Lean, an urban speculation
Client: Plai design (self-directed), 2015
#speculativedesign #designingforfutures #postures #furniture #technologyandbody #urbanplanning
Role: Researcher, Industrial designer
Melbourne, like all cities, is purpose-built. This particularly becomes clear when you observe its inhabitants strutting their stride to perform their lucid rituals. These rituals are well serviced by restaurants, shopping strips, public transport, universities, libraries etc. Here the interaction between the parties involved is clear, mutually agreed upon, and almost always includes a monetary transaction.
These purposeful rituals often foster inconspicuous incidental activities such as waiting for someone (a friend) or something (public transport, coffee), messaging, online searches, bumping into a friend etc. More and more of these ‘incidental activities’ are being performed on or serviced by the ubiquitous smart phone. This project speculates on how street furniture can cater to these incidental activities and ultimately our inveterate dependence on the smart phone. Lean is a speculative series of leaning furniture based on user's existing behaviour patterns. People usually tend to use their phones near intersections, against the wall, whilst waiting and usually tend to get out of other's way. Sprouting from this observation, Lean gives the existing elements of the city such as bollards, walls, lamp posts a secondary function; to lean on.
These purposeful rituals often foster inconspicuous incidental activities such as waiting for someone (a friend) or something (public transport, coffee), messaging, online searches, bumping into a friend etc. More and more of these ‘incidental activities’ are being performed on or serviced by the ubiquitous smart phone. This project speculates on how street furniture can cater to these incidental activities and ultimately our inveterate dependence on the smart phone. Lean is a speculative series of leaning furniture based on user's existing behaviour patterns. People usually tend to use their phones near intersections, against the wall, whilst waiting and usually tend to get out of other's way. Sprouting from this observation, Lean gives the existing elements of the city such as bollards, walls, lamp posts a secondary function; to lean on.
