Abstract

In anywhere people want to promote interaction and cooperation, the furniture system "Common" provides a versatile alternative to improve the collaboration between team members. By using empathy as inspiration, this system promotes communication, adaptability, expansion and connectivity among people in office workspaces. The main theoretical premise behind this product is empathic design whose user-centered approach attends the user's feelings toward a product.

The result of this research was applied to development of an Office Desk, main product of the furniture system called Common. The Desk is a versatile structural solution that allows attaching accessories in an elegant and easy way. Its modern and simple shapes generate a clean and customizable product easy to assemble, package and transport. Common also reduces environmental impact by using recyclable materials, simple shapes, and low-tech manufacturing processes that generate minimal waste at the end of the product lifecycle. All these features generate positive experiences not only to the users at the office environment, but to anyone related with the production and commercialization of it. Further development in this system may include the study of new user scenarios, eco-materials and new ways to connect elements.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Office furniture--Design; Desks--Design; Teams in the workplace; Sustainable design

Publication Date

5-20-2015

Document Type

Thesis

Student Type

Graduate

Degree Name

Industrial Design (MFA)

Department, Program, or Center

School of Design (CIAS)

Advisor

Stan Rickel

Advisor/Committee Member

Dan Harel

Comments

Physical copy available from RIT's Wallace Library at HF5521 .M37 2015

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

Plan Codes

IDDE-MFA

Download

Share

COinS