Minor Project Research Document

Research Document. Adam Parrott

Issues/Possibilities Identified.

Initial thoughts about my projects aim.

Office Furniture Wastage

Over 9 million tonnes of office furniture is put to waste every year, with business closures due to Covid no doubt increasing this figure drastically. A product that could repurpose the steel and other components instead of waste it would be sustainable and potentially more appealing to consumers.

Lack of Stylish Student Storage

The affordable storage market has become saturated with cube units and box drawers. With effective user feedback and primary research I should be able to create a product with student lifestyle and individual flair in mind.

Design for Rented Rooms

As the majority of shelving and space efficient storage solutions require wall fixings, a product designed to be non-fixable would cater perfectly to those living in rented accommodation or student housing with rules about drilling into walls.

Design for Small Rooms

Student housing and other low rent accommodation is renown for its compact bedrooms, therefore maximising space efficiency and innovating my design to fit to any space could be vital to its sucess.

Other Material Wastage

Research into other materials that could be repurposed would no doubt be useful, in particular oak worksurfaces or plastics that cannot be recycled. Further research into sustainable alternatives of commonly scrapped materials could also prove beneficial.

Product Life Cycle

A product with multiple uses will last much longer than something with one purpose. Research and innovation in making my product modular and adjustable with various different possibilities may attract customers and maximise its life cycle.

Benefits of a tidy room

Student mental health statistics have spiked over the previous and current lockdown periods. As we spend the majority of time in our rooms now, research into the benefits of room organisation and creating a positive living environment will be a necessity.

Affordable storage solutions have become mundanely un-imaginative, with the most common option being the Cube Unit.

Designers have clearly shifted their focus from form to function, which has led to a market saturated by uniform greyscale pull-out drawers.

Initial Brief.

Design a sleek, modular alternative to the limited storage solutions available to students or young adults living in small accommodation.

Target Consumer.

Student

Young Adult aged 21-28

Living in compact or rented accommodation

Although it effectively serves the purpose of storing belongings, the lack of personality and flair in the design makes it impossible to express originality in a living space.

As a student with a keen eye for design, I wanted to produce an alternative for people like myself who would rather spend a bit more for something that will compliment the room and my own style, rather than divide it into squares.

Ideas immediately started flying through my head and I had to get them down in writing to ensure I would remember every detail I thought of.

My initial notes were very rough and wouldnt make a lot of sense to anyone other than me, therefore the mind map helped me to organise and display my initial thoughts much more clearly.

Secondary Research.

I began my research by looking into the topics set out from the start, as this would allow me to gain a much better understanding of the materials I should look into using as well as the features and functions my product could have.

I decided to leave aesthetics till later on and focus on the sustainable aspects of the product first.

Strawboard

Materials Research.

Fibreboard (MDF)

Pros - Cheap, easy assembly, widely used in furniture manufacture

Cons - Low quality, lack of strength, susceptible to water damage, non-recyclable

Cost - £4-25 per m2 (dependant on thickness and quality)

Plywood

Pros - Commonly used, low price, versatile, Cons - Difficult to apply finish, thin therefore lack of strength and stability Cost - £7-30 per m2

Particle/chipboard

Pros - Cost effective, sustainable, versatile

Cons - Very poor durability and strength, susceptible to water damage, non-recyclable Cost - £5-20 per m2

Pros - Sustainable alternative to MDF, made of 100% high-quality natural wheat straw, formaldehyde free, fire & water resistant

Cons - Not high-grade, more expensive than other options.

Cost - £15-30 per m2

Bamboo board

Pros - Strong and durable, much nicer appearance than others, resists swelling Cons - Easily scratched, sensitive to insect attacks - must be treated - added expense Cost - £10-20 per m2

The low price and accessibility of these materials make them very common in furniture design, however the lack of quality and versatility will limit their modular capabilities, indicating that current board materials would be a bad choice for me.

Oak Timber Stacks Storage Furniture

Oak furniture is renown for its high quality, durability and versatility, with countless examples of timber framed storage units available to buy.

This is a very effective example of timber framing being used to create a modular storage unit with various different configurations and interchangable elements.

A metre plank of oak timber can cost between £1-10 depending on quality and supplier, with other woods varying in price.

Zen

Pros - Modular, multifunctioning, durable, easy to assemble and add elements

Cons - Slightly childish aesthetic, little variation between cube sizing

Pros - ProsCons - ConsSOFT HARD - Much Cheaper - easier to build with - more accessable - Weaker than

Hardwood

Softwood furniture analysis Hardwood furniture analysis

Redwood

- Easy to work with

- Durable

- Popular aesthetic

- Expensive and rare

Pinewood could be a potential material due to its strength, low cost and sustainability.

