General Notes
Target audience, who is going to buy it, why would they want to buy it, What do people look for when they buy furniture: The obvious- strong, cheap, beautiful,useful, comfortable. Do consumers even know what they really want? - Is aesthetics or functionality more important Do we have a market for it? Will it be a service product (for hotels, office) or home product? Who buys furnitures?
Problems with existing furniture? - Attractive but uncomfortable - Quite expensive for quality furniture - General shape outdated, contemporary - Minimalist designs, who likes them? - Making one furniture with different sizes? Fit different purposes, for different types of houses? - Need a clear target audience - Design is subjective, something you like others may not like - Definition of ‘good design’ based on what? https://www.vitsoe.com/rw/about/good-design http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2009/01/31/defining-good-or-bad-design/?_ php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0 - emotion vs efficiency - why name this furniture this, eg kimo - what is your brand vision (where we want to be, purpose and value)/mission (how do we get there, purpose, objective, team value, customer needs) http://www.scanteak.com.sg/brand-culture - why would people wanna buy your furniture and not the one next door? - what makes you stand out
Technical: Cheap to manufacture, transport (space efficient), assemble Material: - Metal or wood (mahogany or teak) - Wood finishing: polyurathane (PU), water based poly gives ligher finish, poly with - Oil gives wood a warmer tone, duco (paint/stain, apply colour), melamine Design: trends or timeless? Timeless- use natural materials (wood, stone, natural fibres), room should aim for simplicity, subtlety and elegance, neutral colours, aim for functionality “style that suggest quiet confidence�, perfectly scaled and proportioned - Simple, goemetric, clean lines, , contemporary, minimalist, scandanavian designs - Not designed for the purpose of designing but rather to fit purpose and function - Shows that it’s clearly designed yet not expensive - Ergonomics--most comfortable experience things people consider when buying furniture: price assembling aesthetics/eyecatching functionality/usefulness/meets your needs size weight colour shape blend/fits with surrounding durability/quality sustainability safety (sharp edges)
Wood Research how to judge quality in wood furniture: 1. wood source 2. construction 3. finishing
hardwood (oak) vs. softwood (pine)
a type of wood construction
advantages of wooden furniture: - strong and durable - little maintenance, easy to clean - can be carved, personalised - value for money, differerent type of wood=different prices (softwood/hardwood) - can be easily modified, sand and reapply coating - recyclable, less carbon footprint and made into other products - gives a more warm, traditional, cosy and welcoming feeling, compared to glass and metal - ease of construction
wooden furniture dining room vs. metal furniture dining room
Mahogany advantages of teak: - tenacity, sturdy, tough, used to build ships before steel =hardwood - also known as most durable of all durable wood - close to no maintenance, age does not change quality - natural oil and rubber adds protection to weathering because it repels moisture - high mineral content= keeps it from rotting - close grained, suitable material for carvings - thick fibres, easy to cut and sculp and resist to splitting disadvantages of teak: - turn gray over time - quite expensive - not recommended to paint, oil cause paint to peel if not properly coated
Teak advantages of mahagony: - quite durable (not as durable as teak) - can be painted, no natural oil - medium/even texture, straight grain - hardness of 2 in a 1-5 scale - absorbs staining - less expensive disadvantages of mahogany: - not as strong as teak - can weather to gray over time
different finishing of teak
Wood Construction Quality wood furniture construction has two characteristics: 1. Joints: - Should use glue, has to be tight with no glue showing - Screwed over staples - Screws hidden with woodplugs
2. Sturdiness: - Important because its to determine how long the chair will las - Features to look for when indicate sturdiness - Vinyl or rubber tips should cover the ends of the legs to protect the floor - Chair frame should not make noises when put in pressure - Chair should not wobble, tip or creak when sat and swayed on - More posts glued to the back seat= more strength on the chair back
Finishing The process usually goes from sanding to staining to finishing. A good finish is: - Sanding it until there are no more rough patches - No blotchiness or scratches - Good stain enhances the wood - Even, no dark spots and all are in the same tone
Before and after finishing
Furniture painted with Duco
Characteristics of poor finishing: - Rough - Very glossy - Cloudy so you can not see the wood grain - Splintered edges - Scratches - Dents - Dust specks. - Dull spots mean some areas have been missed or not given enough coats - Tear drops around edges (excess finish drys)
Example of poorly finished wood
Market Research
Existing companies: Local Ambarjati Furniture
Manufactures and exports designed wooden furniture. Located in Klaten, Central Java. Established in 1998. The website is not attractive, and looks like not effort has been put into it. It isn’t as interactive and does not engage the customer. There are a lot of product range. The design of the products are range from traditional to contemporary. Some of the products are eyecatching and its product range is very distinct, each havingit’s own character.
