Category: Innovation Studio
TAKE A SEAT
As you sink down into your favorite chair at home or at work, do you think about what went into designing it? Probably not. Sitting is something we do every day and while we may not think about what we're sitting on, we do give thought to the way it makes us feel.
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During Innovation Studio, students researched and gave presentations about the history of iconic chair designs, including the influential furniture designers who made them. Students broke into groups and began exploring what goes into making a chair and why it is so important to get it right. They kept this aesthetic context present as we explored ‘functional design’ for their cardboard models. In this exercise, innovators are building prototypes and testing the strength and stability of cardboard as a material.
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Innovation Studio
“The methods we used to hold our stool together changed entirely when the ‘slot method’ we initially tried ended up failing,” said Hans Peter, Grade 10. “We had to brainstorm new ideas for how to connect the pieces which led us to create a new method — sewing. We cut the cardboard into very thin strips and used them like thread to sew together our design.”
The stool they create will enable them to test the strengths and weaknesses of their design, iterate on that design, and ideally create a successful end product.