In a world that only spins faster and where information is available in abundance, the need to multi task has grown bigger than ever before. The need to eat or work from the sofa is growing, while the trends say that the coffee table should be low. This conflict of interest forces people to make a choice, following the trends or being able to easily multi task from the sofa. Or do they have to? The thesis work described in this report may provide a solution to the problem. The work consists of 10 credits and is carried out by two students as a final stage of the bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design Engineering at Luleå University of Technology. The work is carried out in collaboration with the furniture manufacturer Tenzo AB. Tenzo is a, privately owned, Swedish furniture manufacturer with a business idea aimed at trendy furniture in the international market, according to Tenzo (2018), 95% is exported to Europe and major retailers in France, Germany and Switzerland. The goal has been to develop a conceptual lift top coffee table. With a user-centered design process, the user was involved continuously throughout the work, during a workshop and in interviews with the goal of exploring the question ”What is important in a coffee table?”, in evaluative interviews and in Virtual Reality (VR) to test the concepts and ideas. The final concept embraces a more classical table shape than the lift top tables available on the market today, but is also developed with future trends in mind. The trends identified are colors with more hue than the bright pastels we see today, rounder and softer shapes than the boxynes observed among today’s lift top coffee tables, and that the light wood is replaced by darker woods. The color options presented give the table both the ability to melt into an environment or stick out and demand presence in the room.

This report is an investigation into how I, as a furniture designer, can absorb the task of furniture design, with the intention of honoring a brand, by holding it in the highest of esteem, so that it may be revered.  During my three years as a student at Malmstens Bachelor’s Program in furniture design, I have been taught and trained, to be able to to create and design distinguished furniture for the industry, that is worthy of respect.  The report describes how a lounge chair has emerged through a design process in collaboration with Gemla Fabrikers AB. I have been focusing on the history of Gemla as the only furniture manufacturer in Sweden that can tame wood and the challenges that Gemla stands in front of.  The investigation is built on my  onw studies, interviews and a survey.The lounge chair, which is a physical result of this investigation, is partially made of bent wood and is a tribute to the queen in the Swedish furniture bransch. Gemla. / Den här rapporten är en undersökning i hur jag som möbeldesigner kan ta mig an uppgiften att designa en möbel i avsikt att vårda ett varumärke. Under tre års studier på på Malmstens möbeldesignprogram har jag tränats för att kunna designa möbler för möbelindustrin. Rapporten beskriver hur en fåtölj vuxit fram ur en designprocess i samarbete med Gemla Fabrikers AB. Syftet var att skapa en produkt som vårdar Gemlas varumärke. Fokus har lagts på Gemlas historia som är det enda företag i Sverige som kan böja trä och de vägval Gemla står inför. Undersökningen bygger på egna studier, intervjuer och en enkät. Fåtöljen som är det fysiska resultatet av denna undersökning är delvis tillverkad i böjträ och är en hyllning till drottningen i den svenska möbelindustrin. Gemla.

I detta examensarbete ville jag undersöka asymmetri och använda det ordet för att formge möbler och objekt. Jag ville undersöka hur asymmetrin skulle kunna te sig och jag lade en stor grund vid litteratur och omvärldsanalys. Med researchen tog jag mig vidare in i en skiss- och modellprocess som därefter ledde fram till två utvalda former som jag skulle tillverka i full skala. Arbetet är förhållet till ett tio veckor långt tidsspann och jag betraktar arbetet i helhet som en skiss och en grund för fortsatta studier på master- och forskarnivå. Jag kom fram till att asymmetri kan te sig på olika sätt i formgivningen – en materiell asymmetri, en asymmetri i formers relationer till varandra och att det krävs en viss symmetri för att kunna urskilja asymmetrin, det avvikande. Resultatet är två möbler som visar hur långt eller hur kort man kan dra asymmetrin och de båda objekten innefattar symmetriska beståndsdelar placerade i en asymmetrisk relation till varandra. / In this thesis I wanted to investigate asymmetry and use that word to design furniture and objects. I wanted to investigate how the asymmetry could manifest itself and I laid a great foundation in literature. With the research I proceeded into a sketch and model process which then led to two selected forms that I would produce in full scale. The work is related to a ten-week long span of time and I regard the work as a whole as a sketch and a basis for further studies at master’s and doctoral level. I found that asymmetry can manifest itself in different ways in design – a material asymmetry, an asymmetry in the relations of shapes to each other and that a certain symmetry is required to be able to discern the asymmetry, the deviating. The result is two pieces of furniture that show how far or how short one can take the word investigated. The two objects comprise symmetrical elements placed in an asymmetric relationship to each other.

