LINEA
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Linea is a piece of outdoor furniture that connects the user with its environment by using a symbiotic design language. Linea enhances the location and provides comfortable public seating for a place that otherwise would not be used.
TIMELNE
5 Weeks
May – June 2025
TEAM
Matthew Li
Anabel Blakenship
Lola Foti
Kelsey Lee
TOOLS
Woodworking
Rhino 3D
Prototyping
Sketching
Research
SITE ANALYSIS
When deciding which location our chair should be designed for, we looked around the campus of the University of Washington and identified any interesting landmarks where a piece of outdoor furniture could enhance the environment.
MOOD BOARD
With the site analysis in mind, we gathered form inspiration, as well as how we could incorporate our chosen locations into comfortable outdoor seating.
Ideation
SKETCHES
Following the mood board, we ideated by sketching out chairs which could work with the locations we chose in our site analysis and the forms we used in the mood board. I mainly focused in stairs and railings in my sketches. I also used both physical and digital tools to better visualize each location.
PAPER PROTOTYPING
After our research and sketches, we decided that railings had the most potential to be an interesting location for our product. We also noticed that not many people were using them as seating areas. With our paper prototypes we used a hooked design and focused on how the chair could remain suspended.
CARDBOARD PROTOTYPING
We made a full-scale cardboard prototype to test the proportions and dimensions of the chair. We also experimented with different positions of the backrest to find which was the most visually pleasing.
Iteration
RHINO PROTOTYPING
I used Rhino 3D to create multiple rough CAD models to define a design direction. I both needed to take into consideration the material constraints, standard wood 2x4s, while also keeping the entire design cohesive. Using Rhino, I also made some quick renders to visualize the chair within the location.
Finalizing
FINAL 3D MODEL
After all our prototyping, I created a final model using Rhino 3D. We decided on a tapered design for the upper support arms as well as an elevated backrest. I again kept in mind the material constraints as we were only using 2x4s and pocket screws to assemble the chair.
FABRICATION + ASSEMBLY
With the 3D model, we made a cut list and planned out every piece of wood we would need to assemble the final chair. A table saw, miter saw, jointer, planer, router, and pocket screw jig were used when assembling the final model. Finally, we finished the entire chair with a wood stain.
FINAL DESIGN
