There are plenty of designers who make total cock ups of designs and get away with them simply because they move on to the next design.
"Designer's don't have to live with their mistakes you do !?" A quick look around your home and I am sure you will find several item's that are badly design but with a little thought at the design stage could have be improved apon.
The trouble is that designer's are not made to use them for any length of time or see the item in operation.
These guide lines are designed to help you create your own design. See
Designing from a photograph
You have already started thinking about design before you've even read this line! The heading at the top of the page some of you will like and others will hate. Why ? Some people like a free flowing life style whereas others like a very formal type ! [ please excuse the pun] So we can say in simple terms design is a very personal thing to each of us, but we can break up design into various sections and these in turn can be broken down in to stages. I break design into three basic sections which are as follows:-
1. Unlimited design, no constraints imposed on you at all, for example, a sculpture which serves no
useful purpose other than to look at and stimulate interest. But even here there can be constraints such as the overall size.
2. Limited design, may be constrained by a number of things such as cost, item or material, for example, price, a chair or wood. If we take the example of the chair we want it comfortable ? Yes ! Well No ! not always in some cases such as a fast food bar you do not want to make the customer to comfortable otherwise they will sit there all day with one cup of coffee.
3. Production design, is the same as limited design with the extra constraints of production placed upon you. This means the cost, item or material must be looked at in far greater depth than with limited design, for example , the unit cost per item, the number of items to be produced, materials- is the wastage high ? can you use standard size sheets of ply ?
If you can answer some or all of the questions below you will be well on your way to designing the piece of furniture.
"Which room will it be in ?"
You should always design a piece of furniture at the same height your eye will be normally be at, therefore if you are in a hallway you would normally be stood up therefore your eye would be at 6 feet high or there about, in a dinning room sat a table your eye would be at 4 feet high and sat in the lounge chair your eye would be at 3 feet high. This may seem strange to some people but I can assure you that what it quite acceptable portions for a hall way will be to high for the average lounge. Take for instance a TV unit for a lounge the
center of the screen ideally wants to be 3 feet or slightly higher in other words the
center of the screen ideally wants to be on eye level or just above. The same is true of pictures and mirrors they want to be set at eye level or just above when standing 6 feet approx to the
center.
"Where is it going to go in the room ?" Is it going to stick out into a walk way ? therefore are you going to knock yourself on a sharp corner if so design it with rounded corners or with the beveled off the corner.
"Will it be too big too small or just ?" If your not sure of the size a good tip is to find cardboard box the correct size or make a rough model out of cardboard to the size and shape of the finished piece of furniture and then live with it for a week, you will be surprised how your perception of a piece will change during the space of a week.
"Will you be able to open the door and drawers ?" Is there enough clearance around the unit for not only the doors and drawers of the unit but also for any existing doors or obstructions.
"How near to a heating vent or radiator will it be ?" This will effect the moisture content and therefore the amount the wood will expand and contract.
"Is there a style or period it has to match ?"
Such as Regency or Victorian.
"Is there another piece of furniture it has to match ?" If so, make a note of the sizes, style, period, shape, colour, woods, mouldings, fittings, turnings, inlays and any other decoration.
"Does the item of furniture serve a purpose ?" Does it meet this need or want ? If it's a plate rack will it hold all the plates you want it too ?
Does look it look good ? Most people have a good eye for seeing when something looks right some people will tell you it just feels right !
How am I going to construct it Solid panel and frame construction ? veneered ply or pre-veneered board, what joints what order
Will it be stable If it's a chair can I sit on it without it rocking ? unless it is a rocking chair of course ! There is an old saying
" There is always the exception to the rule" and Twenty years in the furniture trade has just reinforced that !
"What woods will I use ?"Why would you use those woods for colour, strength, grain pattern or just because there in your wood store !
These questions cover the initial brief, you will be able to answer some, if not all these questions and this will be the starting point in designing the item of furniture to match these requirements.