Fir

Pine

- Very stiff and durable

- Renewable resource

- Cheap with high supply

Cedar

- Not affected by weather

- Not very strong

- Not commonly used for furniture

Ash

- Unique light colouring

- Lightweight

- Low density

I did less research into hardwoods due to their much higher price, making them too costly for my product.

- Resistant and durable

- Not prone to warping

- Rustic aesthetic

- Slightly soft - not ideal for interior furniture

Treating softwoods

Softwoods can be coated in solutions like Polycryl to fortify and strengthen the wood fibres, creating a more durable timber.

Chart of softwood strength.

- Lack of strength and stability

Oak

- Most popular hardwood

- Strong, durable and sturdy

- Classic appearance makes it long lasting

- Very high price

- Unsustainable source

Teak

- Bold and warming colour

- High quality appearance and feel

- Sensitiser- can cause allergies

- Very high price

Although the design and aesthetic of Hardwood, in particular Teak would greatly suit my product, the cost would be too high to sell the product at student price range, therefore indicating these materials should not be used.

Plastic potential

This plastic storage solution is sturdy, withstanding up to 50kg of force per shelf, and at a price ranging from £2739, it is an adequate option for cheap, simple storage space.

High Density Polyethylene

A versatile plastic, can be injection moulded into any shape and take a hard, brittle form.

Modular

Made entirely of recycled HDPE plastic, this shows the potential of repurposing bottles and other plastic waste into strong, useable furniture.

PVC

- Polyvinyl Chloride

- Cheaper than HDPE

- Weaker - 25kg capacity

- Very cheap finish

- More sustainable than other plastics

The use of PP (Polypropylene) in this garden furniture range indicates the design possibilities with moulding plastic.

Plastics like HDPE, PVC and PP can be moulded into virtually any shape, which indicates great potential for designing clips or components to make the product adjustable or interchangable.

Despite being a cost effective and fairly stable option, plastics cheap, low quality finish deters me from using it. It is generally unsustainable and would contradict with one of the topics set out.

With its low price, durability and clean aesthetic, metal framed storage could be a key area for me to develop into, with various different types of metals or alloys having unique properties that could make them ideal for modular elements of the storage unit.

Strength

This graph shows the correlation between the durability and strength of metals and alloys. It is no surprise that metals of all kinds are widely used in furniture and storage production.

Pricing

This graph indicates that metals and alloys can be immensely strong while remaining one of the cheapest materials to buy. This strongly suggests metals or alloys could be a prime candidate for my product.

Steel

Pros - Durability and quality, design flexibility, cost efficiency, low emmission produce and recyclable Cons - May require maintenance, susceptible to corrosion Cost - £0.60 per kg

Iron

Pros - Durability, very malleable when heated, least expensive metal on earth

Cons - Prone to rust and corrosion, very heavy Cost - £0.09 - 0.30 per kg

Aluminium

- Lightweight, fairly durable, resistant to rust - Requires expertise to process into stronger alloy - £0.35 per kg

Copper

Pros - Conductive, versatile, heat and corrosion resistant Cons - Susceptible to oxidation, expensive per kg, Cost - £3.70 - 4.20 per kg

Chrome shelving

Aluminium plated in chromium creates a much stronger, more steel-like alloy that is cheap, accessible and easy to use. Being in sheet form however may cause bending over long periods.

Alloys Pricing Analysis

Alloys can be much stronger and durable than pure metals.

Brass

The colour can be an aquired taste. Despite being flexible and easy to work with, it can corrode easily.

Greengate Metals

provide wholesale recycled metal. Their pricing list shows a variety of different metals and alloys, which was ideal for seeing the updated costs of the materials I am looking to use.

Cast Iron

Popular for kitchen pans due to its heat conductivity and strength. Easilly moulded but very heavy.

Chromium

Chroming another metal can improve its durability and strength, but research has shown that it is potentially toxic and cancer inducing.

Stainless Steel

Further research led to finding even cheaper prices for aluminium and iron, but with unknown origin.

The very image of metal, its versatility and strength make it the most common option for furniture, along with its low price and sleek aesthetic.

TT Shelving

by Ron Gilad

This elegant design shows the potential for creating large open spaces accessable from all sides.

Potential materials

Design Inspiration

These effective and stylish designs radiate productivity with plenty usable storage and work space .

The compact design greatly inspires me to use steel framing for my product as its space efficiency and aesthetic would perfectly suit a student room.

The walnut shelves have magnets near each corner to suspend them at any level desired. Each shelf can carry 15kg, so it may not be the most functional, but the modular possibilities are almost endless and could influence my design.

