Furniture Design Fundamentals

Theory in Furniture Design

• A theory is a set of statements or principles devised to explain a group of facts or phenomena, guiding action or assisting comprehension or judgment.

Challenges of Designing a Chair

• A chair is a difficult object to design due to the unique characteristics of each user and the various purposes it serves.
• Chairs are multifunctional, intended for activities such as rest, work, writing, reading, and talking.
• Sitting is inherently challenging to one's wellbeing, and research suggests that standing is healthier than sitting.

Parameters of Good Design

• Inquiry directs discussions of furniture design towards functional (commodity), technical (firmness), and aesthetic matters (delight).
• These parameters, established through theory, change over time and provide knowledge for good design.

The Three Interrelated Terms

• Firmness: structural integrity, materials utilized, joinery, and tectonic composition.
• Commodity (utilities): use and experience, performance, comfort, and how furniture functions and feels.
• Delight: form, spatial organization, and aesthetics, including how furniture looks, fits within space, and expresses meaning.

Theories of Furniture Design

• Consider the composition of parts, function, and meaning of built-form.
• Firmness refers to the structural integrity and tectonic composition of furniture, dependent on fabrication techniques, material quality, and spatial relationships.

Commodity and Ergonomics

• Commodity is determined by how well furniture functions and feels, including comfort, ergonomics, and social use.
• Anthropometrics: the science of determining anatomical measurements and understanding human physiology.
• Ergonomics: the study of work and how work is done, seeking a healthy fit between task, human body, and designed product.

Posture, Proxemics, and Delight

• Posture: continuous body movement when sitting, standing, or walking, expressing social spatial communication driven by cultural norms and physiological factors.
• Proxemics: the study of how people communicate in and through space, linking human behavior with social, cultural, spatial, and geographic contexts.
• Delight: a personal reaction to physical or visual stimuli, revealed by sensation through the tactile nature of furniture.

Explore the basics of furniture design, including the importance of theory and the challenges of designing a functional chair.