Re-Veil is a cart designed in collaboration with BoConcept, a Danish company with its headquarters based in Herning, Denmark and Forbo, a Swiss manufacturer of floor coverings. This design aims to provide a piece of furniture that is mobile and multifunctional in a small living space.
About
3rd Year Industrial Design Project (ECUAD)
My Role
3D Modeler
Industrial Designer
Graphic Designer
Team
Queena Lyu
Jingyi Yang
Software
Solidworks, InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator
Timeline
Sept - December 2019 (4 Months)
Problem Space
As of now, most small living spaces in Vancouver are approximately 750 square ft (2 bedroom apartment) big. Users tend to find difficulties in finding furniture that is not only functional, but also aesthetically pleasing for small living spaces. People with small homes seek for pieces that are practical and joyful for everyday use.
With the opportunity that BoConcept and Forbo provided us, it is our hope that our design can combine their company's aesthetics along with meeting the requirements of designing a furniture with a set of wheels, that is light and compact, while providing its user's a place to eat, sit, and store. This piece received third place.
Challenges
How do we create a piece of furniture that is suitable for all environments in user's homes?
How will this piece of furniture add joy to mundane life?
How do we combine eat, sit, and, store into one piece of furniture?
Timeline
Co-Designer
1st Critique: Sketches & Prototype
Further Development (1:10)
Taking the feedback into consideration, we picked out a couple designs that we thought had potential. Then, we decided to simplify our design by picking one shape that we consistently enjoyed throughout all our designs (semicircles) and added primitive shapes throughout the design. Afterwards, we were able to produce our first wooden prototype that was simple yet functional.
1:1 Wood Prototypes
After reflecting on our feedback and new sketches, we decided to redesign our cart into a straightforward design that consist of one main shape. A circle as it is a shape that is the most welcoming to people. This is the first iteration of it.
In this iteration, because the wheels were off to the sides, it caused the overall cart to be very unstable so 2 more points were added to the bottom to stabilize the cart.
This iteration is a continuation of prototype #1 as we added an adjustable storage space to the top and middle section.
Our second iteration is a cart with adjustable table top where each surface will be a different colour to represent our user’s mood. In doing so, the user will have a surface to reflect on their day.
The third iteration is a table top with bars that spins to a different colour that will represent the user’s mood. These bars are in groups of three, which allows the user to pick and choose any size of table extension that they wish to have.
For the fourth iteration, we decided to change the shape into full semicircle as it will allows the cart to be more space friendly. We also replaced the bars with two flat surfaces instead as the bars were too redundant.
For the fifth iteration, we decided to create a moire screen to play with the contrast instead of depending on colours to create contrast. We quickly realized that it would look too busy so we did not continue with that pattern anymore.
Furthermore, we figured that our cart needed better support for the top plane as two bar on either ends was not supportive enough.
2nd Critique: 1:1 Wood Prototype
For the last final prototype, we decided to repeat the same element throughout the cart by having the same semicircle for all the levels of the cart. We also reduced the numbers of screens (2) and added two points on the bottom plane to stabilize the cart. Initially these were the colours we were going to use, but it appeared to be too busy for the eyes, hence we changed our final design to one colour only.
Visualizing on Solidworks
For the final cart design, we changed our size to 22”x 19””x 31” instead of 22”x22”x34. We also enlarged our overall screen length as we needed reinforcement on the top half.
Originally the cart was to be made out of green manoleum, but unfortunately we had to create it out of navy blue. Likewise, instead of playing with multiple colours to reflect the user’s mood, we decided to play with contrast instead, where the walnut is on the inside of the screen and the maple would be on the outside. This reflects the user’s inner feelings as the dark walnut represents relaxation and the bright maple represents joy.
Orthographic
Building Process
Planning/Joining/Laminating
Assembly/Sanding/Finishing
Tearsheet
Presentation Day
For presentation purpose we decided to display our cart as a bar cart, but its intended purpose is for all kitchen/dining purposes. Allowing users to quickly store small kitchen products in the middle and rolling the cart to a dining area to serve food on the top. We decided to call our cart Re-Veil, a play on idea of concealing and revealing a new discovery every time the cart is in use.
Final Design
Video
Here is a clip of how our cart functions through a user's daily ritual.
Learning Outcomes
Throughout this project, our team gained insight on cur-rating a piece for that is suitable to both companies BoConcept and Forbo. Through this challenge of combining floor product into our furniture design, we were able to add a "soft touch" surface, that was not only a protective layer for the wood, but also a contrasting element.
“Re-Veil” began as a simple cart that can be easily parked into a wall or corner of a home; but through the process of expansion and storage, it allows users to connect with it for everyday activities. Leading us to be able to create a cart that not only provided its user’s a space to eat, but also a prep surface, and a open and closed storage area.
“Re-Veil” began as a simple cart that can be easily parked into a wall or corner of a home; but through the process of expansion and storage, it allows users to connect with it for everyday activities. Leading us to be able to create a cart that not only provided its user’s a space to eat, but also a prep surface, and a open and closed storage area.