Office Furniture Wastage Statistics

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the amount of furniture and furnishings taken to a landfill rose from 7.6 million tons in 2005 to 9.69 million tons in 2015, and the rate of increase is accelerating.

Waste management represents up to 4% of a business or organization’s costs, indicating that most companies care little about their waste furniture and are solely trying to maximise profit margins.

As of Aug 31 2020, over 160,000 businesses have indicated on Yelp that they have closed. That’s down from the 180,000 that closed at the very beginning of the pandemic, however it actually shows a 23% increase in the number of closures since mid-July.

Business closures due to Covid mean that even more office furniture will now be redundant, making it much more likely to end up in a landfill.

Furniture re-purposing

After researching, I managed to find some companies that will take unwanted office furniture and re-purpose it instead of sending it off to a landfill.

The material quality is undetermined, but this sustainable approach could be greatly beneficial to my project.

Iron from filing cabinets, Steel rods from office chairs and wooden desk work surfaces all have potential of being re-purposed effectively.

Product Life Cycle

Unfortunately, after further research found that most office desks are made from a particle or chipboard with a laminate or veneered coating, which makes them hard on the outside but very flaky and weak internally.

Repurposing the steel from filing cabinets may have potential, especially for any sheet metal components of my design.

I thought of the potential of reusing screws or other hardware from office furniture but it may put the overall stability of my product at risk.

After evaluating, I decided that it would be better to ensure the stability and strength of my product by using raw materials instead of office furniture scraps.

Using recycled office furniture could also disrupt the mass manufacturing process due to deficiencies and faults.

Made from wooden batons with perforated aluminium surfaces, this functional modular design demonstrates the benefits of multi-functioning storage and interchangable elements on a products life cycle.

By having multiple uses, the product is much more likely to become depended on and could become a vital installation for any home.

This therefore makes the product much less likely to be thrown away and scrapped, which in turn creates a more sustainable life cycle.

Stackle modular shelving by THINKK studio

This Wilko Garment Rail may have a very attractive price, but the lack of quality materials used make it much more unstable and prone to breaking, backed up by reviews found on the site.

This shows clear indication of the importance of using quality materials for design and also the effect it has on the consumer.

The Brightech Maxwell Shelf Floor Lamp is a great example of multi-functionality, with its shelving and light making it a key element of the room while remaining compact and space efficient.

Modos Furniture and its self-assembly USP may indicate the importance of emotional durability on a products life cycle.

The more the user can interact with a product and adjust it to their own style, the more likely it becomes for them to grow an emotional attachment, therefore giving the product much more staying power.

This research has indicated the importance of user interaction on a products life cycle, and how having multiple purposes can make the product last much longer in a home environment

Space Efficiency

As my target consumer will most likely be young professionals or students in small, rented accommodation, it is imperitive that my design effectively utilises space.

The average UK home - including older and new-build properties is 85 sq m and has 5.2 rooms - with an average area of 16.3 sq m per room.

In comparison the average new home in the UK is 76 sq ms and has 4.8 rooms with an average area of 15.8 sq m per room.

Personal Case Study

These examples of leaning shelves are excellent at providing storage spaces with a minimal footprint.

My own student housing room this year is a key example of the size of rooms we have come accustom to. Measuring at roughly 2x5m2 there is very little room to swing a cat. This motivates me to develop a product that will fit into my own room.

I particularly like this leaning desk design as it provides multiple functions while remaining compact and space efficient.

Cubista Ottoman by Bonbon

This design may not be storage, but the innovative and unique design is a perfect example of multifunctioning and compact furniture, with the use of wire framing further strenghtening the idea of using steel frame.

Another restraint that people living in rented accommodation have to face is the inability to fix things to walls with screws or other hardware, which makes the majority of shelving or stylish storage units unavailable to the student or young adult market.

Command/ Adhesive strips could have potential, but their low weight capacity limits them.

Radiator Wall Shelf

This storage solution from Wayfair perfectly utilises a radiator to provide a space saving surface with no fixtures.

Freestanding shelving rarely requires wall fixings but are often bulky and take up a lot of space. With some innovation, this may be a key option.

Keeping a tidy room can have various benefits to mental health. The smaller the room, the easier it is to become untidy, therefore indicating the need for compact storage for rooms with limited space.

Health Benefits

The benefits of a tidy workspace is a widely researched topic, with key indications that organisation can massively increase productivity and reduce stress.

With the majority of learning being done online, students are spending much more time in their rooms, indicating the need for this sort of product.

