Abstract

In the current housing market, rental prices are increasing and the size of apartments are shrinking. This combined with increased demand from increasing urbanization and jobs moving to work-from-home arrangements, renters face challenges in fitting their lives into their smaller living spaces. One of the most common challenges reported is a lack of working space in the home. As a means to address this, I designed a system of modular parts that can be built into a variety of desks, providing a customizable work-from-home environment. The system will allow consumers to purchase precisely what they need or can afford, with the ability to upgrade or modify the desk as needs change. The flexibility and part standardization of this system allow for greater sustainability by optimizing part production and extending the lifespan of the product. The long-term advantages of this system are optimal consumer experience (achieved through modularity and flexibility), a high level of environmental sustainability (through material choices, production optimization, and longer product lifespan), and a wide array of potential expansion opportunities for the product system. The larger goal of this exploration is to design a system of parts that can be used and re-used to create a variety of furniture for the home, allowing consumers to make the most of their space and their money.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Furniture design; Modular construction; Telecommuting; Sustainable design

Publication Date

5-10-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Student Type

Graduate

Degree Name

Industrial Design (MFA)

Department, Program, or Center

School of Design (CAD)

Advisor

Alex Lobos

Advisor/Committee Member

Lorraine Justice

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

Plan Codes

IDDE-MFA

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