My thesis project was a chair with variable seat height, which can be modified easily to better serve the anthropometry of children and adults alike. The target group mainly consists of young families whose kids outgrew their traditional high chairs but are lacking the height needed to comfortably sit on a regular chair. This problem is mostly present at ages 3 to 12. The resulting product concept can remain in use even after the children have left this age bracket, in other words, the chair can „grow up with the child”.
The primary factors regarding the chair’s ergonomic comfortability are supplemented by figurative values, such as conscious consumption, and the elongation of the lifetime of a product. The issues mentioned above, pose certain design challenges mainly consisting of the coordination of the chair’s proportions while maintaining a clear design language.
Throughout the design process, I studied the high chairs already available on the market along with the capabilities and behavior of children to get a better understanding of the problem at hand, however, solved the subject matter differently than how former products have.
The chair was designed from beech on the one hand due to its availability and appropriate structural stiffness, and, on the other hand, the symbolic meaning of natural wood; environmental consciousness. The transformation of the chair consists of 4 steps, which can be done without the need of user instructions or specialized tools.
The color palette of the product contains 5 vivid but calm colors representing the nature of children’s behavior, all while fitting in to a home setting. The color choices make it easier for customers to choose the product that best suits their taste.The development of a product family would further increase the value of the high chair, making it a part of a system, rather than the exception.
Konzulensek: Balogh Zsolt Péter, Kerékgyártó András
Nagy Tamás Máté
BME 2020
