The DIM Bedside table is specifically designed for individuals who are confined to bed for long periods of time, as part of an overall effort to encourage aging in place (at home instead of a continuing care centre). Our primary concern was to design a functional piece of furniture which does not intrude on the patient's day to day life or call attention to their condition. To accomplish this, we collaborated with an occupational therapist in addition to paying careful attention to both the aesthetics and functionality of the piece, in order to make it as functional and inconspicuous as possible.

Our ideatations centered around a few basic requirements which we established through working with our occupational therapist and our persona, namely: Privacy, Dignity, Normalcy, Independence and Universality. We attempted to incorporate the most functionality while adhering to these basic tenents. In addition to these main considerations, we also considered unit cost and ease of installation/purchase by the user.

We also explored different aesthetics and forms in an effort to produce an appealing final product.

We also explored several different combinations of colors in order to find a high visibility, high contrasting combination in order to aid visibility to those with vision impairments or at night.

Our final design incorporates a mid-century modern aesthetic, with removable, modular drawers made of plastic. These drawers can be customized for different needs by the end user in addition to being easily cleaned. The rest of the table uses painted wood, brushed stainless steel and walnut veneered MDF. This allows for the table to look no different from any other piece of furntiure a user would normally have at home.