Gear

“Gear” is a public seating solution designed to promote interaction and communication among individuals. It's perfect for parks, streets, and other communal spaces, inviting people to connect and engage with each other.

Category:

Product Design
Interaction Design
Furniture Design

Tools:

SolidWorks, Rhino
Adobe Creative
Prototype (CNC)
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Duration:

3 months
Year: 2023

Role:

Industrial & Interaction Designer

Background

In the post-pandemic era, communication has become sparse. Public spaces, however, offer a platform for interaction. By leveraging installations in these areas, we can foster emotional connections among people, building a positive society and thawing the ice of isolation.

We wanted to create a public space where people can play together and communicate together.

(01).

"Gashapon Chair"

The inspiration comes from Gashapon machines, which are similar to the coin-operated toy vending machines found outside grocery stores and other retailers in various countries.
People can turn the knob seat together with their back and feet.
people turning the knob aim to receive a surprise

(02).

what is Surprise?

Half half story
People seated on either side can view one half of the story, encouraging conversation to discover the other half. If alone, you can simply turn around to see the entire story yourself.

Process

(01).

form iteration

Simplify the design to its most minimal form while maintaining its resemblance to a Gashapon. Add subtle textured details to emphasize the affordance of rotational functionality.

we also evaluated the optimal ergonomic seating position and adjusted the back fins accordingly

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(02).

CNC the all parts

Utilize CNC technology to precisely cut the plywood and design each component using a joint structure.

Conceal screws and ensure balance

We designed the structures to ensure all screws are hidden and inserted from bottom to top.
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To balance the weight of the spinning top body, we use turning balls to distribute the force evenly.

(03).

Operates seamlessly

Half-half stories

We craft a variety of jokes and engaging narratives to foster this behavior, ensuring that each interaction is both entertaining and memorable. By weaving humor and storytelling into our design, we create a playful atmosphere that encourages user engagement and delight.

When one door closes, optimists will create another door for themselves.

Why don't scientists trust atoms?

I told my computer I needed a break but more pages started popping up.

Jack went out to mind his car, but got hit by a car.

I'M READING A BOOK ON ANTI-GRAVITY.

Pessimists aren't so bad, at least they can be bothered to close doors on others.

They make up everything!

That pesky thing! It keeps sending me "vacation" ads non-stop.

Turns out this cat was driving.

IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO PUT DOWN!