Furniture: Insightful Design for Production, Fall 2016, Instructor: Ayako Takase
Bolt: Side Table
A concept for a side table that emphasizes the connections between a table surface and its supports.
Prompt | Timeline: 1.5 Weeks
Design and build a side table mock-up with a circular top (diameter 12"-16")
-Designs must aim to be functional (not an unusable art piece)
-Your design must have a central focus in one of the following areas: form, style, economy/manufacturability/sustainability, functionality/usability, user/environment, material combination, connection
-The ideal version of your table must be made out of at least two materials
Process
I made a series of quick sketches and chose the one pictured below. My primary focus was on the connections between the table surface and its legs. I wanted to celebrate this relationship and emphasize it through my connecting elements. The ideal environment for this table would be in a coffee shop or lounge area next to a low, long sofa. If manufactured, the two ideal materials I would use would be blackened steel and a lighter-colored wood. The ideal connecting hardware would be domed rivets.
I designed the metal connectors to be able to overlap with the wooden legs in order so that they would not pivot, and so there would be reinforcement over the parts of the connectors that would undergo the most pressure. In addition, I wanted the round "U"-shape connectors to mimic the rounded ends of the legs.
