Cardboard Chair

I started by modeling the chair digitally. Originally, I planned to use Fusion 360, but Autodesk discontinued the specific sheet‑layout tool I needed. Because of that, I had to learn a completely new piece of software for generating flat patterns and laser‑cuttable files.

Switching software mid‑project forced me to adapt quickly:

• I had to relearn basic workflows like constraints, sketching, and exporting DXFs.

• The new software handled parametric changes differently, so I had to rethink how I built the model.

• I redesigned several parts to make them easier to cut and assemble with the tools available.

Even though it slowed me down at first, it ended up making me more flexible with CAD and better at transferring skills between platforms.

One of the biggest constraints was the laser cutter size in my engineering room. The bed size limited the maximum dimensions of every part I could cut. That meant:

• Large structural pieces had to be broken into smaller interlocking sections.

• I redesigned the chair legs and supports to fit within the cutter’s boundaries.

• I added finger joints and slot‑tabs so the smaller pieces could assemble into larger, rigid components.

• I optimized the layout to reduce waste and stay within the cardboard allowance.

Working within these constraints taught me how real engineering often works: you don’t design in a perfect world — you design around the tools you actually have.