INDUSTRIAL PRODUCT

Modulus

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Public Furniture

student project presented in Milano Design Fair 2007

5 months

Designing a modular furniture

Research, Ideation, Use scenario, Solutions for manufacturing, Prototyping, Presentation

Modulus a student project designed in 2003, accepted and exhibited in Sallone Satellite at Milan Design Week 2004, which was the most important international exhibition for young designers at the period.

Modulus is “semi-mobile” furniture for public places to satisfy variable user needs in these places. The design concept of Modulus is based on long user observations in public places such as streets, airports, and hospitals made before the design process, which showed that public furniture, esp. benches are products that are interacted by users mostly for short time periods; such as

getting a short (e.g. 5 minute) rest during shopping,
waiting for an appointment for several minutes,
sitting for a few minutes while eating fast food or
smoking

However, public units can also be used for longer periods of time when used for rest purposes, like

reading a newspaper in a park

Besides, in rather rarer conditions, they can be used for much longer time periods such as

in hospitals while waiting for a birth or
in airports during a retard.

Lastly, they can be used in unexpected ways, such as

a game place for children, or as
a bed for homeless people.

Modulus as public furniture aims to satisfy all these and more variable needs of public space to the max.

Ideation Process - Early Sketches and Prototypes for testing and development

Modulus consists of 6 seating units that can move horizontally and rotate on an axis merely by pulling and pushing thanks to its unique mechanism design achieved after a multitude of trials. The combination of these two movements of seating units provides users with numerous interaction opportunities.

Each unit of Modulus has a thinner width than a standard sitting width. One can combine two seating units for standard use. However, one unit is also enough for short period sittings. This provides also maximum sitting area e.g. in a crowded area, where one even can create a personal space, through rotating a unit and sitting to the other side. Besides, while the sides of the units with a backrest provide a rather ergonomic sitting position for longer uses, the flat sides of them can be used as a table. One can eat, drink or even play games (such as children) on a flat surface while customizing the size according to her need. Additionally, if one side of a unit gets wet because of e.g. rain, the other side can be used. The combination of all units in their flat position can work even as a bed for homeless people.

Movie explaining various use cases

As in the samples in the scenario movie, the use scenarios possible wıth Modulus are almost as variable as the public places and the people in these places. In spite of its multi-functional design, Modulus has a clear form and a simple structure. The sitting units and the carriers on two sides have a form that steers visually to a “circular movement” to be able to connote the mobility of Modulus in form and function. The 6 units are also separated by two different colors to visualize that these units can be separated and combined. As the sitting units are movable, to ensure stability, the two carrier stands of Modulus are inserted under the ground, in a similar way with many of the current furniture in the streets.

Besides its functional features, the “semi-mobility” of Modulus adds a game characteristic to it, which can provide a more enjoyable experience for users by motivating them to explore different interaction possibilities. This game feature is also emphasized by the choice of colors, which were also determined as being generally suitable for public spaces. Although these colors are the design suggestion, they can be customized according to the specific area (e.g. the colors of a special municipality, brand colors of a private area or any optional combination can be used).

Modulus @ Salone Satellite 2004

Modulus in the media

After the exhibition in Milano, there appeared plenty of copies of this concept in different parts of the world, none of which could replicate the unique mechanism designed by me and provided Modulus's functions fully.