Ideation and Concept 3

The ideation explores the design of a low seat and the style of frame to hold it off the ground. I played with the idea of a cantilever arm rest and a fold able design

 There was also some play with the combination of timber and steel, while also looking at a combination of hard and soft edges.

Research Part C

To look for inspiration for an outdoor chair I looked at the Keystone Adirondack Chair. It uses timber as the primary material with a number of galvanized nuts and bolts as fixings.

The advantages of this design are the use of mainly common parts and simple fixings.

The low seating design is the main appeal for my outdoor chair, as it provides the user with the feeling that they are almost lying on the ground without being in the dirt.

The chair is a rigid design and once constructed is not able to be packed away and because of this the timbers used in the product are thick and sealed to protect them from the elements.
The timber helps to create a warm and welcoming feel to the design of the seat.

<http://www.cedarstore.com/AlternateViewsPopup.aspx?ID=6445> Viewed 17/9/11

Ideation and Concept 2

Consultation

After consultation with Daniel, it was decided that a stool wasn't a chair and that a chair was a seat with four legs and a back rest and the users feet touching the ground.

With this 'new' brief I attempted to apply the characteristics of the bar stool design concepts to a new chair design. Through this process the seat design was dropped, this was partly due to the aesthetic, and the stainless steel frame was developed and evolved into an outdoor chair.

The outdoor chair was going to focus on the use of stainless steel, this is due to the anti corrosion properties and suitability for outdoor use, a slightly reclined seating position to promote a relaxed feel, simple production method using the materials and attempt to hide fixing techniques.

Ideation into Construction

The construction idea for the bar stool seat. The idea allowed for the leather to be pulled over the cushion of the seat and no stitches to hold it in place, just tacks.

Bar Stool Concepts

Ideation

Developed Concepts

Research Part B

The Ikea stool I was able to purchase is a simple modern design for self-assembly.

The materials used in the stool design include a painted mild steel frame. The seat section of the design is a pair of injection moulded parts which are designed to snap together.

The legs are cut to length and threaded slug is pushed into the pipe and is fused to the inside. Two holes are then drilled into the side and punched in.

The step and brace section of the stool is three lengths of steel cut to length the lengths are set into an ‘H’ shape and are welded at the joins. Threaded slugs are then fused into the open ends of the pipes.

The design is assembled using hex headed bolts.

The bottoms of the legs use a set of plugs which are pressed inside the legs and have an oscillating foot which helps the chair to feel planted on undulated surfaces.

The design is an Ikea product and is suitable for flat pack, the product is able to be produced and sold in high volumes due to its compact packaging and easy to construct design.

Due to the way in which the chair is constructed after a small amount of moving around on the chair the fixings loosen themselves and the chair begins to flex at these joints.  The fixings fit into the holes in the legs but work more as pivot points then fixings and allow the seat of the chair to move about. This problem could have been solved but would the chair more expensive at the initial purchase.