Studies by the Princeton Neuroscience Institute also show that the quality of furniture has a profound affect on productivity, with visually pleasing offices promoting a healthier and more enjoyable workspace.

Product must allow user to interact with their work easilly with emphasis on organisation without sacrificing storage space.

Although it may sound slightly morbid, the furniture used in mental health institutes is an excellent example of how the form and colours used can radiate a positive aura.

The interesting furniture shapes and vibrant colours are chosen to help stimulate the brain into thinking creatively, which helps to clear negative thoughts and promote a healthy and fun living space.

Secondary Research Overview Key Information Gained

Key development potential with leaning and freestanding storage units.

Key

How colour & form can lead to health benefits.

Anti-ligature furniture is an interesting research point, however I do not want to limit my design by making it this way.

In hindsight, I couldve looked more into the sustainable and eco friendly alternatives to materials, but I am happy with the materials identified.

Boutiques of varying price range and quality of design were chosen to gain a wide understanding of the market and also examine the materials used in products similar to mine.

Affordable Product Range.

IKEA has been the worlds largest furniture retailer since 2008 and is renown for the affordability of its products compared to other leading boutiques.

An analysis of the current affordable options that IKEA have to offer will provide vital information in regards to pricing my product.

Kallax £25-29

Simplest and most cost efficient option, providing adequate storage space for a low price.

Billy £15-70

The Billy bookcase and its iterations are the most successful IKEA product with over 60 million units sold, largely due to the low price.

Flysta £40-70

Larger storage options such as the Flysta jump up in price compared to smaller units, and even further for different colours/ materials. This is the price range I will most likely be targetting.

Hyllis £7-13

The Hyllis offers a much cheaper alternative to the fibreboard products shown before, with the use of Chrome shelving leading to much cheaper production costs.

EKET - RRP £84

Size - 105cm x 35cm x 107cm

Materials - Particleboard, Paper Foil, Plastic edging, Fibreboard, Paper filling (100% recycled)

Costs - £28 total cost per unit

Pros - Small, Practical, Modular

Cons - Bland Design, Overpriced, Slightly Bulky

Product Pricing Breakdown.

HAUGA - RRP £240

Size - 208cm x 116cm

Materials - Particleboard, Acrylic paint, Plastic edging, Fibreboard

Costs - Est. £65-£85 total cost per unit

Pros - Non-mountable, Multifunctional, Calming Colour & Design

Cons - Bulky, Not overly space efficient, expensive

FJÄLKINGE - RRP £175

Size - 118cm x 35cm x 193cm

Materials - Steel, Epoxy/polyester powder coating, Fibreboard, Printed acrylic pain

Costs - £55-£60 total cost per unit

Pros - Sleek, Modular design, Lots of storage space, Soothing colour

Cons - Expensive (Out of student price range), Tall, Footprint fairly large

BROR - RRP £105

Size - 85cm x 55cm x 190cm

RÅVAROR - RRP £99

Size - 100cm x 140cm

Materials - Steel, Epoxy/polyester powder coating

Costs - £30-£35 total cost per unit

Pros - Wheels allow movement, Multipurpose and Modular elements

Cons - Large size, Potential hazard

NIKKEBY - RRP £65

Size - 84cm x 70cm

Materials - Steel, Epoxy/polyester powder coating

Costs - £25 total cost per unit

Pros - Compact, Perforated faces create multifunctional uses, affordable

Cons - Non-Modular, Industrial feel to product, doesnt create a calming mood.

ELVARLI - RRP £210

Size - 125cm x 55cm x 216cm

Materials - Aluminium, Epoxy/polyester powder coating, Steel, Anti-corrosive phosphate coating, Reinforced polyamide plastic

Costs - Est. £65-£80 total cost per unit

Pros - Multifunctional, Free standing, Elegant frame design, Shows the variety of steel framed furniture

Cons - Non-Modular, Fixed, Only purpose is storage

Steel Frame. Refined

Materials - Galvanized steel, Epoxy/polyester powder coating

Costs - £40-£45 total cost per unit

Pros - Bold design, Storage space, Simple assembly

research area

Cons - Large footprint, Thick frames give a more industrial feel

From this research, I have been able to identify the style of storage unit I think would be best for this project.

Steel Frame has a lot of potential for development and modular designs.

Examining the Costs and RRP of current options has also given me information of the price range I am aiming for. This will be set to around £60-£80, subject to change from Primary research results.

Product Analysis/ Inspiration.

I decided to look into the furniture and storage solutions produced by John Lewis to gain more design inspiration and view their furniture pricing to identify any trends between them and IKEA.

