Taylor McKenzie-Veal – Rhode Island School of Design
The Fl.int. Table is a table with flexibility and integrity for the urban apartment dweller. The highly portable components assemble without tools, using only thumbscrews. The table utilizes honest materials that transform into a durable coffee table or a sturdy dining table, allowing it to adapt to individual spaces.
We were attracted by the simplicity and confidence of this idea - a table that offers two heights using the same set of components. We felt it was a commercial proposition and fairly straightforward to manufacture. We felt a few tweaks were still needed to the design and were put off by an over-emphasis of the 'urban nomad' references which didn't strike us as being the table's main selling point.
1. Summarize the problem you set out to solve. What was the challenge posed to you? Did it get you excited and why?
I challenged myself to design a table that was ideally suited for the urban nomad. Apartment dwellers often find themselves moving from one apartment to another, and furniture is troublesome to handle through a move. Moreover, no two apartments are exactly alike, and thus I wanted to design a table that had inherent flexibility in its function, which was extremely portable.
2. What point of view did you bring to the challenge? Was there anything additional that you wanted to achieve with this project or bring to this project that was not part of the original brief?
I desired to create a design with the ethos of sustainability. Honest, well-made components, fabricated from renewable and reliable sources were a must. I have also observed that flexibility and integrity are cornerstones of sustainable objects, and I sought to embody these ideas into the design.
3. When designing this project, whose interests did you consider? (Discuss various stakeholders, audiences, retailing, manufacturing, assembly, distribution, etc., for example.)
The Fl.int. Table addresses the needs of mobile tenants first and foremost. However, reaching large numbers of urban dwellers also meant designing the object for manufacture. The table’s manufacture would involve mostly CNC operations; CNC tube bending for the legs and CNC milling for the table’s core and edge banding components. The table also needs a balance of skilled labor to weld the legs, and to perform edge banding and veneering for the tabletop to ensure a product that will endure for a lifetime and beyond.
4. Describe the rigor that informed your design. (Research, ethnography, subject matter experts, materials exploration, technology, iteration, testing, etc., as applicable.) If this was a strictly research or strategy project, please provide more detail here.
The process of bringing the Fl.int. Table to life involved carful review of the users needs. Beyond the conception of the product, the construction was evaluated by colleagues with extensive knowledge in wood construction and metalworking. The table was conceived through an iterative process of refinement to ensure that the components would assemble fluidly, without tools. Each component is reduced to an essential part, easily carried and elegantly formed to perform its dual purposes.
5. What is the social value of your design? (Gladdening, educational, economic, paradigm-shifting, sustainable, labor-mindful, environmental, cultural, etc.) How does it earn its keep in the world?
The social value of my design is primarily ecological. The Fl.int. Table can remain with the owner throughout their life, enduring changes in living space and aesthetic. This eliminates the need for purchasing new products, and enhances the relationship the owner has with the product. Domestic Walnut and American made steel create a classic combination that display their honest use. The product proudly displays its materials.
6. If you could have done one thing differently with the project, what would you have changed?