PALM

The concept of the project was to create “moment” furniture, by which I mean that people don’t spend too much time on them, but it gives them the opportunity to rest their feet for a moment. Often, I find myself or others waiting and standing at bus stops or in the city centers and looking for a place to lean against for a minute.

I got inspired by standing furniture based on the new promenade of the lake near my home, but the furniture is a bit odd looking and gives off mixed signals, so i took the challenge to create something more modern looking, something that is also a bit sculptural but at the same time doesn’t scare people away from thinking that you should not lean there.

Intent behind the design was sculptural, so that the furniture would be aesthetic and pleasing to the eye, and would give out an interactive sculptural element feeling so as to invite people over to try them and take a moment to lean. 

With the reclining posts there weren’t many iterations since I'd prototype quite a lot with the molding clay and the 3ds MAX, which was used to draw the models, was very cooperative, so I got the desired outcome quite fast.

Design principles used: a study of human proportions to measure the comfortable reclining height of the buttocks, a market research to find out what is currently going on in the reclining furniture market, prototyping with the help of molding clay to make me feel the shape. I also held in mind Dieter Rams' "Ten Principles of Good Design" to achieve a better outcome.

I chose metal as a material because of its sturdiness, manipulative features and the fact that it is easy to disinfect. 

The goal was to create sculptural individual reclining furniture that would invite people over, while not striving too prominently in its environment and be self-explanatory.