The Creative Process (Now in 3D!)

In the simplest terms, a table is just a plane set parallel to the floor, usually for the purpose of supporting objects. A chair is a transition between the body and the space around it. Any piece of furniture can be thought of as this kind of transitional object. These types of objects permeate our built environment and material culture - often saturated with meaning and value, in ways that we may not be consciously aware.

In class on Thursday we will make a piece of furniture. For many of us, this will be our first time designing and building something like this, so think of these objects as low resolution prototypes, which is to say, vehicles to explore ideas rather than finished pieces in themselves. We are restricting the materials to wood, OSB, fabric, staples, and screws. But out of this limited palette of materials, we will explore the “how and why” of furniture design. 

Before class Thursday, spend some time in your sketchbook developing 5-10 ideas for possible designs. These don’t need to be final renderings, but should be thought of as quick “back of the napkin” type sketches. The idea is to quickly ideate (idea generation) a diverse range of possible approaches to the prompt.