Group project
SEP 2019 - DEC 20219
In the past decades, flexible working has grown in popularity. This is most evident in the Netherlands where flex working has become an essential staple for workers.
The rise of flexible working is driven by a number of factors, including technological advancements that make remote work possible, a shift in societal attitudes towards work-life balance, and a desire among employees for more autonomy and control over their professional lives. Additionally, many companies have found that offering flexible working options can improve employee engagement, retention, and productivity, which has led to an increase in adopting these arrangements.
In this project, the client wanted us to research and analyse the flex workers' behaviours and needs to create a piece of furniture suited for them. This meant that we had to develop a furniture piece for the working station.
I led the ideation and sketching phase of the design, sharing the resonsability with anither team member on material selection.
I also worked on the modelling and rendering of the project.
I also conducted interviews and fly on the walls. With the results I created a UI.
The project was finalised on Dedcember the 16th, 2019.
Most employees spend most of their time around the desk area. This area is often cluttered when in use, filled with paperwork and the belongings of the workers. This situation brings a momentary moment of distress when the workers have a break time. Without any concrete and secure storage area, the workers are pushed to bring said documents with them.
We conducted interviews and questionnaires on the storage and perceived safety of flex offices. The response was mixed, but an overwhelming majority pointed out that they had issues with the overall lack of storage units that they could use to store their belongings. At that, they also brought up the inconvenience of having to constantly move their belongings when an breaks.
We noticed that the closest drawers where the users could place their belongings were far away from where the workers were sitting, causing them discomfort.
The majority of drawers are big enough to place phones, tablets and laptops in, but lack enough space to put purses, backpacks and briefcases.
We also noticed that the drawers lacked locks. Others that had locks used an old lock-and-keys mechanism, which lead to some users losing the key.
The main goal when we set the sketching and ideate was to create a drawer which is functional and practical in a subtle way. We wanted to keep the drawer simple and easy to use with only the essential features. We also used wooden elements as accents to enhance the visual look and the aesthetic of the drawer..
