SEAT
This seat was designed for my final year design project. The brief came from an initiative called Hands That Shape Humanity, wherein "ordinary products" were to have an "extraordinary message". My research led to an understanding that the strongest messages and stories attached to an object are frequently those created by the end user.
Thus the seat's design is simple and silent. However, the seat twists off to reveal a hidden box, in which to keep whatever special objects and messages the user may have.
The seat was designed with the cradle-to-cradle ideology, with a view to eliminating its negative environmental impact. It is being made entirely from sustainable bamboo plantations in a small factory in Vietnam, which supports the local community by providing employment to its mostly female workforce during times when less income is provided by their farms.
All materials used, including packaging, is 100% biodegradable.
The seat flat packs neatly into the space of a ream of A3 paper. This reduces costs by allowing the buyer to assemble it (easily!) themselves; they do so without the use of any nails or adhesives.
The Real Store has taken SEAT to dizzying heights by working tirelessly to get it produced in Vietnam and linking its impact with The Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation (ALNF). Through sales of SEAT and other projects, we hope to raise funds and generate awareness for the work that ALNF do. Visit their website for more information.