This is a project about how the furniture industry could become more sustainable intheir waste handling. The project is based in Småland both geographically and interms of heritage and history in order to encourage locally produced products. Thecollaborators for this project are the two furniture companies Swedese andStrömslunds Snickerifabrik AB. Both companies have their production in Vaggeryd,Småland. Both companies are struggling with the waste that they produce. The aim ofthis project is to find a sustainable solution for their waste issue. In order to find asolution two theories are applied. The first one is industrial symbiosis which meansthat several industries can, by collaboration, profit from each other’s resources. Thesecond theory is circular economy which encourage remake, reuse or recycling of aproduct once it has reached its end of life. To prove that this solution would be possiblea hunting chair was made by combining the waste material that was gathered fromSwedese and Strömlunds. The decision to make a hunting chair was made to connectthe chair with the heritage of hunting and foresting in rural Småland. The making ofthe chair was different in the way that instead of that the designer would tell thematerial what was possible it was instead the material that decided the limitationsand possibilities. The final product fulfils its purpose and works perfectly for outdooractivities, even though some minor design decisions could have been changed. Theoutcome proves that Swedese and Strömslunds could benefit from working more withcircular economy and start cooperating in order to work as an industrial symbiosis.

In a time of growing consciousness around sustainability and an early paradigm shift when it comes to circular systems for furniture and interiors, as an aspiring designer, I need and must adapt accordingly within my field and creative practice. In this project, I have worked with the immense material waste that is going on, especially focusing on furniture and interiors, within the public and private sectors as well as in office environments, where this is a big issue. Guided by the United Nations Global Goal No 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production, I have experimented with, to me, new ideas for systems that deal with the upcycling and repurposing of “old” and/or discarded pieces of furniture and the material they are made from. To see what I can make of it to prolong the lifecycle and give the material a new purpose, function, and value. In my process I have acted both as an interior architect and a furniture designer but also as a sculptor and craftsman since the predetermined “waste” material I have worked with demanded a reversed design process than what a “normal” one would look like for a commercial project.    The result is a series of new furniture designed and made from waste material, revisioned by me through a mix of art and design, to see how I as a designer of furniture and interiors can develop and find my path in this and to help formulate the new design paradigm and aesthetics for future circular and sustainable furniture and interior solutions that is underway.

