Vitra

year 9 chair project

VitraPhilosophy of Vitra

SITUATIONWe are convinced that rooms and interior design have a decisive influence

on people’s motivation, performance, emotions and health. So we have made it our mission to develop furniture and furnishing systems that

stimulate, inspire and motivate, while also offering the body comfort, safety and support. In order to attain this goal, we work with renowned designers

and a specialised team. We experiment with new ideas, and are continuously tackling the new challenges of the world of work.

Views on design

Design is the process through which nearly all objects are given a specific design and function- from cars to paper clips, from clothing up to chairs.

Design means more than styling or giving shape to an object. Good design is a complex process in which the various, often contradictory requirements

have to be fulfilled so objects can function in the desired manner. Design is only good when aesthetics, ergonomics, durability, function, ecology and comfort come together to complement and harmonise with one another.

DESIGNING

A

CHAIR

AESTHETICS

TARGET GROUP

ERGONOMICS

ENVIRONMENT

ANTHROPOMETRICS

FUNCTION

COST

MATERIAL SELECTION

Material Selection includes:

Sheet materials such as Acrylic, Polypropylene, Polycarbonate, Polystyrene, Laminate Plywood, Aluminium, Stainless Steel Meshing, etc.

Section materials such as Acrylic, Mild Steel or Aluminium Tubing or Bar, Extruded sections, Wooden Dowel, etc.

Accurate, scaled models of final chair designs, made using the materials, construction methods and finishes that would be used for full-sized product

VitraDesign Tasks year 9

chair projectPage 3 Research Existing Chair Designs

Your task is to investigates different chair designs that you have at home or seen in shops, restaurants or parts around schools. Analyse the different designs you have looked using the following points: - what type of environment or room is/would the chair be used and why?- what kind of materials have been used in the construction of the chair and what makes these materials suitable in the function of the design? - what comments can you make about the aesthetics of the chair and the market group it is intended for?- what features do you like or dislike about the overall design?

Page 5&6 Initial Ideas- loads of freehand sketches with notes explaining how idea works, what the main aim of the design is- draw sub-components showing parts and their function, joining techniques or surface texture- discuss material selection and with information justifying your choice- use a variety of rendering techniques to present your ideas

Page 7-9 Development of an Idea- Develop a chosen idea with emphasis on refining the idea. Use 2D and 3D modelling techniques to develop how each aspect of the chair design will work, will be constructed, calculate sizes using the anthropometric data, finalise shape of chair using ergonomic considerations- Review the design against your Specification on Page 4 of your design folder

Ideas

Development

Orthographic Projection

Presentation Drawing

Designing for Strength and Stiffness Whatever sort of seat you design it will need to be strong (so that it does not break when people sit on it) and stiff (so that it does not deform too much when people sit on it). You can imagine your seat as being made from a combination of different structural elements: •flat surfaces or platforms (slabs) •frameworks •shell forms

You will need to think about ways in which these structural elements can be combined to give a design which is both stiff and strong. To help you, the panel shows several different seating designs in terms of these structural elements. Once you have worked out a design in these 'broad sweep* terms you will need to think about the shapes and sizes of the parts making up the framework, the way these are joined together and the way shell forms and flat surfaces are joined to the framework.

What about mistreatment?

Often people use seating in ways for which it was not designed:•they stand on chairs•they lean back in them and tip them over•they use them to prop doors open•they use them to hold up planks for painting•they play party games with them

Well designed seating will be able to withstand most of this ill-treatment. Think carefully about what might happen to the seating you design and make sure it is not too flimsy.

Are You Sitting Comfortably...?

We all spend a lot of our lives sitting down, in the car, in the office, at school, in the cinema or just watching television. The seats that we sit on have a big influence on our comfort, enjoyment or effectiveness - in other words, on the quality of whatever we are doing. Seats always have to be designed with safety in mind, especially in cars and aircraft where they may have to withstand large forces if a crash occurs.

Seating design is particularly important in restaurants. Chairs and seats have to look attractive and enhance the image of the restaurant, but they also have to be functional. In quick-service restaurants which serve large numbers of people in fairly short times this means that the chairs must be safe, strong, comfortable, easy to clean and compact so as not to take up too much space.

McDonald's constantly reviews its use of seating, seeking continuing improvement in order to enhance the performance of its restaurants. Choices are made from a wide variety of fixed (e.g. bench or stool) and free-standing seating.

Some of the factors which chair designers have to consider are given below:

SafetyChairs should:be strong enough to avoid danger of collapsehave no sharp edges or cornerscontain no toxic materials (e.g. lead in paint)be fire resistant.

SizeThe size of the chair should be matched to the size of the person (adult or child) for whom it is designed. No two people have the same dimensions, so designers have to use tables of data giving the range of sizes of people of different age and sex called "Anthropometric Data". The diagram, right, shows the range of various measurements for seated adults.

Hygiene Restaurant chairs are bound to have food drinks dropped on them so it is very important that they are easy to clean and don't have any crevices where food can get trapped, creating a health hazard. The materials of the frame, seat and back should be capable of being wiped clean,

Cost The cost of chairs has to be kept as low as possible. This can be achieved by using simple yet elegant designs without complex fixtures and fittings, which are economical to manufacture. Materials Materials have to be chosen with regard to all the above factors. Coated steel is often used for frames, and plastics of various types for seats, but wood and woven fabrics are sometimes used for more comfort.

StorageChair storage is important in a restaurant, where extra chairs are often required for especially busy periods. Small overall size, light weight and stack ability are useful here.

ComfortComfort is the most difficult thing to achieve in a chair because it depends so much on the size, shape and preference of the person using it, and the use to which it is put. Some people prefer a soft seat, others a hard seat; some like a straight back, others a sloping back. Comfort is also dependent on for how long the chair is intended to be used; what is acceptable for a few minutes' use might be painful after an hour! The most important factors are probably the length and resilience of the seat, and the height and shape of the back support.

Example of Design Situation

Restaurant chairs have to cater for all sorts of different sizes and shapes of people, from small children to large adults. It is impossible to make any one chair suitable for everyone, and so restaurant designers have to compromise by providing a range of seats, some where people might spend only a few minutes for a quick snack, others more comfortable, perhaps with arms, where customers may sit for longer periods to relax, and special chairs for children.

The lower figure is for the 5th percent! Ie, i.e. the value at, or below which, measures for 5 of the total population are found. The upper figure is for the 95th percentile, i.e. the value at, or below which, measures for 95 of the total population are found.

Anthropometric Data for Seated Adults (18-40 yrs)

Dimension Men (mm) Women (mm)

A Eye height above seat level 725-845 680-765

B Shoulder height above seat level 540-640 495-580

C Elbow height above seat level 180-270 190-220

D Back to rear calf distance 435-520 430-500

E Back to front of knee distance 570-660 525-610

F Underside thigh height above floor 400-470 400-460