Homo Ludens

Initial ideas and brainstorming

Brainstorm

Drawing already existing pieces of furniture such as that of Naoto Fukasawa and thinking about how I could expand upon it in ways that focus on play and movement.

Considering how kids toys can be transformed into functioning furniture

Stacked shapes

Here I explore how the kids stacking toy can be reinterpreted as a light or table

Spinning top

Here I explore how a spinning top and slinky can be reimagined as pieces of furniture

Research

Doodles and collages

I was inspired by the process of initial development of ideas, shown in the 'Play Well Exhibition'. These ideas are built upon activities and making. To fully embrace the 'play' aspect of my project I decided to generate ideas through collage

Development

From my collages I decided to choose a few favourites and make them 3D

Material exploration and making collages 3D

I was interested by the flexibility of cork, I experimented wetting and bending the cork

Over night it lost its bend. The cork was too brittle for what I wanted to use it for

One part of a collage made 3D

Plywood offcuts

I like the idea of a 'floating joint'

Experimenting with metal. Two different types cannot be weld together so I tried using strong glue. This did however also prove to me that I did not know enough about metal to use it in my final model.

Further development

Joints

Final design ideas

Final Product: one

To make the final models, I used thick black card and glue. This would have been my prototype for the real piece, but due to circumstances I decided to use these models as the final models.

Individual pieces can be put together to form whatever shapes fits the client's needs. (scale is undecided - it is intended to be furniture - chairs, tables)

Like how kids play with toys and assemble building blocks, I asked a volunteer to create forms out of the pieces however they wanted.

Final Product: two

Final product number two has a more specific function. It is primarily a bedside table/small table. It is comprised of two separate pieces that can be placed together however the client wants.