DINNING TABLES FOR REFUGEE FAMILIES

Design Ignites Change

Dining Table for Refugees in Oakland

Design Ignites Change-Dining Table for Refugees in Oakland Sha YAO | id.proudsha@gmail.com 1

Incooperation with International Rescue Committee (IRC), our class of 9 people were challenged to use donated re-purposed materials (MDF planes with different sizes) from St. Vincent de Paul to design, build, and deliver 19 dining tables to refugees from around the world whom have settled in Oakland.

A dining table is a central building block for the home of newly arrived refugee families. Tables provide a space to connect with family members after a long day, for kids to complete their homework, and a place to prepare and eat dinner.

In association with the IRC and Project H, we went to Oakland, visited their homes, and interviewed 3 individual families to better understand their needs.

Sha YAO | id.proudsha@gmail.com 2

Visit refugee families in Oakland

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1. Brian and the little girl from the first family we visited 2. They are 3 Generation big family 3.Every family is actully very different and has theirown story.

4.They served us their traditional tea.

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5. An existing table belongs to the 3rd family Design Ignites Change-Dining Table for Refugees in Oakland Sha YAO | id.proudsha@gmail.com 3

Design Constraints After some test on the materials we had to work with, we found that the MDF cracked easily when screws were used, so a different way to design the tables had to be found.

We had limited choices of MDF with different thicknesses.

Each group has the same amount of MDF. In order to make as many tables as possible, we had to calculate the size accurately in order to achieve our goal for making a minimum of 6 tables.

Sha YAO | id.proudsha@gmail.com 4

Ideation Everyone drew 100 Noodle sketches.

Attributes: Fun Ordinary Impossible Expressive Solitary Intriguing Humorous Tension

Design Ignites Change-Dining Table for Refugees in Oakland Sha YAO | id.proudsha@gmail.com 5

Mock ups

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Design Ignites Change-Dining Table for Refugees in Oakland Sha YAO | id.proudsha@gmail.com 7

1st 1:1 mock up While the families seemed like any typical refugee family, upon getting to know them, they all had unique stories of their own. We made a skewed frame beneath the tabletop to symbolize this idea. From afar, the tables look like a regular one at first glance, but upon closer inspection, you will discover that the tables are actually very unique with the skewed frame.

We also cut the tabletops into 16 pieces in order to create a skewed pattern, but when you put the tables next to each other, they created a continuous design.

Sha YAO | id.proudsha@gmail.com 8

Concept revision: The average height of U.S. dining tables are 30-inches. After we finished the first 1:1 mock up, we factored in the fact that the average refugee family were from Asia and were shorter, so we decided to drop the height by 2 inches to 28-inches.

The designs had too many elements and looked very busy, so we had to eliminate some of our concept ideas.

The square-sized tabletops were too small to fit 4 people comfortably.

Design Ignites Change-Dining Table for Refugees in Oakland Sha YAO | id.proudsha@gmail.com 9

2ed 1:1 mock up We decided to eliminate the skewed frame concept since upon testing the tables out, the table skirt created an unintended hardship; people had difficulty scooting up to the table.

Besides, considering the feelings of a refugee family, we eliminated the idea of the skewed design to bring about a more stable and strong feeling from the furniture.

We enlarge the table top and focused on the design of the legs.

Sha YAO | id.proudsha@gmail.com 10

Concept refinement: The white line running through the center of the tabletop looked like a barrier between the two sides.

Design Ignites Change-Dining Table for Refugees in Oakland Sha YAO | id.proudsha@gmail.com 11

3rd 1:1 mock up We changed the design of the legs and made a flushed surface on the side with a perfect Vshape on the bottom to give it a more finished feeling. We also changed to an X-shaped frame to prevent it from blocking people as they sit down. The frame symbolized the crossing cultures of refugee families coming to the U.S.

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We tried all types of finishing to make a smooth surface.

We removed all the paint which was on the old material and painted it again with wood finish.

Concept refinement: The legs had no distinguishable attributes and now created a heavy look.

Design Ignites Change-Dining Table for Refugees in Oakland Sha YAO | id.proudsha@gmail.com 13

4th 1:1 mock up We painted the tables in the color Amber and left a part of the leg in the original dark brown color. We also iron the wood skin on the edges of legs and table top.

Sha YAO | id.proudsha@gmail.com 14

Mass production

Design Ignites Change-Dining Table for Refugees in Oakland Sha YAO | id.proudsha@gmail.com 15

Delivery Day

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Design Ignites Change-Dining Table for Refugees in Oakland Sha YAO | id.proudsha@gmail.com 17

Final Design We used paint remover and kept the originally color of the MDF wood to keep it as natural looking as possible.

There is no any single screw be used in making the table.

The special triangle box design of legs support the table top and symbolize the supporting emotion connection between refugee families . In addition, the cross frame beneath the table top symbolize their crossing culture experience of coming to the U.S.

Sha YAO | id.proudsha@gmail.com 18

Design Ignites Change-Dining Table for Refugees in Oakland Sha YAO | id.proudsha@gmail.com 19