DESIGN OF FURNITURE FOR SMALL PLACES FOLLOWING INCLUSIVE DESIGN

The objective of the project was to develop a furniture set that consists of a multifunctional bed and a cabinet. A pre-study was performed to define the problem area and to set the requirements for the furniture. The pre-study included: studies and discussions at the associated company, literature review within the field, user survey, market search and ergonomics study. When the specification was set and clarified, the concept generation phase was started. Design methods were used to structure and support the design activity. In addition, principles of inclusive design were followed in order to end up with a design that would fit a larger part of the targeted customer group. The generated design concepts were assessed according to fulfilment of set requirements. One final concept was chosen for further development in the following detail design phase. This activity included specifying the design in detail, e.g. related to materials, colours and accessories. The collaboration with the company was essential during the whole project for getting inspiration, feedback and important inputs to the design activity. Hence, the company’s opinions were continuously considered along the design process. A prototype was made of the final design and tests were performed to assess the design and to get input for further development.