As Covid-19 spread throughout the world in the early months of 2020 many people’s lives changed drastically. The situation forced millions of workers and students to start performing their work remotely from home. Currently in Sweden statistics shows that every third person working does it from home at least once a week. When our work environments change, new conditions are created for how we can design our environments, which contributes to new design challenges. We believe that some homes are missing an intended space for office work, especially smaller apartments in larger cities. This means, among other things, that many people lack a place in their homes that offers a good sound environment. We believe that all people deserve to have a workplace that provides the best possible conditions for personal development, performance and well-being, even when working from home. This thesis work within the field of industrial design engineering was conducted in collaboration with the acoustical consultant firm Efterklang and Luleå University of Technology. The development process has followed the human centered design process of Design Thinking, an iterative design process consisting of the spaces of inspiration, ideation, and implementation. The aim of the project was to investigate how people experience sounds throughout their work day and based on this design a product with good acoustical properties for their home. The project also considered the varying conditions for different home offices as well as how people want to work in the near future. The objective was to create a better work environment by improving the workspace and its soundscape. The following mission statement was set up: “Increase people’s well-being and ability to perform by designing a better soundscape for the home office environment”. A literature review has been conducted together with both quantitative and qualitative research methods. The result has been used to answer the following research questions: (i) What do the users perceive as noise in the home environment and what impact does the soundscape have on our wellbeing? (ii) How can we through design, influence people’s feelings and experiences in their home office environment? (iii) What materials or techniques can be used to help increase the acoustical properties of a product and the soundscape of the home office environment? (iv) What user needs can we meet by designing an acoustics-enhancing product for the home office? Close to half of the project was spent in the space of inspiration, to get a deeper knowledge of the field of acoustics. Primarily the aspects of low-frequency noise and how it affects people was researched. It was however discovered in the interviews, observations, and questionnaire that a majority were consciously more affected by generic noise in their proximity. It was also discovered that when designing their workspace, sound, lighting, ergonomics, and privacy was the most important characteristics. Based on this knowledge, two personas were created which primarily helped to keep focus on the intended target group. The personas have also been used to motivate the final result. In the ideation phase, a total of six workshops were conducted. One of these workshops was performed together with six acoustic consultants and designers. This opportunity helped to evaluate our ideas and realize what is actually possible to achieve. The workshops have contributed to both diverging and converging the thesis work. The development of the concepts has throughout the project been done in an iterative process of workshops and user insights. Prototypes in the form of sketches, digital CAD models, and augmented reality [AR] have been used to convey our ideas to the users. The thesis work has resulted in a modular workstations that consists of acoustic elements in the form of absorbents and a floor standing screen. The product also includes a number of functions that can help the home worker to create an ergonomic workspace. It provides amongst other things a height adjustable desk and electric outlet for lighting. The workstation also has a number of shelves that the user can decorate or use for storage. / Många människor liv förändrades drastiskt under de första månaderna av 2020 då Covid-19 snabbt spreds över världen. Denna förändring tvingades miljontals med människor att snabbt ställa om till arbete på distans. Enligt statistik från statistiska centralbyrån arbetar ungefär en tredjedel av Sveriges befolkning hemifrån minst en dag i veckan. När våran arbetssituation förändras uppkommer nya krav på hur dessa miljöer utformas, vilket i sig bidrar till nya designutmaningar. Vi anser att många av dagens hem saknar en dedikerad arbetsplats. Framförallt när det kommer till mindre lägenheter i större