Product Design Challenge – Industrial Arthropod

The brief was to produce a piece of furniture (a side table, stool, shelving, storage or free-standing floor lamp) for a collection based on arthropods as inspiration. The item had to be constructed out of timber, concrete, plaster or metal.

I initially researched and created a mood board on arthropods, I then looked at their skeletal sections in more detail for further inspiration.
I drew 50 x thumbnail sketches of initial designs and then created some maquettes to explore some of the ideas further.

I decided to focus on Woodlice as I am a skateboarder and had some used skateboard decks at home that I could re-purpose. The thorax on a Woodlouse reminded me of the shape of a skateboard deck! By separating them and creating space between them I visualised shelves.

In order to make the shelves I had to make a mould for the concrete bases then make and pour the concrete. I made the wooden sides and made my own dowels.