Design Brief
There are thousand of different designs of chairs that all serve different purposes, from eating at the dinner table to relaxing and reading a book. A lot of these chairs are poorly designed and contribute to lower and upper back problems of the users everyday. While Sitting in a lounge chair, the chair should not only be comfortable, but also provide ergonomic support to all concavities of the body.
Problem
Solution
Chairs can be unsupportive to the bodies of the user
Design an ergonomic lounge chair that provides comfort and relief to the user
"If more designers had back backs, we would have more good chairs."
-Ralph Caplan
Sitting for prolonged periods of time can be a major cause of back pain, cause increased stress of the back, neck, arms and legs and can add a tremendous amount of pressure to the back muscles and spinal discs. Additionally, sitting in a slouched position can overstretch the spinal ligaments and strain the spinal discs. ²
Ergonomics
Research
According to a study conducted by the Saint Joseph Mercy Health System, the average American spends approximately 9 hours everyday sitting down. This number is an accumulation between sitting at a desk, driving to work, sitting down for meals, time on the couch, and any other activities that involve sitting. ¹
Inspiration
Ideation
Development
Study Modeling
To understand the form and ergonomics of a chair, I created a 1:5 scaled human model allowing me to see where support was needed in the human body. The human model was made with laser cut Polystyrene and small rods at the joints to allow the model to move just as a human would.
The mock chair was modeled using PVC pipes wrapped in fabric to simulate the cushions and structure of the chair.
I then modeled the chair in Solidworks and applied texture to each roll to imitate a fabric of sorts. I painted the final model with acrylic paint that I mixed to attain the color that I wanted.
Model
The aluminum chairs legs bend when the user sits in the chair, allowing the seat reference plane to adjust to a 15-30° position (depending on the weight of the user), which creates an optimal resting position for the user for relaxation and proper posture.