String Furniture

Although it is not a John Lewis staple, the classic Swedish design is replicated to great effect and provides various Modular possibilities. This design could greatly influence my product for this reason.

like-it - Modular Storage

John Lewis have a variety of plastic boxes and tubs that cost between £5-30 and offer very basic modular storage solutions. This is the sort of product I want to move away from, but it is helpful to analyse the lowest price range available for storage.

House by John Lewis

A modular storage collection consisting of mostly oak cube units with inter-changable elements. The price ranges from £60 - £730 with the majority of the products being out of student price range.

John Lewis’ string shelving units are robust with multiple modular and personalisable possibilities. The various materials also help it to cater for different styles and colours of homes, something which will be important to my project.

Pricing Analysis.

The House collection offers a cheaper alternative to string, but matches the simple designs of IKEA while being much more expensive. The quality of raw materials clearly spikes the RRP, and indicates that I must use the most cost effective materials available.

String furniture design will no doubt be influencial in my ideation process, however its requirement to be fixed to a wall goes against my aim of being a freestanding or leaning storage unit.

The immensely high price also indicates significant production costs and will undoubtedly be out of student price range. Using alternate materials and innovating the design will be necessary.

Alter Materials for String to lower Price

Product

Spotlight.

NEW ORDER

by Stefan Diez

The New Order Modular Storage solution is a high end example of steel framing being used to create multifunctioning furntiure, while being thoughtfully designed to fit any style of room.

The modular capabilities are almost endless, with various pre-made assemblies available to buy, or you can create your own arrangement on the HAY website.

Due to the high quality of design, materials and intricate engineering, the individual products start at roughly £75, with full configurations costing anywhere between £300 - £8500.

The intricate sliding door design along with its high quality steel components give clear indication that this was never intended to be an affordable option, further highlighting the importance of sourcing much cheaper raw materials and designing to reduce assembly parts.

Analysis.

Leyla £59 / Betula £69

Although these require wall fixtures, the elegant and spherical design is very different to most affordable options currently on the market.

The designs would add character to any room and give clear indication of the versatility of steel framing.

Fowler £499

Despite being massively out of student price range, the simple yet effective design caught my eye, with various colour schemes available to suit any users style.

Munro £399 / Connelly £449

MADE.com produce high quality storage solutions, with the Munro and Connelly being examples of steel framed options. The non-uniform layout breaks up the large rectangular shape, making it more visually appealing and elegant.

Further research into the colours that will be used for my product will also prove to be vital, with evidence being shown in the Fowler model of effective product colouring and texturising.

Product Analysis.

Tarawa £59

Freestanding steel framed closets are becoming more popular due to their affordable price, multiple uses and minimalist design. This is a great example and could aid in solving any stability issues

Clothes rack £59

With storage space on top and bottom, this design offers various storage opportunities, with a stable base and various modular possibilities.

Amaryllis £53.99

This suprisingly cost effective model adopts the leaning design while making use of homely oak wood materials and bold steel beams. The low price also indicates minimal production costs.

Pennie £76

With sleek white beams and shelves, the Pennie creates space effective storage for items and clothes while maintaining an elegant aesthetic. The leaning frame is something that will no doubt influence ideation.

Ksawery £45-65

Ranging in width from 50cm - 100cm, the Ksawery offers clothing and item storage whle utilising cheap materials, such as rubberwood. This material could be influencial in lowering the RRP of my product.

Product Analysis.

Upcycled Bookcase £400

The use of upcycled Teak, Acacia and Mahogany wood give this product a sustainable aspect by re-purposing these materials from other sources. Although this would create added difficulty throughout the production process, sourcing sustainable materials should be important to any designer.

Tokyo Steel Bookshelf £130-300

The wire frame and sleek non-uniform design immediately caught my eye, with three different colours available. Having irregular storage spaces helps to break up the rectangular frame and give it an elegant yet functional aesthetic.

Lagonda Cabinet £2700

Despite being massively out of student price range, the symmetrical design creates effective and stylish storage space, with a central shelf being the main focus point. This method of drawing attention to the mid point could be influencial to my design.

Market Research Analysis.

The raw materials used by IKEA and Wayfair are clearly not as high quality as other boutiques and shows why they are able to price their products so low.

The majority of the high end, creatively designed storage products found were alarmingly expensive, which may indicate high manufacturing costs of raw materials.

Take inspiration from high end designs and apply them using much cheaper materials to create a sleek product for much less.

The Ksawery design from Wayfair is the only product

I found to be of very respectable value for money. Its excellent leaning design is space efficient and its frame would perfectly suit a modular unit.

String shelving design could be massively simplified to offer the same adjustability of height with much less framework, which could lower the RRP.