städer. Detta bidrar i sin tur till att många kanske saknar en plats i hemmet med en god ljudmiljö att utföra sitt arbete i. Vi anser att alla människor har rätt till en arbetsplats som bidrar till personlig utveckling, prestation och välmående. Detta examensarbete inom området teknisk design har utförts i samarbete med akustik och ljuddesign-företaget Efterklang, samt Luleå Tekniska Universitet. Arbetet har följt en användarcentrerad designprocess kallad Design Thinking. Denna designprocess går iterativt igenom de tre områdena Inspiration, Ideation och Implementation. Målet med detta arbetet var att undersöka hur människor upplever ljud i deras vardag och utifrån detta designa en produkt som bidrar till en bättre ljudmiljö. Projektet beaktade också de olika förhållandena i användarna hemmiljö samt hur dessa kan tänka sig att arbeta i framtiden. Syftet med arbetet var att skapa en bättre arbetsmiljö genom att förbättra både arbetsplatsen och ljudmiljö runtom. Följande mission statement har ställts upp: “Increase people’s well-being and ability to perform by designing a better soundscape for the home office environment”. En litteraturstudie ligger tillsammans med kvantitativa och kvalitativa forskningsmetoder som grund för detta arbete. Resultatet av dessa har används för att svara på följande frågeställningar: (i) Vad upplever användarna som störande ljud i hemmiljö och hur påverkar detta deras välmående? (ii) Hur kan vi genom design påverka människors upplevelse av deras arbetsmiljö i hemmet? (iii) Vilka material och tekniker kan användas för att påverka en produkts akustiska egenskaper samt arbetsmiljön i hemmet? (iv) Vilka behov kan vi uppfylla genom att designa en produkt som förbättrar användarens ljudmiljö i hemmet? Eftersom detta projekt har krävt en förståelse för området akustik samt hur människor påverkas av störande ljud, har största delen av projektet spenderats i inspirations-fasen. Inledningsvis lades mycket fokus på lågfrekvent buller samt hur detta påverka människor. Dock uppmärksammades det i intervjuer, observationer samt enkät att en majoritet av användare störst mer av allmänt buller i deras närhet. Här uppmärksammades det också att när användaren utformar sin arbetsplats så rankas ljudmiljö, ljus, ergonomi samt avskildhet högt på listan av egenskaper. Utifrån denna kunskap har två personas skapats. Dessa har framförallt underlättat i att hålla kvar fokus på målgruppen. Det slutgiltiga resultatet motiveras också utifrån dessa. I ideation-fasen genomfördes total sex större workshops. Under en av dessa bjöds sex utomstående akustiker och ljusdesigners in för att delta. Under denna workshop utvärderades bland annat koncept vilket resulterade i en djupare förståelse för vad som är genomförbart. Samtliga workshops har bidragit till att både konvergera samt divergera tankar och idéer under detta examensarbete. Utvecklingen av idéer har skett i ett iterativt arbetssätt av workshops och feedback från användare. Prototyper i form av skisser, CAD-modeller samt AR har används för att förmedla idéer och koncept till användarna. Detta arbete har resulterat i en modulär arbetsstation innehållande akustiska element i form av absorbenter och en golvstående skärm. Möbeln innehåller flertalet funktioner vilka hjälper hemarbetaren att skapa en ergonomisk arbetsplats. Exempelvis erbjuder arbetsstationen möjlighet för höj- och sänkbart skrivbord samt ett eluttag för arbetsbelysning. Tillgängligt finns också hyllplan vilka användaren kan dekorera eller utnyttja som förvaringsyta.

The learning environment is one of our most important workplaces. It is mainly a workplace for students, but also teachers and other staff. It is the environment that these people are surrounded by every day, which makes the physical environment and physical products really important. The educational methods have changed over time, and the physical environment needs to be adapted to today’s learning methods to support and improve learning, and meet the new needs that arise. This Master Thesis is the final part of the Master Programme in Industrial Design Engineering at Luleå University of Technology. The work was carried out in spring 2020, in collaboration with the Swedish furniture company Kinnarps AB, based on their concept Next Education. Next Education is one of Kinnarps three concepts, where they offer interior design solutions focusing on the future learning environments. The work has aimed to develop a furniture concept proposal for the informal learning environments, focusing on secondary and upper secondary school, to enhance the learning experience and utilize these areas more efficiently.  