Bridging the gap between designing furniture within the digital and physical spaces.

The Meta Chair Project aims to rethink how we engage with furniture designs in a digital-first era. Through understanding ergonomic theories, the Meta Chair has become an open-source resource for other designers to engage with, intertwining digital and physical prototyping.

Challenge

As humans continue to expand into designing experiences, objects, and environments in Virtual Reality, what role will physical objects play within the digital built environment?

Solution

The Meta Chair project began as part of the Friends and Associates Exhibition – Self Portrait(s). From our studio’s perspective of understanding ergonomics and prototyping, we realised that there needs to be a connection between digital and physical experiences.

The immersive experience of VR presents opportunities to design objects and environments beyond the constraints of traditional manufacturing and sustainability.

As the digital industry has now evolved into one worth $21 billion dollars annually through the sales of 3D models and NFTs, we as designers and consumers must reflect on the value of physical objects.

The original META Chair was an object that openly copied the known proportions of several iconic furniture pieces. At the time of the exhibition, it was set in the position of the iconic Eames Lounge Chair, one of the most famous and iconic pieces of furniture in history.

Seeing the potential in this resource, we were able to produce an open-source CAD file that could easily be made into a physical chair jig. Utilising ergonomics theory and being able to be positioned in various suitable positions.

Services

Market research
CAD
3D Modeling
Creative team sourcing
Design Thinking