOMTERIC LIGHT AND SHADOW DURABLE EASILY CLEANED BOLD LINES FRESH RELAXING
Playing around the dualities between geometric and organic forms, it is an attempt at creating harmony between nature and design.
CHAPTER THREE | HEXA CHAIR
SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
Inspiration can hit you anytime, anywhere. With a new design process, I sometimes get stuck in the beginning. I usually have a vague idea in my head but often need a shot inspiration (and an expresso) to help me get started. With this project, I looked at the current design trends and narrowed down my research to polygonal forms. And one afternoon, while working on my form sketches, sipping my third cup of coffee of that day, I found my inspiration right in front of me, sitting on the desk in form of a 3D printed planter I had designed a couple of weeks ago.
CHAPTER THREE | HEXA CHAIR
SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
Choosing a material
that will provide the physical strength and athletics, while also adding aesthetics is essential. I chose metal due to its long-lasting characteristics. It’s one of the few materials that can remain outside during rains and still look pretty in summer. On further discussion with Prajwal, and after finding out that it’s an industry standard, I fixed upon mild steel. A common material used for metal furniture, mild steel is the right choice for outdoor seating.
Choosing the process
Deciding the finish
on the furniture is like accessorizing the piece. It determines the final look of the piece. Powder coating is a popular method of applying a decorative and protective finish to virtually any type of metal. The method gives one of the most economical, long-lasting and most durable colour finishes. Powder coated surfaces are more resistant to chipping, scratching, fading and wearing, and this makes the method an obvious choice of finish for outdoor furniture. It not only offers resistance to corrosion but also boasts of a virtually unlimited colour selection where the colours stay bright and vibrant for long. Textures like smooth surface, flat, satin, gloss, high gloss, metallic, candies, clear, iridescent, fluorescent, wrinkle, hammer tone, and glitter are possible with powder coating.
was an obvious choice. Welding produces a secure joint that is stronger than the other methods of bonding metals. Through the use of extreme heat and sometimes the addition of other metals or gases, causes the metallic structure of the two pieces to join together and become one.
CHAPTER THREE | HEXA CHAIR
Making Mistaeks The whole time I was at Ek Design, Prajwal encouraged me to make things happen. So when I showed him the concept sketches and that I would like to work more on it, the answer I got was - “Just make it.” As I was not very experienced with metal or welding, he suggested to observe the technique, get acquainted with the process, and last but not at all the least, have fun with it! The next day I was on my way to the fabricator with a fully charged camera in one hand and a drawing of the chair in the other.
*Oh yes! I forgot about the mistake part. Well, like me you’ll find out about it later, I guess.
SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
After an hour-long trip... Getting lost twice, asking for directions and a couple of miscommunications later, sweating profusely, I reached the metal workshop somehow. And, I had a feeling that the hard part was not over yet. I quickly briefed Raj about my design. I showed him the drawings and told him about my idea of the finished chair. He was just as excited as me to make this chair as he had never made anything like that before. Thus, both of us picked our tools (my tool was my camera) and began our journey.
MAKING A JIG - We made a jig for the angles of the hexagon. A jig provides accuracy in the manufacturing.
GETTING THE MAIN STRUCTURE - With the help of the jig, we got our hexagon frames. Then, by temporarily fixing a rod of the length equal to the desired height of the seat, on the ground, the supporting bars we joint.
CHAPTER THREE | HEXA CHAIR
MAKING THE TOP OF THE FRAME - The next thing was to fix the upper frame. We used the same technique while welding the rest of the structure. FIXING THE SEATING - According to my initial design, the seat did not have enough support. it would have broken easily. So I had to decide hot to add the extra support without compromising the design. FINAL WELDING - The chair was temporarily fixed, not completely welded. The called this ‘Taake’ (stitches). After I was satisfied with the structure, the final welding was done.
FINISHING - The prototype was ready after a little sanding and oiling. (I decided not to powder coat the chair as it was a prototype.)
SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
GRINDING - Lastly, all the corners and joints were grinded where necessary to get a smooth and finish
CHAPTER THREE | HEXA CHAIR
SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
Correcting Mistakes “I can’t believe my 2D sketch is a chair!” “I can’t believe it’s finished!” Let me sit on it. Aash, will you take my picture?” In the midst of my euphoria, I noticed my first mistake. As soon as I sat on it, the back support was obstructing my back. That’s when I realized the angle of the back support was completely wrong.
>90°
The angle formed was an acute angle, which made it very uncomfortable for a person to rest their back.
The ideal angle should be either 103 or 113 degrees depending on if its a recliner back or not.
CHAPTER THREE | HEXA CHAIR
Unfortunately, I could not get the modified version of the chair made in the duration of the internship, due to lack of time. However, I was persistent in making a mockup with the correct dimensions.
SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
CHAPTER THREE | HEXA CHAIR
SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
Costing Labour Fares
750
Material Cost
1500
(Charged per hour) (Charged by length or by weight) 60- 70 feet approximately
Design Costs + Company Profits
40% Markup (Pre-decided according to the client base)
900
Transport (At actual)
Total Price
3150
CHAPTER THREE | HEXA CHAIR
SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
05 SAAY QUILT SOFA
CHAPTER FOUR | SAAY QUILT SOFA
Summary The Client Concept Sketches Initial Concepts The Chosen One Technical Drawings Costing Making The Sofa And It’s Done
SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
Kick-starting
CHAPTER FOUR | SAAY QUILT SOFA
Summary The one experience that we don’t get in the comfortable and cozy environment at MITID is dealing with a client. The only people in the picture are you and your faculty. And let’s be honest, we are used to doing things our own way. I believe it’s pivotal that you get this reality check during your internship because once you leave ‘the cozy nest’, you are going to be surrounded by a swarm of clients and their demands.
SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
Ek Design makes furniture made to order, which means about 95 percent of the projects that I worked on was commissioned work. When it comes to clients, there are many factors that affect the design process. During my time at Ek Design, I got to work on furniture for many clients, but only a couple of them actually reached the manufacturing stage. ‘Saay Quilt Sofa’ is a client project I not only worked on from start to end but also got to name it after me. How cool is that?
The client Mrs. Shamal Gandhi
Requirements
Mrs. Gandhi was renovating her house and wanted a change in the living room furniture as well. As she has a big family that often visits her, she did not want to compromise the seating. She was quite satisfied with the exsting arrangement and orientation of the furniture and wanted it unchanged.
Living room furniture
She had no other demands other than that the sofa has to be different than the one that it was replacing. Also, it has to have a presence.
Attractive and distinctive sofa
6-7 person seating sofa Existing arrangement unchanged
Boxy yet comfortable
Upon discussion, we decided that, as her previous sofa had a circular form, this one had to be boxy.
CHAPTER FOUR | SAAY QUILT SOFA
The space I noticed that the first thing you notice after entering is the single seater with its back towards the door, and I made a mental note to add some feature to it.
I thought it would be a nice change to have an L-shaped seating with an armchair and an ottoman. This way, she gets a transformation without changing the arrangement and number of seats.
A rough drawing of the space where the sofa would be placed to understand the dimensions.
SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
Concept Sketches
CHAPTER FOUR | SAAY QUILT SOFA
SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
Initial Concepts
CHAPTER FOUR | SAAY QUILT SOFA
SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
CHAPTER FOUR | SAAY QUILT SOFA
SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
Final concepts
CHAPTER FOUR | SAAY QUILT SOFA
The chosen one SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
Technical Drawings Technical drawing are made for the manufacturer to refer to the dimensions and form in order to replicate the design.
