Evaluation
I have now finished designing and making my product for the Design Innovation module so now I shall take the opportunity to reflect and evaluate my experiences during this time.
Overall, I would say that the product does address the original needs that were required within the brief. The main factors were to design a product that was comfortable, practical, whilst maintaining sympathy with historic interiors within the church. Furthermore, the brief specified that the design needed to encompass UK manufacture as well as sustainably sourced materials and it needed to be able to stack or fold neatly and compactly.
To start with the chair is a working model so unfortunately I am not able to state that it will be comfortable once or if it is manufactured to scale. However, the model has been shaped and designed with a curved back, which supports comfort or at least suggests the idea. During my initial research I noticed that a fair amount of chairs used this concept of a curve and therefore felt that it would be a good feature to integrate within my own work.
In terms of the chair being practical and showing sympathy to the historic and religious interiors I would say that these are also other factors that address and meet the brief well. Firstly, the chair can be folded down neatly and without hassle, which enables the church members to use it for other purposes, for instance staging or as tables, it also can stack which allows you to make best use of the space. I feel that it also fits in with the interiors of a church because it is made out of a material that is traditional used within churches and it also symbolises religious aspects within the design by incorporating a crucifix.
If this chair were to be manufactured in a real context then the type of wood that I would suggest for it to be constructed from would be either, Oak, Birch, Beech spruce, Pine, or Larch. All of this timber is grown and sourced in the UK, which is something that has been mentioned in the brief. I have also researched into manufacturers that specialise in construction in church furniture so another point to consider would be using these companies to generate the product in batch. With these two factors in mind, this gives me further reasoning to believe that I have addressed the requirements of the brief that were initially intended.
At the start of the project I felt as if I had identified and acknowledge all of the requirements within the brief. However, it was not until I had created my first model where I released that in fact I had not met the specification of it stacking. This almost was a gap in my understanding of the original needs and therefore it was at this point where I had to develop the idea so that it was able to stack neatly.
At the start of the project I felt as if I had identified and acknowledge all of the requirements within the brief. However, it was not until I had created my first model where I released that in fact I had not met the specification of it stacking. This almost was a gap in my understanding of the original needs and therefore it was at this point where I had to develop the idea so that it was able to stack neatly.
I accommodated the needs that were not met initially by going back to the drawing board to re model some chair designs that would hopefully stack. I found it really useful at this point to use CAD/CAM and foam board to help me generate further ideas and not only did this facilitate me during the design process, but it also made me realise how important and fundamental modelling techniques can be during any design process. I felt that it was also an extremely easy and quick way to adjust your concepts without spending too much time or wasting material. What’s more, whilst using foam board I began to think of other designs due to its flexibility, but I found using CAD/CAM was much more beneficial as it enabled me to create duplicate models to see whether or not the chair would stack and this insured accuracy. Being accurate was such a vital point to consider during this time, as it determined whether or not the concept was going to work or not. Overall, I felt as if it this modelling was a crucial point of my development and was a factor that determined, shaped and contributed to the final design.
Generally speaking I felt that my time management during this module was good. I kept to a schedule and was able to set myself deadlines which enabled me to keep on track with my work. It did take a long time to develop and manufacture the models however I guess that is all part of the design process. A design does not always come to you over night, and I have learnt that good design is developed and produced over a series of stages and hopefully during the module my work and portfolio displays evidence of these stages of development.
Initially, the working model that I had made was created out of Oak, this gave a really nice finish to the piece however it was not to scale and did not really give a great understanding on how it may appear if manufactured in a real context. Further more, I had realised that I had not made clear how I was going to support the inner legs and back of the chair so that when the chair was up it did not full down and took the weight of the person sitting on it. This in some way was a pitfall that I initially did not envisage and could have been avoided if I had planned the manufacturing process step by step before I made the piece. Not having a structured plan is something that is obviously going to help you stay on track and I have now learnt how important it is to do so.
Initially, the working model that I had made was created out of Oak, this gave a really nice finish to the piece however it was not to scale and did not really give a great understanding on how it may appear if manufactured in a real context. Further more, I had realised that I had not made clear how I was going to support the inner legs and back of the chair so that when the chair was up it did not full down and took the weight of the person sitting on it. This in some way was a pitfall that I initially did not envisage and could have been avoided if I had planned the manufacturing process step by step before I made the piece. Not having a structured plan is something that is obviously going to help you stay on track and I have now learnt how important it is to do so.
I had two options to overcome this pitfall, either re create a model with the mechanism working to support the back or create a mechanism showing how it would function using foam board. I decided to re-construct the model so that it was presented as fully functioning working model, looking back I feel that I am pleased with the decision I made and in fact it allowed me to make certain changes and improvements in the design which in turn made better as a design.
Next time if faced with a project like this again I shall prepare myself more by creating a sequence of making so that I am not working off plan and can stick to some sort of structure to avoid mistakes. Initially, I did not want to create a plan because I felt that it limited or restricted me however now I have recognised how vital they can be within any project. I would also insure that I put more time aside for designing because it does take a long time but if I planned properly then I could have in fact even made a final product out of the materials that were intended. However, I know that it is hard to foresee how long any designing is going to take but the more time the better.
In conclusion, I do like the concept and idea of the chair, I feel that it has addressed the requirements of the brief and is fit for it’s purpose. I am pleased that I have been able to design something that is unique and multifunctional. The only aspect of the design that I do not like is the fact that it can only stack a few chairs otherwise it will topple over from the weight. Ideally, the more chairs that can be stacked the better but at the same time because of the design it was not something that was going to work. Perhaps, if I spent more time on this I would have been able to design the chair so that more chairs would be able to stack.
My other course mates have said that they like the concept and think that it will fit in well with the church. Furthermore, many have mentioned that they like the idea of the chair folding down to be used for other purposes. During this time I have learnt many things but the most important thing that I will take away with me is that Modelling is so important and such a useful process, effective planning and time management is also a factor that will determine the progress and overall design and also constructing a detailed and structured or sequence of making should always be a method you complete before manufacture.
In terms of subject knowledge I have also been able to become more competent with the tools and machines, and had the chance to explore other joining techniques. I have also realised and learnt some of the differences there are when working with different types of wood hard and soft. In reflection, I have very much enjoyed the module at first I did find it challenging but it goes to show that the more you explore and experiment with materials and modelling your designing will develop over time.
In conclusion, I do like the concept and idea of the chair, I feel that it has addressed the requirements of the brief and is fit for it’s purpose. I am pleased that I have been able to design something that is unique and multifunctional. The only aspect of the design that I do not like is the fact that it can only stack a few chairs otherwise it will topple over from the weight. Ideally, the more chairs that can be stacked the better but at the same time because of the design it was not something that was going to work. Perhaps, if I spent more time on this I would have been able to design the chair so that more chairs would be able to stack.
My other course mates have said that they like the concept and think that it will fit in well with the church. Furthermore, many have mentioned that they like the idea of the chair folding down to be used for other purposes. During this time I have learnt many things but the most important thing that I will take away with me is that Modelling is so important and such a useful process, effective planning and time management is also a factor that will determine the progress and overall design and also constructing a detailed and structured or sequence of making should always be a method you complete before manufacture.
In terms of subject knowledge I have also been able to become more competent with the tools and machines, and had the chance to explore other joining techniques. I have also realised and learnt some of the differences there are when working with different types of wood hard and soft. In reflection, I have very much enjoyed the module at first I did find it challenging but it goes to show that the more you explore and experiment with materials and modelling your designing will develop over time.