The project has been divided into three phases, Inspiration, Ideation, and Implementation, a user-centered design process with inspiration from IDEO (2015). The work had an open starting point, where the first phase aimed to visit different schools, from elementary school to upper secondary school, to explore needs and development potential. Observations at the various schools, combined with interviews, survey, and benchmarking were significant parts of the first phase. After that, the work could be directed to a more defined goal and Mission Statement. The Mission Statement was:“Design an inclusive furniture that encourages movement and variation for the secondary and upper secondary school spaces in-between.” The second phase involved developing ideas through creative methods and resulted in three concepts. After feedback and discussions, the final concept could be selected and was progressed to the final Implementation phase, where the concept was further developed. The final concept proposal was then modeled in CAD and visualized through renderings. The work resulted in a modular concept that is both environmentally friendly and inclusive (considering cognitive disabilities), which also contributes to informal learning and improved behavior. The concept, named LeanPod, is a wall-mounted furniture that offers both a screened study place and a support to lean against during short breaks or while waiting. It also has good sound-absorbing properties. Besides, it encourages more standing, which contributes to more variety and better ergonomics. The concept, which is designed with a focus on informal learning environments, contributes to a new way of seeing and using the learning environment. The concept leads to informal learning, that can be used for both self-study as well as an extension of the classroom. It contributes to an approach that learning happens in different areas and utilizes the spaces more efficiently. / Lärmiljön är en oerhört viktig arbetsplats. Det är en arbetsplats för framför allt elever, men även lärare och annan personal. Det är den miljö som dessa personer omges av varje dag, vilket gör att den fysiska miljön och de fysiska produkterna är oerhört viktiga. De pedagogiska metoderna har förändrats över tid och den fysiska miljön behöver vara anpassad för dagens lärandemetoder, för att stödja och förbättra inlärningen, samt möta de nya behov som uppstår. Denna rapport redogör för examensarbetet inom civilingenjör Teknisk Design, med inriktning produktutveckling vid Luleå tekniska universitet. Arbetet har utförts under våren 2020, i samarbete med det svenska möbelföretaget Kinnarps AB, och med utgångspunkt deras koncept, Next Education. Next Education är ett av Kinnarps tre koncept där de erbjuder inredningslösningar med fokus på framtidens lärmiljöer. Målet med arbetet har varit att ta fram ett möbelkoncept för de informella lärmiljöerna med fokus på högstadiet och gymnasiet, med syfte att förbättra inlärningsupplevelsen och utnyttja dessa ytor på ett mer effektivt sätt. Projektet har varit indelat i tre faser, Inspiration, Ideation och Implementation, en användarcentrerad designprocess med inspiration från IDEO (2015). Arbetet utgick från ett öppet perspektiv, där första fasen gick ut på att besöka ett antal olika skolor, från lågstadiet upp till gymnasiet, för att utforska behov och utvecklingspotential. Observationer på de olika skolorna, i kombination med intervjuer, enkät och benchmarking var en stor del av den första fasen. Därefter riktades arbetet till ett mer definierat mål och Mission Statement. Projektets Mission Statement var: ”Designa en inkluderande möbel som uppmuntrar till rörelse och variation för högstadiets och gymnasiets mellanrumsytor.” Den andra fasen innebar att ta fram idéer genom kreativa metoder och resulterade i tre koncept. Efter feedback och diskussioner kunde det slutliga konceptet väljas ut, som sedan togs vidare till den sista Implementeringsfasen, där konceptet utvecklades vidare. Det slutliga konceptförslaget modellerades sedan i CAD och visualiserades genom renderingar. Arbetet resulterade i ett modulärt koncept som är både miljövänligt och inkluderande (med fokus på kognitiva funktionsnedsättningar), samt bidrar till informellt lärande och förbättrat beteende. Konceptet, döpt till LeanPod, är en väggfast möbel som erbjuder både en avskild studieplats, samt ett stöd att luta mot under korta pauser eller under väntan. Det har även har mycket goda ljudabsorberande egenskaper. Dessutom uppmuntrar det till att stå upp mer, vilket bidrar till mer variation och bättre ergonomi. Konceptet, som är designat med fokus på de informella lärmiljöerna, bidrar till ett nytt sätt att se och använda lärmiljön på. Konceptet bidrar till ett informellt lärande, som kan användas såväl för självstudier och som en förlängning av klassrummen. Det bidrar till ett synsätt av att lärande kan ske på fler ställen och utnyttjar ytor på ett mer effektivt sätt.

