Eco Chair
Prototyping has given me the opportunity to explore innovative ideas and push the boundaries of design. Given the challenge to create a chair using only cardboard, zip-ties, and glue, ensuring it could support over 150 pounds.
Project Scope
Industrial Design | Prototyping | Sketching
Class
Prototyping
Year
2024
My Role
Designer | Fabricator
Preliminary Sketches
To kick off the design process for the cardboard chair project, I began by creating a series of preliminary sketches. These initial drawings served as a foundation for exploring various design concepts and structural possibilities. Through sketching, I was able to experiment with different forms, analyze proportions, and visualize how the chair could be assembled from cardboard while ensuring durability and user comfort. These early iterations played a crucial role in identifying potential challenges and opportunities, guiding the next steps in refining the design and moving toward the prototyping phase.
Phase 1
Every design begins with a solid foundation. These sketches to the right are an early vision for how I wanted the final chair to look, guiding both its aesthetics and form.
Phase 2
As I progressed through the design process, I began incorporating finer details to ensure the final product conveyed the intended vision, all while maintaining a unique and cohesive design.
Paper Prototyping
After finalizing the initial sketches, I moved on to creating a mini paper prototype of the chair. This scaled-down model allowed me to test the basic structure and assembly process without committing to full-size materials. Using paper helped me quickly identify weak points and refine the design's structural integrity. It was an essential step in visualizing how the chair’s components would fit together, making adjustments more manageable before scaling up to the full cardboard version.
Final Prototype
My final prototype was a meticulously crafted chair made entirely of cardboard, glue, and zip ties, engineered to support over 150lbs with ease. For the seating area, I chose a Lincoln Log structure to ensure stability, while the backrest features a flat design to enhance comfort. Through detailed sketches and a paper prototype, I was able to plan and bring my vision to life, culminating in a functional and durable final result.