Kalingga Jati Started in 1972 in Jepara, Central Java, Kelingga Jati manufactures quality teak for outdoor furnitures. Website quite attractive yet the product picture and information in the catalogue does not show professionalism. In contrast the pictures from the ‘Teak Furniture Collection’ page is beautiful. The products does not really stand out much, is quite normal and does not really have its own characteristic.
Saniharto
Formed by four brothers in 1990 in Semarang, Central Java, Saniharto is one of the world’s leading furniture manufacturer. The website is very professional and the products are luxurious. Saniharto exports to hotels, resorts, apartments and offices and around the world. Products does not range much, and its design more traditional, making it look luxurious. It does not show much information on its furnitures.
Existing companies: International Jati Based in Australia but imports teak from Java. A well known teak furniture companies, with professional website. There are a lot of range of designs, each looks very professional but designs look stiff, quite edgy. Out of one catagory, probably only one or two stands out. There is a page about how customers can take care of their furniture and the process of weathering of teak. This information is useful and increases the trust of customer.
HiTeak An American teak furniture company, Hiteak sells a lot of different range of indoor and outdoor furniture. Although there are a lot of range, they are all pretty similar. The design of the website although simple does not professional making it hard for people to engage with it. The website has a customer review section but does not
Design Warehouse Very professional website, with clear concise information about each product, Design Warehouse is very engaging and appealing to its audience. It provides images of the different perspective of the furniture, which helps the customer understand more about what they want. How the products are catagorised are also very neat. The designs are well done because it seems that they have an identity, and clearly belongs in one family. The lines of which the furnitures are designed are clean. other wood furniture companies: mamagreen kingsley bate brown jordan
Wood drying Why? - Limit shrinking - Keep further dimensional change in wood to a minimum - Increases the stability and hardness of the wood - If not properly dried (internal areas have a higher moisture content) then furniture will split and warp if used in area of low atmospheric humidity What is kiln drying? - Heating timbers to dry them - Pushing hot air around the wood - May be used directly (natural gas/electricity) or indirectly (steam) - Control air circulation - Control the humidity - Control the temperate - Dry up til 8-12% moisture content is ideal Drying process: The timber is stacked in chambers, called wood drying kilns, which are fitted with equipment for operation and control of the temperature and the humidity of the drying air and its circulation rate through the timber stack. In kiln drying as in air drying, unsaturated air is used as the drying medium. Almost all commercial timbers of the world are dried in industrial kilns. Drying teak and mahogany: “In indonesia teak furniture laid on top of the roasting timber and will be neatly lined with fire roasted setabil. Where used in this way the craftsmen took three to four days in the drying process.�
2. Stress testing untuk kursi dan meja seperti apa yang terbaik
Stress testing
- To get accurate stress test results, machines will have to be used to meaure the stress levels o each part of the furniture - Auto CAD Inventor Professional can calculate the stress indicator in designs using their simulation of stress analysis - According to research, the most stressed part of the chair is where the backseat and the rear of the chair meet - If the material and construction of the joints form a stable frame, the level of stress exterted should be minimum
- According to a simulation done by Auto CAD Inventor, when force is applied to a wooden table, the most stressed part wll be the middle of the four legs and also the middle of the table where the force is applied on - Looking at the images below, this table is put on force of about 100 newtons
Dining Table and Chair for Two Research
What to consider when designing a dining table: - Height ratio of table to chair - Standard height of between 70-76cm - Most comfortable table height can provide sufficient space above the knees and elbows parallel towards the hand when you sit down - Size: how many people, does it serve its purpose, - Focal point of the dining room, sets the overall mood of the space - eg. a lightly stained wooden table for four exudes an informal, casual feel - a formal oblong table for 10 will evoke sophistication and formality - Importance of dining table: plays a vital role in bringing your family close since having at least two meals a day together at one place gives everyone the opportunity to interact with each other. - Modern dining table: stylish look to reflect their home. - Rectangular shape- dining table; rectangular room, fit more people - Square/circular- intimate dining experience; square room
Round dining table vs Rectangular dining table
- Construction, easy to make, assemble yet sustainable and durable, assemble with nails - taking parts out, each piece
What to consider when designing a dining chair: - Height ratio table chair, chair to ground - Design goes hand in hand with the table - Standard seat height 45cm, width and depth of seat 48.29cm - Rear is usually 5cm shorter than front - Back of chair should be higher than table surface - Person should be able to sit and get up without difficulty - Seat of the chair is slanted backwards for comfort Ergonomics guidelines for a comfortable chair: “Arm rests that result in a vertical upper arm and a horizontal forearm. Foot rests and a resultant seat pan height that does not conflict with the popliteal point but supports the Ischial Tuberosities. A high back and head rest are apparent and appear to be at about 90o to the set pan which slopes slightly backwards. Hopefully,the backrest is shaped to maintain the spinal curve, especially in the lumbar region, lordosis.� Chair comfort rapid assessment scheme: [Research has shown that first impressions are usually reliable indicators of the outcome of longer-term evaluations of seating comfort.]
