The design of innovative and locally produced furniture for small-space living in Johannesburg

Abstract: Rapidly increasing urbanisation in South Africa identifies small-space living as a growing lifestyle trend. Various types of dwelling provide housing solutions for this burgeoning urban population but furniture manufacturers have not provided adequate solutions for the more compact lifestyles of modern urbanites in Johannesburg. Through this project, the design researcher intended to create the prototype for the first in a range of compact furniture items to meet end-user needs. The approaches followed were Pragmatism, Research Through Design and Human-Centred Design. The Human-Centred Design approach involved an iterative process as a significant aspect of the research methodology. This required a participatory approach through a series of interview schedules that resulted in the prototype bed design. Interviewees were intricately involved throughout the design research process by answering questions and providing feedback to the design researcher. The research was further informed by literature reviews and interviews with industry representatives as well as potential end-users of the product, who would require furniture for small-space living. The core needs were for aesthetically pleasing, compact, multifunctional furniture, which could contribute to space creation, clutter reduction and flexibility of shared space creation. The bed frame and its modular storage seats therefore, functioned across sleeping, seating and storage needs. The outcome of the research project was a prototype bed design that was poised to become a commercially viable furniture product for the South African market.M.A. (Design