​P3 | FURNITURE DESIGN

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Imagine. You came across a particular furniture designer's work and want to get hired by them and work on their next commission.

Choose a specific designer from one of these four luxury brands:

Ligne Roset (choose a specific designer from their roster),

Roche Bobois (choose a specific designer from their roster),

B&B Italia (choose a specific designer from their roster), or

Kelly Wearstler

You will design, ie. propose a new line of custom, modern furniture you believe that designer/company would be interested in.

Basic/Primitive Forms Review. Students MUST incorporate, ie demonstrate competent understanding of each of the 6 principal geometric forms through their designs. Note that most designs often contain at least two principal form types.

Materiality Studies. Your designs should show off your ability to represent a variety of different materials, textures, etc. therefore all pieces must incorporate at least two different materials and textures.

Your designs should be unique.

1. Base Model. Use SketchUp to build a base model, arrange your forms, etc. but do not apply materials and render in SketchUp, simply use it as a base model to be printed and used as an underlay for tracing to Marker Paper. Print several different views. You will need at least 2. Once up to speed in SketchUp, working quickly one should be capable of modeling the basic block elements in an hour or so.
2. Render. Trace your base layout(s) and forms on Bond, Marker Paper, Trace paper, Canson or similar. Sketch, don't trace, quickly and confidently, and with correct perspective rules and principles. Add details and render your forms, applying planar contrast values, and materiality textures by hand technique, traditional methods of sketching with pencils, ink, markers, etc. to render. Working quickly, one should be able to render 6 forms in less than 2 hours.
3. Refine. Use Photoshop in the end to enhance and do subtle refinements and cleanup work, feel free to add in textiles or other fine attributes, but 80% of your base work should probably be done by traditional media—generally its faster.
4. Pull it all together. Create a Final presentation layout in InDesign to present to your client.

Show at least 2 views (1 Perspective, 1 Orthographic—usually a front elevation) of your designs.

Add shadow casting to the best of your abilities, and ground plane (vertical) reflections for added character/personality. Shadows should be indicative of the designed form logic.

 

Designs will need to cover the following categories:

1. Seating (Chairs)
2. Sofas
3. Storage (Dressers, Credenzas)
4. Tables
5. Ottomans
6. Beds

GETTING STARTED

PLEASE! GET OFF YOUR COMPUTERS AND GOOGLE SEARCH AND GO VISIT ONE OF THESE PLACES:

If you live in Orange County visit SOCO/TheOCMix off the 405 in Costa Mesa. Visit Design Within Reach, Pirch, HD Buttercup, Roche Bobois, and Ligne Roset.

If you live in LA, visit the intersection of N. Robertson Blvd and Beverly Blvd where you'll find Roche Bobois, B&B Italia, Kartell, Poliform, and others. A short jump north of there and you can visit the Pacific Design Center, and/or go along Melrose, East of La Cienega Blvd and check out Kelly Wearstler.

 

DESIGN STRATEGIES

Dissimilarity. Use of unusual, unexpected sources as catalysts for inspiration.

Scale transformation. Look at objects all around you and use odd shapes, forms, to generate new designs.

ex. photograph perfume bottles from Nordstroms. Use the style to create a line of furniture. See Kelly Wearstler

​METHODOLOGY

All students will need to use some 2-PT Perspective Grid system to control your objects and proportions. There are a variety of systems used by designers that have some variation, but all good grids generate a good proportioning and control system for drawing. Use a system you're most familiar with.

It is strongly preferred that you dispense with rigorous traditional mechanics and develop your sketching ability.

​PRINCIPAL GEOMETRIC
FORM TYPESCube/blockSphericalsCylinder VerticalCylinder HorizontalPyramidal, andConicalsCOMMON MATERIALSFabric, including Carbon FibrePolished, Reflective, Chrome, BrassWoodAntique, Patina'd or Aged MetalStoneLeatherThis is not a complete or exhaustive list, there are many more materials than what can be listed here.

 

 

​DELIVERABLES

3 Sheets - 14x17" marker rendered sheets (or 11x17" inkjet or laser printed from Photoshop, InDesign, or Illustrator) layout in the end professionally composed for presentation.

Sheet 4. Provide 1 sheet that introduces the brand and/or designer to the class.

Clear Brand Identity. Include the logo of your Furniture company and indicate the designer(s) you're aspiring to work for, associated with the furniture company, ex. Lignet Roset / Quaglio Simonelli

Annotation text indicating materials and aesthetic characteristics, ie. matte finished carbon fibre, chrome polished stainless steel, for examples.

Include your name on your sheet using Exceptionally well crafted designer's lettering. Poor or rushed lettering will result in grade reductions.

Include the base plane "grid", lightly revealed in your final.

Include Center Axis lines on orthographic views

Include Shadows and Reflections (into the ground plane) to the best of your ability to demonstrate your knowledge of these and add depth of character to your designs.

Human Figure/Anatomy. Include a human figure seated with your chair or sofa design

​PROCESS / SCHEDULE

Week 1: Research and Layout Construction (underlay)

Week 2: Articulate (draw) Design choices

Week 3: Layout and Rendering for Presentation - Photoshop and InDesign

See Schedule and Calendar for actual due date.

​RESOURCES & REFERENCES

See right side bar menu for grid construction, materiality, reflections, etc.

Interior Design Illustrated: Marker and Watercolor Techniques. Christina M. Scalise. Bloomsbury Publishers. ISBN-13: 978-1609019174. Preview Sample Available Here

Sketching Interiors: From Traditional to Digital. Suining Ding. Fairchild Books.
ISBN: 978-1-56367-918-6

Design Graphics: Drawing Techniques for Design Professionals. Peter A. Koenig. Prentice Hall.

Portfolios for Interior Designers. Maureen Mitton

Perspective and Sketching for Designers. Jessica Newman, Jack Beduhn. Pearson Publishing. ISBN 0-13-257494-2. Chapters 4 and 5; Chapter 7, Shadows and Reflections

Drawing and Designing with Confidence: A Step-by-Step Guide. Mike W. Lin.
Wiley Publications

Sketching: The Basics

TUTORIALS & HOW-TO GUIDES

Eileen Grey end table