DesignedBy

Project Description

‘Fast’ patterns of consumption, such as fast fashion, and now fast furniture, are putting a significant strain on earth’s resources. DesignedBy is a range of home furniture produced from recycled materials that presents an alternative to poor quality, mass-manufactured furniture products. Low-end furniture manufacturers produce goods made from manufactured timber products (MTP) such as plywood and multi-density fibre board (MDF). While these materials have their advantages over solid timber, namely in price and dimensional accuracy, they are more prone to damage than furniture made from solid timber. Due to the complexity of these products, they cannot be recycled and so are condemned to landfill. Across Greater Sydney, over 48,000 tonnes of MTP furniture ends up in landfill per year.

DesignedBy proposes a simplified method to produce furniture, with the main objective of reducing production costs to make high quality/designer furniture available to more people. The side table, ottoman, coffee table, two-seater sofa, and bookshelf that currently make up the DesignedBy range can be produced from seven distinct timber parts and several recycled plastic fixtures. 

The DesignedBy range offers a solution to the problem of fast furniture and addresses the core issue by promoting long-term relationships between people and their furniture. The user experience begins on the DesignedBy web platform, where, after choosing the piece of furniture they would like, the user can choose the plastic colour and timber species of their furniture piece to produce a totally unique piece. The parts to build the piece are shipped directly to the user, who assembles the piece themselves. 

Bio

I’m a passionate creative with a deep interest in design and making. I enjoy getting my hands on in the design process and get immense satisfaction in seeing a project evolve from a rough idea or sketch all the way through to a final product.

Working on a wide range of projects as part of university as well as through my own design practice has helped me develop a broad skill set and, as a naturally curious and creative person, I’m always looking to learn new things and fine tune my skills.

I approach every project with an open mind, for as much as we like to think we have all the answers, it’s rarely the case. The role of the designer is to listen to the needs of the user and then utilise their skills and experience to design an appropriate solution. In my work, I aim to design products that are innovative, functional, and beautiful.

previous project / next project

Copyright UTS Product Design 2020