This thesis is about how aluminium correlates to democratic design. It includes comparisons between different materials used at a company that develops products according to democratic design. The analysis of how aluminium correlates is done in order to identify if the company has used and are using aluminium in the correct way, in a home environment. This report also includes some examples of analysis of product types, to show which would and whish would not benefit from being made out of aluminium.

This project consists of the design of a concept for a portable assistive seat in collaboration with IKEA. The aim of the project is to create a solution that fits within the Omtänksam family of products and shares the company’s values of what is so-called Democratic Design: Form - Quality - Low Price - Function – Sustainability The Omtänksam Family is focused on products that can help the elderly to have a more comfortable life while blending with the home environment. A portable assistive Lifting Seat is a real need for many people that require some extra help when standing up or sitting down. The main goal of this project is to design a cheap, safe, simple and light product that can assist people for reducing the effort that is required from them. The product must be comfortable, easy to transport and friendly to interact with. Considering a mass manufacturing perspective is very important to meet the previously formulated requirements. The force that the assistive seat releases must keep performing efficiently during the product service life. A locking system must be provided for avoiding the lifting force to act when the user is sitting, assisting only when it is demanded. This Thesis describes the process of designing a concept for a Portable AssistiveLifting Seat involving different areas such as ergonomics, semantics, manufacturing, mechanical engineering and materials science. The design approach in this case is driven by the Democratic Design Principles combining the human-centered design with a market perspective. The result takes advantage of form and material for avoiding the need for any extra lifting mechanism. This solution is way simpler than any other one existing in the market and it integrates the solution for many different problems in one single piece. This simplification of the problem allows reducing the production cost and helps to meet the intended requirements creating an innovative product for the market.

This is an examination paper in information design specializing in spatial design. This work is searching for more understanding of what joy and co-creation in interaction with a 3D-model can bring to the process of communicating possibilities to live flexibly within a small space in a modular house, focusing on the digital oriented ‘generation Z’. We live in a time where climate threats are more real than ever but in Sweden we consume and expand more than is sustainable within our planet’s bio-capacity. Since Sweden is a rural country, Swedes are used to having a generous amount of personal space. This may be one reason why we don’t realize or understand that, or even how, we can live in smaller space, making our biological footprint shallower. Even though Sweden could be seen as a highly democratic country we still need to strive to make our building processes more democratic. Many of our built environments are designed without participation of the users, in the area of housing or domestic construction this can lead to an experience of alienation in shaping one’s life, due to the strong connection between the home and the resident’s identity. This examination paper is based on theories within Information Design, Human Centered-Design, Human-Computer Interaction and on theories concerning spatial perception and how shapes and form can be used to influence it in order to make smaller living-spaces appear more attractive. The methods are mostly based on literary study which has been supplemented with user dialog and cocreation in real-time, making every user a part of the process and therefore even a co-creator of their own design proposal. This with the intention of demonstrating how a modular house can be an alternative for living smaller but still living according to every user’s own personal needs and values.

Sedari kallas en sittmöbel som finns i många hem i Marocko. Suedi är slang för ”svensk” och Sedari Suedi är titeln på mitt examensprojekt.    Designförslaget Sedari Suedi är en sittmöbel där kultur i hemmet från Marocko och Sverige möts. Bland annat för att undersöka hur kulturen i hemmet ser ut i Sverige idag. Material, färg och funktion arbetar tillsammans i kontraster för att symbolisera berättelser från mina undersökningar. Samt möjliggörandet av en ökad interaktion mellan individer i hemmet.  I en globaliserad värld där människor är i rörelse på ett sätt som aldrig förr kan frågor kring kultur och identitet uppstå både hos individen men även ute i samhället. Hur kultur i hemmet och identitetsbyggande hänger ihop är givetvis en tolkningsfråga och upplevs troligtvis olika, av olika personer. Hur stor vikt har hemmet som uttrycksform och om artefakter är en förstärkning  av en individ och dess status samt identitet är frågor jag reflekterat över under examensarbetets gång.  Arbetet i detta projekt är en blandning i utforskande av egna upplevelser från tidigare erfarenheter, en resa till Marocko med sex stycken hembesök. En analys av utbudet av produkter för hemmet i Sverige, berättelser och samlade insikter från personer med marockansk bakgrund i Sverige, samt en användarstudie. / Sedari is the name of a type of seating furniture found  in many Moroccan homes. Suedi is slang for "Swedish" and Sedari Suedi is the title of my degree project. The design proposal Sedari Suedi is a seating furniture, where culture in the home from Morocco and Sweden come together. I investigate what the culture of the home looks like in Sweden today. The materials, colors and functions in the design proposal work together in contrasts to symbolize the stories from my explorations. As well as enabling an increased interaction between individuals in the home. In a globalized world where people are moving around more than ever, questions about culture and identity can arise both in the individual but also in the greater society. How is the culture of the home and its artefacts is connected to one’s identity? Is it an extension of an individuaI and a form of expression that goes beyond form and function? These are some questions that I reflect on during the course of the project. The research in this thesis is a mixture of exploration of my own previous experiences, a trip to Morocco including six home visits. An analysis of the range of products for the home in Sweden, stories and collected insights from people with Moroccan background in Sweden, and a user study.

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