Interim Poster Presentation

Inspire Chair Concept Poster

We had the opportunity to present at a Steelcase launch event which fell 5 weeks before the final project deadline. The chair design and poster were therefore at an interim stage and will be developed further.

The idea behind my concept was to inspire people in creative industries (although the chair could be used in other work environments). Some companies have already recognised that people work better when collaborating and I think that by 2035 the majority of companies that would benefit from collaborative working will be doing so. So the chair has been designed to inspire creative thinking and facilitate effective collaborating. 

The main poster scenario contains a large multi-touch display screen which can be used for collaborative working, virtual meetings or can become clouded or opaque to block out distractions from the rest of the office space.The table is also a multi-touch screen which gives people the option of how they want to work on certain tasks.

The concepts key features are as follows:- 

• The concepts aesthetics are at an early stage but the contemporary appearance and bright colours were chosen with the intention of making collaborative work spaces less formal. 
• The intuitive and easy to manipulate mechanisms make adjusting the chair into a wide range of positions quick and easy as well as offering inspiration through its state-of-the-art technology.   
• The arms of the chair are different shapes and have different functions. One of the armrest is a parallelogram shape that can be used as a foot rest. The other is 2 sides of a parallelogram and its second function provides a small desk space for a tablet, mobile device or coffee.  
• The headrest slides out of the back rest once the chair has been reclined enough for the head and neck to need support.

An important point that I neglected in the poster was the use of nanomaterials or nanocomposites in the chair. As the design is incredibly thin, advanced materials are required to ensure the chair is comfortable for when people spend long periods of time sat in the chair. As nanomaterials can be built from bottom up (i.e manipulating individual atoms) the desired properties can be selected. When someone sits on the chair they sink into the materials. Another benefit of nanomaterials is there ability to self clean, repair and change colour. I will be looking into nanomaterials and other options during concept development.

The Event

At the event I presented my concept to a range of Steelcase employees, clients and business partners with their roles ranging from CEO's to designers to finance. This meant that the feedback I received was given from different perspectives. The feedback was positive with particular praise for  the colours, usability and use of nanomaterials in the design. The consensus on further development was to focus on the chairs mechanisms, use of nanomaterials and to consider the chairs cost - something I had not considered at the concept stage. 

In addition to this I want to refine the chairs aesthetics and ergonomics and finalise my vision of the work space/scenario.    

We made it onto the Steelcase Facebook page...

The class sullying the white board wall in Steelcase's meeting/collaboration area.

A few of us enjoying the comfy seats in the open plan office.