Designing the Furniture Experience
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In a world of mass consumption, sustainability usually focuses on materials. But this is a shallow approach if we ignore why we discard objects long before they break.
My project, Designing the Furniture Experience, argues that emotional durability is the real key to a product’s lifespan.
Inspired by Enzo Mari’s 1974 Autoprogettazione, I wanted to democratize furniture design. However, Mari’s manual-based approach needs an update for modern society, where basic woodworking skills and tools are increasingly rare. My solution bridges the gap between digital ease and analog effort.
I developed a digital configurator allowing users to design their own unique stool. This active customization forms the initial bond. But the true magic happens during physical assembly. I initially tried creating foolproof, ”perfect” assembly kits but quickly realized that effortless assembly builds zero emotional investment. Instead, I introduced ”productive frustration” by using nails. The slight, honest struggle of hammering, especially in a shared, communal workshop setting, transforms the stool from a static product into a physical trophy of a newly acquired skill.
By combining digital uniqueness, the tactile investment of building, and the shared vulnerability of a social workshop, this project closes the loop on emotional durability. We inherently value what we work for. The final stool isn’t just a physical object; it is a captured memory and a piece of furniture the user is likely to cherish for a lifetime.
Try out the website here: https://stool-generator-c3a19.web.app/
@Jacques_Schiessl
Jacques.schiessl@gmail.com