3 Seater 72
32
27
26 78 6
6
72
6
CHAPTER FOUR | SAAY QUILT SOFA
Ottoman
Lounge 32
32 9.5
32
4.5
27
58
32 26
6 26
32
52
SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
6
27
Arm Chair
32
17 27
5
21.5
4.5 5.5
34 6
26
62
4
6
CHAPTER FOUR | SAAY QUILT SOFA
Costing Manufacturing
(Vendor Charges) Calculated in running foot +
Design Costs + Company Profits
40% Markup (Pre-decided according to the client base) +
Fabric Charges
Selected by the client +
Buffer Cost +
Transport (At actual) =
Total Price
SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
Making the sofa I had been going to Arshad since the beginning of my internship for giving the dimensions, checking the quality or just to keep tabs on the progress of a few orders, but I had never actually seen the steps that include while making a sofa. Since, this was my project and I was incharge of it entirely, I took the opportunity to closely observe the process of making a sofa.
So every time I went for a follow up, I took my camera and about fifty questions to ask him in my broken hindi, trying to get a hang of what he is saying. (It’s pity, I didn’t note down his answers, so I had to rely on my average memory while writing this.) Despite the communication gap and my poor memory, I think I got a pretty good gist of it.
FRAMING THE FOUNDATION
Frames are the foundation of the sofa. They need to be strong, well built and clean. The vendor has to be careful of the dimensions while working on frames as the framework determines how the sofa will turn out to be. So, if the dimensions go wrong, nothing can be done about it. Generally wood or plywood are the materials preferred by the manufacturers.
CHAPTER FOUR | SAAY QUILT SOFA
ELASTIC BELTING
Elastice belting is the process that uses elastic belts for the cushion support. The elacstic strips are strectched across the seating frame and tacked into place to provide support for cushions. We have used 3 inch belts with 70% intensity. After webbin is done, a black cloth is fixed on top of covering all sides of the frame.
STITCHING IT UP
Finally, the quilted frabric is stitched (like an odd pillow cover) according to the sofa dimensions and put over the foam. The bottom part is stapled and sealed with a cloth. Now all you have to do it fix legs.
SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
MAKING IT COMFY
The amazing feeling we get after sitting on a couch is all thanks to the foam. You get different density foams, depending on their hardness. We have used the foam with 50 density. It will keep the sofa firm for a long time. The foam is stuck to the cloth with super fabric glue. This leaves no chance for the foam to detach or come apart from the frame.
And it’s done!
CHAPTER FOUR | SAAY QUILT SOFA
SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
CHAPTER FOUR | SAAY QUILT SOFA
SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
Time flies by when you’re having fun. When I started this internship, like any other newbie, I was scared to death if I would be able to deliver on their expectations, especially when its something about which you have less knowledge. I had taken a chance in exploring the field in which I was always interested. Before Ek Design, I liked furniture. After Ek Design, I love furniture. I love the traditional and unique joineries. I love the simple yet outstanding materials. I love the grains on the wood and the feel of the fabric. I love the meticulously done carpentry and the perfectly stitched upholstery. Not only did I fall in love with the design part of it, but also the managing. Never had I ever managed grown-ups to do certain jobs for me, so when I learned (through many mistakes) the art of managing people, the boss in me jumped with joy. I enjoyed every moment of calling vendors, keeping a follow-up, having meetings with clients, going from one end of the city to another just to select a type of fabric, and making choices on the spot.
In these four months, I got to observe a small part of the industry up close. It gave me a sneak peek of the industry methods and whats on hold for me after I step out of college. I learned that when it comes to furniture, there has to be no room for error because even one mistake can completely change the piece or ruin the experience for a client. The biggest takeaway, however, was all the things that I learned through experience. The one thing I picked up was how to talk to people; I think it is the most important skill you need for any career. I believe, the way you talk to vendors, determines how fast or how good the furniture turns out. After four months of constantly dealing with vendors and clients, I am definitely equipped to take up responsibility for an entire project, from start to end. Everything about the internship was exciting. There was never a dull day. I looked forward to every day, as it used to bring a new challenge for me. I love staying busy, the adrenaline rush and making things happen, and this was exactly what I needed. The entire experience made me sure of one thing; wherever I go and whatever I do, furniture design will definitely be a big part of my career.
CHAPTER FIVE | RETROSPECTION
LOVE WHAT LOVE YOU WHAT YOU DO DO SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
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| 3D PRINTED JOINERY
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SAYALI UPADHYE | INDUSTRIAL DESIGN