Wayfair outsource their production to China to make it as cheap as possible, and although this would open my product up to a much lower price range, it may be seen as a highly unethical move.

Colour/Mood

A thin metal frame perfectly compliments wooden oak shelving and could have great potential for my product, however the strength of the thin frame may be tested if put under substantial weight.

The use of Golden framing creates a very high end aesthetic that may only fit into certain environments.

The white frame creates an almost angellic aesthetic, with these examples having great potential for stylish bedroom or even kitchen units.

Contrasting moods from high end gold framed aesthetic to wooden toyish products.

Aesthetic/ Inspiration

Mood board

Tesselating/ Non-uniform Design

Shelving with non-uniform framework creates a unique aesthetic that could improve the design flair and popularity of my product.

Existing Multifunctional Storage

Existing multifunctional storage units seem to be targetted more towards teens with their low quality materials and basic designs. This indicates a gap in the market for higher quality, bespoke modular furniture.

Mirror unit

Including a mirror element of the design could cater for those without a full length mirror or space to put one, potentially increasing sales.

Avg Cost -

Further modular possibilities

This workdesk attachment to the regular KALLAX IKEA shelving unit is sleek and effective, and could potentially have a great impact on my design.

Providing clothes hanging space as well as storage areas would give my product another purpose and could greatly impact popularity and saleability.

LISSOM 450 mm

Multi-functioning

shelves

This shelf has 3 different purposes and further indicates potential modular developments.

String potential

The space efficiency of string shelving could greatly influence my design, as its lack of depth allows it to create large useable areas from minimal floor and wall space.

The aesthetic of hanging/floating shelves is something I would love to replicate, however it may be difficult to achieve this without wall fixtures.

SPC Parrallel Shelving by Cimmermann

Free-standing Units Open Closets

This adjustable shelving design is admirable for its simplicity and could influence my design for this reason.

OPUS by Medulum

A freestanding storage unit with metal framework and oak and pastel coloured highlights, very effective design.

Due to their rising popularity, the open closet could be a key development as a modular storage option.

112cm Wide Clothes Storage System by Symple Stuff / Wayfair

This adjustable storage unit is fixed in place from the ceiling without screws or hardware, making it a key product to analyse for my design ideation.

Plant storage unit

Plants bring a positive atmosphere to a room, with research showing their benefits on mental health and productivity.

What else could be stored

Vinyls can bring a vintage aesthetic to a room and would be a good example of something to be stored on my product.

Assembly Furniture

GOOD FURNITURE by Fuzl Studio

This easy assembly furniture pack uses clips to secure each component, allowing for multiple different designs.

Totem Shelving

The Totem modular shelving unit from Fuzl is an expensive, bespoke example of adjustable shelving for any home environment.

Flatpacking Potential

Flatpacking is arguably the easiest way of selling furniture and has become much more popular since the rise of IKEA.

The Cross Chair by Pearson Lloyd is an excellent example of reducing packaging size

Bulk/mass production

Outsourcing

Outsourcing production is another way of minimalising costs, with companies like Wayfair and IKEA both adopting this method.

Producing furniture in bulk will lead to discounted raw material costs and is the most cost effective method.

Cost cutting

Lean Manufacturing is a production method where waste is minimised, making the most out of materials which leads to fewer quantity purchases, which in turn reduces cost of manufacturing.

This may however be seen as unethical, especially if sourcing production in countries like china where minimum wage is far lower, not to mention the factory conditions and employee treatment.

Environmental footprint from production

It is clear that this group is the key factor to the high carbon footprint for furniture production.

I have already identified Pine wood to be the most sustainable option. Foam filling is used for cushions and sofa’s, making it unnecesary for my design.

This report was exceptionally helpful in understanding the carbon footprint of the furniture industry, and is the source of these graphs.

Textiles are renown for their environmental impact, and must be kept to a minimum for my design.

This research further justifies my choice for pine wood, as well as indicating materials that I must stay away from while designing.

A unique selling point can greatly improve a products marketability and success, with Toms shoes being a key example of this.

Despite not being furniture, the popularity of toms was greatly due to their commitment to donate to africa, indicating the importance of ethical thinking.

The USP for my product could either be its lack of wall fixtures, making it accessible to those in rented accommodation, or its various modular configurations, both of which could make it a much more popular product.

Primary Research.

HOPEWELLS

There arent too many furniture boutiques in Nottingham, but luckily the ones i visited were full with designs relevant to my project.

I felt I could get a better idea of the scale of the products I had seen online, as well as drawing more inspiration from the designs for my product.

Wilko products are renown for their low price and function oriented design, with most products being examples of what I am trying to replace.

