ADHOCISM Un- Intentional Comfort
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Photo Credit: Brook Sigal
About The unintentional comfort project is an initiation of Xiki, Xi, Brook and Mocha. As MA students from various fields, each has a different understanding and angle of dissecting their own observations as well as other’s. This project focuses on the Adhoc behaviour people adopt with their evolving needs. A passer’s observation further led into deeper understanding of these behaviours which are extremely subject to context and some catergorizable. This is a diary of some everyday adhoc behaviours from around us.
Unintentional Comfort This project captures sitting, waiting, resting, leaning observations and patterns of commuters and travellers at King’s Cross Station and St. Pancras International Station, London. It throws light upon the re-use, re-purposing, and recontextualization of everyday objects people adopt for comfort. It is fascinating to see how we sub-consciously accept change and unintentionally perform innate actions which may not/ may be potential Design Ideas. There are various factors that affect these actions. Some being: the time, location, no. of people travelling, age, gender, cultural backgrounds, personal experiences etc.
Young and Floor(y) Picture 1 : Young girl; 16years old Picture 2 : Young girl; 10-12years old Location: St. Pancras International Station, London Photo Credit: Brook Sigal
Sophisticated Sitting Young girl; 18-22years age group Resting against a storefront, using her luggage as a seating prop away from the King’s Cross Station’s havoc. Photo Credit: Brook Sigal
Mid ‘n’ Leaning An old lady leaning against a kiosk. A way to distribute way and keeping the time frame and age in consideration, she choses not to sit on her luggage/floor. Photo Credit: Brook Sigal
Barriers are fun An animated way to tackle a ‘no available seat’ situation at King’s Cross Station, London. Photo Credit: Brook Sigal
Bar Seat Re-contextualizing the SS bar rail at St.Pnacras International Station, London as a seat to rest upon. Photo Credit: Brook Sigal
Added Value Re-purposing the bag for additional comfort.
Photo Credit: Brook Sigal
Just Leaning A young professional leaning against the Station barriers while a short phone conversation. Photo Credit: Srishti Mokha
Back Rest and Seat Using the kiosk wall as a back rest and the travel luggage as a seat for making himself comfortable. Photo Credit: Srishti Mokha
Squatting A mid-age professional squatting besides a store entrance. Note: He does not get his clothes dirty by sitting, but at the same time gets the load off by squatting. Photo Credit: Srishti Mokha
Mini seat Using the travel luggage as a seat.
Photo Credit: Srishti Mokha
On the Floor Kids sitting on the floor next to their mother who sits on the chair and monitors the rest of the bags.
Note: Families need more space due to more number of people and more number of bags. Photo Credit: Srishti Mokha
Leg Rest
SS rail bar acting as a back support and the luggage is being used as a leg support to distribute weight. Photo Credit: Xi Yawen
Seat Proof
A mother and kid travelling with a handy modular chair.
Photo Credit: Xi Yawen
Pillar support
The column structure acting as a back support to rest.
Photo Credit: Xi Yawen
Side Track
Young female traveller, sitting on one side of the station with the glass rail as a back support. Photo Credit: Xi Yawen
Baggy Cushion
Baggage being used as a seat cushion to protect her from the cold & dirty floor. Photo Credit: Xi Yawen
Key Insights: 1. Time is a key deciding factor. If a passenger knows he will be staying a short while, discomfort for him is nonexistent. If he is staying for a longer time, he will look for ways and places to be comfortable in. 2. Luggage is both burden and a tool used in re-adaptation 3. Re-adaptation: Of objects, clothing, location, number of copassengers (family,kids), hygiene, temperature etc. 4. Walls, storefront, columns, billboards, floor are environmental props. 5. Age is an element of decision to define his comfort needs. 6. Cultural Context : is a determining factor, for example: Indians sit comfortably on the floor, Chinese squat and make themselves comfortable. 7. Women are more likely to sit on the floor and children stay around mother mostly.
Enaction of 4 commuters and their adaptation to the delay and usage of available resources to make themselves comfortable.
Concept #1 Quick Seat
Elastic support for the back and a wooden plank serving as a seat.
Concept #2 Poly-seat
Using available resources like a scarf and a polythene bag to make a soft seat for cold surfaces and comfort.
Concept #3 Bag Stand
Bag stand that will transform the bag into a standing chair.
Concept #4 Flap cusion
Flap of the bag that could open up to provide a base to sit on
Observation : We tend to contextualize objects and re-adapt to our surroundings according to our evolving needs and previous experiences and cultural backgrounds. Most of the travellers and commuters use the bad as a resting chair/seat.
Thank You! Group 12 Mokha, Srishti (MAID) Sigal, Brook (MADP) Xi, Yawen (MACD) Zhu, Zixi (MACD)