Product development can be taxing for the environment. When it comes to hardware products then a lot ofthe materials generally involved are based on finite resources such as fossil fuels. As the most commonlyused materials are rarely biodegradable, they often end up in landfills where they end up being harmfulboth to the environment and its inhabitants for a very long time. During recent years some companieshave started combating this through getting involved in the development and implementation of moresustainable alternatives. One of these companies trying to implement more sustainable materials isInteresting Times Gang, who now also wishes to develop new products by using mycelium - theunderground network of threads produced by fungi. This as mycelium poses a lot of sustainable propertiessuch as biodegradability, a high degree of moldability as well as being a cultivated resource rather thanbeing synthetic. This project serves to investigate what kind of product types are fitting for myceliumcomposites per request from ITG, as well as what kind of surface treatments are possible and fitting tomake the material more desirable. This with the intention of increasing awareness about the material withthe hopes of promoting it to a larger audience, enabling a transition towards more sustainable materialalternatives in the process. With the information gathered through research the project resulted in a sidetable that was designed and manufactured as a 1:1 scale prototype to showcase the possibilities of thematerial. This was done through a material driven design process which was divided into four steps:Understanding the material, Creating materials experience vision, Manifesting materials experience visionand Designing product concepts. Each phase included its own methods respectively and some of themethods include literature review, material testing, benchmarking, user testing, digital prototyping andmanufacturing to name a few. The project is a master thesis for the Industrial Design Engineeringprogramme at Luleå University of Technology performed during the spring of 2023.

The main purpose of this report is to analyze a practical method of design while doing an innovation project connected to a specific armchair. The aim is to re-vitalize the pre-existing product. This project is done within the context of a specific furniture producer. This report describes theories about practical methods of design and how the practical intellect is used in a creative process. It also contains background research about classics. The background research is based on a brief literature review on the subject as well as interviews with professionals within the field of furniture design.  A few factors that can be said to characterize what makes a classic are suggested. The development of a specific armchair is described. Earlier projects where practical methods of design have been used are also described. The practical methods of design used in this project are described. The main method for this is making physical models by hand together with hand sketching.  The design process of developing a new product is described and discussed. As a final result visualizations and a description of a suggestion of how one can re-vitalize the specific armchair are shown. The outcomes and learning from using a practical method of design are discussed. The final suggestion is analyzed according to the factors suggested in the background research to characterize what makes a classic.

Denna uppsats beskriver möbelarkitekten Axel Einar Hjorths karriär och produktion med fokus på åren 1927-32, hans första sex år som chefsarkitekt på Nordiska Kompaniet. Genom att undersöka några samtida tidskrifter försöker uppsatsen även utröna hur Hjorth mottogs under sin egen tid, samt varför han var förtigen i svenskdesignhistoria så länge. I uppsatsen ingår flera möbelanalyser vilka syftar till att beskriva Hjorths stil och bredd samt tidens smak. Uppsatsen visar att Axel Einar Hjorth ofta ritade internationellt orienterade möbler i ren art déco, men också stilmöbler, funktionalistiska seriemöbler m.m. Art déco var en stilriktning under mellankrigstiden, men i Sverige talar vi ofta om ”Swedish Grace” eftersom mycket konsthantverk under denna tid fick ett något svalare klassicistiskt uttryck än övriga länders. I Sverige har art décon eller ”Swedish Grace” ofta hamnat i skuggan av funktionalismen, som fick större genomslagskraft. Det är en av anledningarna till att ingen akademisk text tidigare har skrivits om Axel Einar Hjorth. / This essay describes the carrier and production of the architect Axel Einar Hjorth, with an emphasis on the years 1927-1932, his first six years as head architect at Nordiska Kompaniet. The essay also tries to inquire into how Hjorth was recieved by contemporary press and explain why he was forgotten about for many years. The study shows that the furniture designs of Axel Einar Hjorth was very international in it´s style. Instead of calm classicism the furnitures often have strong references to art déco, a style that didn´t grew big in Sweden. The essay includes several furniture analyses where the aim is to show Hjorths versatility. Hjorth designed both art déco furnitures, period furnitures and more modernistic furnitures etc. One of the reasons why so little has been written about Axel Einar Hjorth and art déco in Sweden is that the funktionalism won the debate with it´s socialistic ideas, which made art déco a short-lived style.