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
Lounge chairs
Spending all of this time in a seated position is unavoidable to a certain extent, but that doesn't mean that sitting down and relaxing has to cause back pain.
Lounge chairs are notorious for being the most comfortable type of chair and should provide relief to the constant pressure points throughout the body.
What is the seat height of a lounge chair?
Lounge chairs are typically designed to be lower and more reclined than other chair types and range in seat heights from 12.5”-17” (32-43 cm)
What is a lounge chair?
Lounge chairs are a variety of chair styles designed to allow a person to stretch out in a reclined or lounging position. Lounge chairs are often adjustable and include chaise lounges, recliners, easy chairs, and armless backed chairs paired with ottomans.
Where are lounge chairs used?
Lounge chairs are best used in spaces where relaxing often occurs such as residential living rooms, reading rooms, and bedrooms or as signature accent pieces in high visibility spaces such as lobbies and reception spaces. ³
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.
