Xanxan Shelf by Smallgran studio is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2017 Bronze A' Design Award in Furniture Design Competition Category.
BronzeFurniture· 2017
Xanxan Shelf
Client: Smallgran
Bronze A' Design Award Winner in Furniture Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #57563The Design
About Xanxan Shelf
Xanxan is a shelf with customizable configurations, designed to reduce transport and storage space. The design consists of two anchor posts to which a web of strings is fastened. A simple mechanism allows the user to adjust the tension of each string and to create a straight support surface. Xanxan holds the same items as a standard shelf and can also be used as a hanger. Compared with a standard shelf, Xanxan uses seven times less wood, needs nine times less storage space and weighs four times less. The anchor posts are made of maple wood.
The Recognition
About the Bronze A' Design Award
Xanxan Shelf is a Bronze A' Design Award winner, a highly prestigious recognition granted to outstanding designs distinguished by creativity, ingenuity, and astuteness. Bronze winners are amply skillful and strikingly creative artifacts that authenticate the vast experience, imagination, and resourcefulness of their designers. Xanxan Shelf is expected to be a highly regarded, admired, and cherished object that is notably professional and innovative. This Bronze A' Design Award-winning design incorporates best practices in art, science, design, and technology, and is excellent for its attention to detail. Xanxan Shelf splendidly satisfies needs, touches desires, charms feelings, and appeals to curiosity.
Interviews
Design Interview
What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?
The most direct principle has been material reduction. We know that it is vital for the planet and that, commercially, is very advantageous, we see it constantly in examples like Ikea.
As an inspiration, we are obliged to mention (although It was not consciously or explicitly in the design process) the clothes rack that is very common in the Mediterranean lands.
What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?
Xanxan was first conceived under the challenge of reducing the material cost and ecological impact of an existing concept. We were specifically looking for an unexploited product category in which we could contribute with fresh ideas.
What are your future plans for this award winning design?
This product is currently available on a small scale basis. We are looking for companies interested in producing an industrial scale to ultimately reduce its costs.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- Xanxan is a shelf featuring customizable configurations and optimized transport and storage space.
The product consists of two anchor posts to which a web of strings is fastened. It includes a simple mechanism that allows the user to adjust the tension of each string in order to provide a straight support surface.
Xanxan can hold everything a standard shelf holds and it can act as a hanger, too. But more importantly: compared to a standard shelf, Xanxan uses seven times less wood, requires a storage space nine times lower and weights four times less. - Dimensions & Packaging
- Product: 300-1500* mm x 220 mm x 85 mm.
* This dimension depends on how it is installed.
Package: 90 mm x 70 mm x 245 mm
Weight supported: up to 20 kg. - Tags
- Xanxan, Minimum Shelf, Shelf, Adaptable, Customizable, Hanger, Space Saving, Material Saving, Sustainable, Cord, Rope
- Production Technology
- The wooden pieces are formed by lathing the hard Maple Wood and later drilling the holes: three for the screws at the base and four for the strings at the pole. This process can be done by hand for loose units or through automated processes for industrial scale units.
The string is a standard Paracord that the user cuts at a specific length according to the distance at which the two anchor posts are installed. - Design Challenge
- The main design challenge was to develop a fresh solution while reducing the material and ecological cost of an existing concept.
From the technical perspective, we had three challenges:
- Designing a tensioning mechanism. It had to fix the strings allowing for progressive tensioning and we needed to keep it simple to maintain the cost low.
- Finding a wood that is light-weight, cheap, resistant and tough enough.
- Finding a rope that holds its mechanical and dimensional properties over time. - Research
- This project was driven by market research and experimentation.
After finding a market niche in adaptable shelves, the concept design phase was based on modeling and testing. We had to meet the requisites fixed by the best-selling shelves, so we developed several prototypes and tested them. The final solution was picked based on its simplicity, performance and interaction.
At the detailed design phase, we worked with master carpenters to pick the best materials and shape manufacture-wise. - Inspiration
- Xanxan was first conceived under the challenge of reducing the material cost and ecological impact of an existing concept. As market research went on, the lack of flexibility and adaptability of the existing shelves to user and space needs drove the project to the final solution.
The project was self-commissioned from the studio itself as a means to prove its design skills. - Project Duration
- The project started in the Polytechnical University of Valencia, where its first 5 months of development took part. After finishing their degree, Smallgran founders created the Valencia based studio where the design was then finished after 7 more months of work.
- Operation Flow
- For the installation, the user first needs to decide the position of each post. With the anchor posts fixed, four string segments are then tied to them in a zig-zag manner. After the strings are installed, the pegs must be turned. With every turn, the strand twists on itself increasing its tension becoming able to support weight.
Once the strings are taut, the shelf can be filled with books, Cd's, etc. Over time the shelf can lose its tension, this is fixed by giving the pegs a few more turns. - Team Members
- Luis Herram
Carles Marquina Selfa
Francesc Duart Escribà
Carlos Carrasco Fraile
Borja Miret García - Image Credits
- Image #1: Smallgran, Xanxan, 2016.
Image #2: Smallgran, Xanxan, 2016.
Image #3: Smallgran, Xanxan, 2016.
Image #4: Smallgran, Xanxan, 2016.
Image #5: Smallgran, Xanxan, 2016.
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