Primary Design Inspiration.

Primary Design Inspiration.

The range of free standing and open closet furniture consisted of 2 products, both of which were basic and cheap.

The frame materials were stainless steel and plastic, much a Wilko Garment Rail seen earlier.

A sleek chrome frame combined with functional storage space makes this piece of furniture elegant and effective, with potential for modular elements

The way these bicycle pedals and chain have been repurposed into seating caught my eye instantly, and although it may be more novel than practical, it inspired me to look into different products I could look into repurposing.

The notches in this cabinet allow the shelving to sit at various elevations, which may have potential in my design process.

Primary Design Inspiration.

The design of this product could be easilly altered to make it modular, especially with its horizontal beams

Wooden framing provides the same strength and stability of most metals with a homely and calming aesthetic

This design could be simplified to provide the same amount of storgage space with less framework.

This Non-uniform shelving design reminded me a lot of FRISCO by Hugues Weill, showing how effective a storage unit can be as a display piece.

Primary Design

Inspiration.

This slanted mirror unit design caught my eye due to its space efficiency.

Its multifunctional design gives it more purpose, making it less likely to be thrown away and therefore more sustainable.

These examples of oak string shelving show the versatility of this style and the possibilities it has for various other materials.

Primary Feedback Analysis.

BRIEF.

Design a sleek storage unit to contrast the current norm of boxes and squares.

I believe current storage options have become painfully unimaginative and that they limit the that can be brought to a room.

Initial Concept

My Target Consumer is students or young adults with an eye for design, living in small rooms with little space.

Feedback

Metal Framed furniture could be an effective alternative and is very developable especially in making the product modular

I created this Brief/Concept board in the 3rd week of my project, being the only thing I was able to do while ill.

It shows clear direction of the project, key inspiration images and an early concept of the product.

The aim of this was to recieve feedback from other course members on an online whiteboard called Miro. This was greatly beneficial as getting any face to face feedback was basically impossible, so hearing what others had to say virtually helped refine my project.

Indication to research string shelving, which helped shape my product and refine the project.

Workstation idea was already in my mind, but it was helpful to see that someone else thought it would be relevant.

Sustainability research, in particular USP research stemmed from this piece of feedback, which could have a great affect on my product. Stability will be a key area to address while designing my product, with further research required into this field.

Displaying belongings is a focus of my product, with its core purpose being to provide storage space.

Survey Responses

Conducting an initial survey targetting the student age range allowed me to gain opinionated data relevant to my project.

Gain an average of student room sizing to compare with my initial thoughts - roughly what I expected, perhaps thought there would be more small than medium rooms.

Wanted to see how much storage space was already provided for students, with results showing the general trend of not much.

Responses indicated that a full length mirror is important to the user and indicates their popularity and selling point.

General question regarding the cleanliness of students living environment, with clear indication that organisation is an issue.

Responses show that displaying items is something students struggle with, further justifying my product.

Results show that the majority of students havent bought any storage items, with key reasons being too high price and poor designs.

Varied results with the most popular price range being £70 - £90. I found this suprising as I expected students to want to pay as little as possible.

Results show clear correlation between my initial brief and student opinion, motivating me much more to innovate the design of my product.

A general question about the validity of my product, with overwhelming positive feedback greatly motivating me further.

Primary Research Evaluation

Wanted to see what students thought of IKEA’s pricing, with most agreeing it is a good price yet slightly expensive.

My primary research may not have been as extensive as hoped, but as this project is completely design oriented, i didnt feel there was much to gain from general information gathering, hence why my secondary research and inspiration process was much more in depth.

Development Research.

This research was completed during my development process and after primary and secondary research, as I felt the knowledge I was gaining from design research was important to document.

The following will be much more manufacturing oriented, with various smaller details that influenced my design process.

Due to how technically intricate the parts of my product will be manufactured, this research massively helped me gain knowledge on the production industry.

Steel Production

Key information gained from this site

Hot Rolled Steel Cold Rolled Steel

Annealed

Hot rolling can greatly reduce energy consumption and costs.

The metal plastic deformation is high during hot rolling, and the deformation resistance is low, which reduces the energy consumption of metal deformation.

Hot rolling can improve the processing performance of metals and alloys.

Annealing will restore ductility following cold working and hence allow additional processing without cracking.

Annealing may also be used to release mechanical stresses induced by grinding, machining etc. hence preventing distortion during higher temperature heat treatment operations.

Steel Square vs Round Frame

Cold-rolled steel is significantly stronger than hot-rolled steel by roughly 20%.

In addition to being stronger, cold-rolled steel has an improved surface finish. It’s smoother and has fewer surface imperfections than hotrolled steel.