Mood Board: Existing furnitures
Prototypes
CAD
Outdoor Furniture Research | Brainstorm
Outdoor furniture: why it is built this way - Wood expand when air is moist - Tight wood traps moisture and dirt - Wet wood are prone to rot - Boards pressing against each other= harder to dry - Gap between boards: bad hygiene= dining experience less pleasurable, decomposing matter (eg. falling leaves) +wet wood=rot faster - Dimensional change due to moisture content, take into account when designing - Lifespan of outdoor wood is affected by 2 conditions: weathering and decay - Weathering= affected by sun, snow, rain, wind - Decay= affected by fungi that attack unprotected wood - What where and how factor= how long you want to keep your furniture - With no protection, durable wood will: turn gray, surface crack, warp or cup, rough surface
Who will use the furniture /involved in the outdoor activities? - Children/adult? - Family, parents, grandparents - Pets
What purposes do outdoor furnitures serve?
Why do people buy outdoor furniture? Where are outdoor furniture used? - Patio: under roof, outside house, for casual sitting purposes, front/back porch - Balcony: extend from wall of under aparment floor, not at street level, not usually a social space but for ambience purposes - Veranda: open, large, long space usually with roof and supported by pillars, used as livin space in large expensive homes - Patio: used for entertainment and dining purposes, ground level, open air living space, has decorative elements - Deck: raised floor, back of the house, for entertainment, gathering purposes, made of wood - Garden - Swimming pool
Why people build patios, balconies or decks? - Decorate - Gives meaning to outdoor space - Dining/recreation - Tanning - Relax, read a book - Enjoy great outdoors - Outdoor environment, different atmosphere
How would people’s purpose affect their choices in choosing outdoor furnitures? - People buy things to meet their needs and wants - People will need outdoor furniture to fulfill why they build outdoor spaces
Semantic Differential Chart: Outdoor Chair
1.
4.
Newport Arm Chair Teak, $295 Designwarehouse
2.
Monterey Club Chair Teak, $1,695 Designwarehouse
5.
Grande Arm Chair Teak, $743 HiTeak
Drift Teak, $ BrownJordan
6.
3.
Oxno Armchair Teak, $ Jati
Avalon Recycled Teak, $ MamaGreen
dull/ unattractive
-3
-2
-1
0
1
2
3
eyecatching/attractive
too expensive
reasonable priced
bad quality finish
good quality finish good quality material
bad quality material
comfortable
uncomfortable impractical
functional
feminine
masculine unique
boring
contemporary
traditional
sturdy
frail
dull/ unattractive
-3
-2
-1
0
1
2
3
eyecatching/attractive
too expensive
reasonable priced
bad quality finish
good quality finish
bad quality material uncomfortable
good quality material comfortable
impractical
functional
feminine
masculine
boring traditional frail
unique contemporary sturdy
Semantic Differential Chart: Outdoor Table
1.
4.
Round Pedestal Table Teak, ($595 89x89x74cm) Designwarehouse
Creswick Coffee Table Teak, $ Jati
5.
2.
Siena Chat Table Shorea wood, $478.80 Oxford Garden
Teak Octagonal Table Teak, $927.93 (132cm dia) Regalteak
6.
3.
Round Table Teak, $ HiTeak
Square Dining Table Teak, $ Brown Jordan
dull/ unattractive
-3
-2
-1
0
1
2
3
eyecatching/attractive
too expensive
reasonable priced
bad quality finish
good quality finish good quality material
bad quality material
comfortable
uncomfortable impractical
functional
feminine
masculine unique
boring
contemporary
traditional
sturdy
frail
dull/ unattractive
-3
-2
-1
0
1
2
3
eyecatching/attractive
too expensive
reasonable priced
bad quality finish
good quality finish
bad quality material uncomfortable
good quality material comfortable
impractical
functional
feminine
masculine
boring traditional frail
unique contemporary sturdy
Sketches | Iterations | Renders
references: https://www.canadianwoodworking.com/get-more/table-tops-and-wood-movement http://clarksoutdoorchairs.com/outdoor_furniture_care_tips.html http://www.homedit.com/what-is-the-difference-between-a-porch-balcony-verandapatio-anddeck/ http://homeguides.sfgate.com/space-boards-picnic-table-83712.html http://trade.brownjordan.com/products/details.php?id=720 https://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/factsheet/HI_12.pdf http://www.potterybarn.com/?cm_type=gnav https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/FNR/FNR-179.pdf http://congress.sfb.bg.ac.rs/PDF/wood/rad4w.pdf http://www.kanpurshop.com/2011/08/28/The-process-of-kiln-drying-Teak-Wood/