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Introduction
The 'Tell me about this chair' activity is a fun and creative way for students to engage in designing chairs that meet the needs and preferences of people who will use them. The activity can be an icebreaker to encourage team building and collaboration. By designing chairs that reflect their personalities and preferences, students can learn more about each other and find common ground.
Tell me about this chair
The technique tell me about this chair is also known as design the chair or chair challenge.
Description
What is this tool about
The 'Tell me about this chair' exercise involves discussing and designing a chair for a specific user or group of users. The activity is intended to help participants understand empathy and use it to design solutions. Participants are given a set of materials and tools to work with and are instructed to design a chair that meets the needs and preferences of the user they have selected. They might be asked to design a chair for a child or an elderly person or a chair that is comfortable for people who have back problems.
For which purposes is it used
- In a secondary school context, this activity is an excellent way to encourage students to build, test, and iterate while keeping their designs grounded in human needs.
- This activity promotes critical thinking by asking students to synthesise their user profiles to determine their needs. Students must also show resilience in the face of difficulties or frustrations.
Limitations
- Time-consuming - this is not a limitation, but teachers can cut down on time by setting a time limit, pre-made templates and clear goals to achieve within the time limit.
- Limitations in online collaborations due to the internet or students' interaction capability.
How to implement these technique/tools
Make sure the students have any material to take notes. For online, any document-sharing application is good. For example, Google docs, Miro, and Notepad.
Preparation, before the session
- Determine the user or group of users for whom the participants will discuss and create the chair. Consider age, gender, height, weight, and other relevant characteristics that will impact the design.
- Research the user profile to better understand their needs and preferences. These examples are interviewing potential users, observing them in their environment, or conducting surveys to collect data.
- Gather prototyping materials such as foam, cardboard, or paper. Ensure you have enough materials for everyone and think about pre-cutting materials to save time during the activity.
- Make it clear what the participants will address in the design challenge. This can include the chair's function, aesthetic style, and any constraints or limitations that must be considered.
- Plan the activity's logistics, including the time required for each stage of the design thinking process, the number of participants, and any additional assistance required (such as facilitators or materials assistants).
During the session:
- Begin by explaining the activity and its goals and objectives. Explain to the participants that they will discuss, design and prototype chairs based on a user's needs and preferences.
- Divide participants into four-person groups to promote collaboration and idea-sharing. Ascertain that each group has access to the required materials and tools.
- Give each group a story card that describes the user profile for which they will design the chair. Encourage attendees to carefully read the story card and identify two design principles or needs the chair should address.
- Explain design principles to participants and how they can be used to build chairs based on the user's needs. Encourage participants to think creatively and create original and innovative designs.
- Chairs should be drawn, cut, bent, moulded, and assembled: Provide participants with materials and tools to help them prototype their chair designs. Encourage participants to construct five iterations of their designs using various materials, such as drawing, cutting, bending, moulding, and assembling chairs. Set time constraints for each stage of the prototyping process to keep participants focused.
Follow-up after the session:
Encourage each group to present their chair designs to the other participants. Allow time for discussion and feedback and encourage participants to ask questions and provide constructive feedback.
Examples and/or testimonials
Example of how it can be used in secondary school.
To begin the 'Tell me about this chair' activity, divide participants into four groups of four and give each group a story card that describes the user profile for which they will be designing the chair. Encourage attendees to carefully read the story card and identify two design principles or needs the chair should address.
Next, explain to participants what design principles are and how they can be used to build chairs based on user needs. Provide participants with various materials and tools to help them prototype their chair designs and encourage them to build five iterations of their designs using various materials, such as drawing, cutting, bending, moulding, and assembling chairs. Set time constraints for each stage of the prototyping process to keep participants focused.
In the end, encourage each group to share their chair designs with the other participants and provide time for feedback and discussion. This activity can be conducted in various ways - you can also use Lego tools if you don't want to use different materials.
Story Cards, Sharpies, Paper, Scissors, Corrugated Cardboard, Pipe Cleaners, Modelling Clay, Tape, and Toothpicks. You can also use Legos instead of different materials. For online: Laptop, Internet connection, notepad for notes, and Miro or Mural Tool.
Resources
Links:
Videos:
Papers:
- Fajarwati, A. A. S., Caroline, O. S., Rafli, M., & Auliawan, N. (2021, April). Reused jeans for upholstery of Jepara chairs-A design thinking towards a sustainable creative industry. In IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science (Vol. 729, No. 1, p. 012101). IOP Publishing.
Books:
- Cross, N. (2023). Design thinking: Understanding how designers think and work. Bloomsbury Publishing.
- Lewrick, M., Link, P., & Leifer, L. (2018). The design thinking playbook: Mindful digital transformation of teams, products, services, businesses and ecosystems. John Wiley & Sons.
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