Despite this information indicating round tubing could be stronger, I chose a square pipe for my design as it greatly improved modularity.

Steel Pricing

Information from Aalco and also SolidWorks gave me a better understanding of varieties of steel.

These high prices worried me initially, however after further research i found it would be much cheaper to buy the steel already in tubes to reduce manufacturing costs.

The steel prices combined with various components created an alarming rise in cost, indicating I may have to alter the target market.

ERW Welding

TIG MIG

TIG welding uses a nonconsumable tungsten.

Shielding gas protects the weld and tungsten.

Produces high quality, clean welds.

High quality welds can be produced much faster.

No chance for the entrapment of slag in the weld.

Welds more metals than any other process.

Gas shield protects arc so that there is very little loss of alloying elements.

Steel Properties

ERW pipe has high dimensional accuracy, uniform wall thickness, good surface quality and high pressure resistant performance.

ERW steel pipe can be only used in production of small diameter thin wall pipe, which is perfect for the fixed metal beams .

303 and 316 grade stainless steel

303 and 316 grade stainless steel are renown for being the easiest to machine, with malleable properties and high heat resistance.

440 grade stainless steel

440 and other grades around this number are the strongest steel alloys, with much higher carbon quantities.

Ferritic stainless steels

Ferritic steels are composed of straight chromium and are a non-hardenable class of stainless alloys, making them the cheapest option.

Grub Screw

Tensile Strength

Grub screws are designed to tighten wires into place, and have potential to be used for a clamp underneath the shelves of my product.

Other components

These thimbles and ferrules are the cheapest options I could find and would make my design much more secure and viable.

Research into the comparisons of wire rope thickness breaking points led me to understand how strong they are and how much weight they can hold, making them an obvious choice for my design.

Other cables

I thought of using other kinds of ropes, such as re-purposed cables, but this would greatly affect the carry weight of the shelves.

StabilityTriangulation

Powder Coating

To obtain a sleek black frame a powder coat was the key option, with the pricing breakdown from Coating.co.uk further indicating the rising cost.

The theory of triangulation is used frequently in large structure builds such as bridges to ensure stability and strength.

This research led to the adjustment in my design to have 3 fixed beams that will support the frame width ways.

Standing Desk

Dimensions Mirror Production/ Selection

Upon realising I could create a stylish standing desk from the CASFA frame, I did further research into the avg height.

Mirrors come in 2 thicknesses: 4mm mirror is ideal for furniture, ie. wardrobe doors etc and in frames, 6mm Mirror should be used for all other applications such as bathrooms, mirrored walls etc.

Primary research indicated the importance of having a mirror, especially on the student age range, making it an essential development.

Costing

Veneers

Pine treatment

A polyurethane coating is the most popular treatment for pine wood, making it more resistant to stains and giving it a smoother appearance.

Pine costing

My original choice to use Pine wood was mainly due to its cheap price and sustainability. Further research into the cost of timber justified me using this material.

Using veneered ply or chip board can greatly reduce cost, but is much weaker internally than solid wood. Pressure points in my shelving design may cause weak boards to break.

After looking at various sources and suppliers, I found Wickes to have the lowest prices, although I am certain there will be other wholesalers with even cheaper prices.

As an element of my design involved a securing strap, research into potential materials led me to chosing polypropylene webbing due to its strength and low price.

As my product is completely assemblable, flatpacking is the best and most obvious option.

This is the same material used in seatbelts, and I thought of re-purposing these for a sustainable alternative but couldnt find any reputable sources.

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The shapes and dimensions of the components of my design should all fit into a 2m x 0.5m box, which makes sourcing packaging suppliers much easier.

Sustainable Packaging

Praise

Critiques

The main drawback to my research was the lack of primary research methods used. I have already explained that I felt the data gained would’nt help me, but the results from my survey did give good feedback onto my project, indicating that a focus group may have helped to refine my project.

The extensive research into potential materials greatly helped to shape my product and provide me with lots of information about the manufacturing process of furniture.

My design inspiration research was substantial, and I learned various new designers and products that greatly inspired me throughout this project.

My secondary research was very aesthetic and form based and I feel I could’ve found more quantitative data like statistics to justify and back up my reasonings.

I feel I tend to write a lot of information down which makes my research robust but also not the most readable, and i may need to work on my information presentation for my major project.

I think I also shouldve included the development research in my development document, but I wanted to keep that document purely for design work with only minor technical information.

I feel there isnt much more I could have researched for this project, with further stability research being the only thing I felt was missing.

I believe my research has put me in a good place to start designing and create a product the suits the needs I have set out.