Iron Furniture Design · 2022
Memphis Folding Chair
by Nora Voon
- A' Design Award 2022 Iron Winner in Furniture Design
- Awarded April 15, 2022
- CLIENT: Noda Designs
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 12,068
- Verification code 91CCB2C867 · Verify this award
About Memphis Folding Chair
The simple yet elegant design is handcrafted in rustproof stainless steel in powder coated finish. Inspired from a paperclip and childhood candies, this a stackable folding chair that has a very clean and minimal frame design. The idea is to make a folding chair that pays attention to detail like the exposed brass screws and the groove throughout the frame of the chair. The profile is very simple and was designed intentionally to make it look almost like a line drawing therefore drawing the viewer to look closer at the details. The chair can be easily flat packed or stacked for large shipment
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- This is a stackable folding chair that has a very clean and minimal frame design. The idea is to make a folding chair that has attention to details like the exposed brass screws and the groove throughout the frame of the chair. The profile is very simple and was designed intentionally to make it look almost like a line drawing therefore draws the viewer to look closer at the details. Memphis can be easily flat packed or stacked for large shipment orders and easy for storage as you can hang them on the wall when not using to save space.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- W410 x D400 x H815 mm
- Tags
- folding chair, chair, patio chair, bistro chair, cafe chair, powder coated
- Production Technology
- Memphis chair is made using stainless steel and has rust proof powder coating. The frame is very simple with a groove in the middle and anchored together using the brass screws and fittings. Collapsible into a flat surface so that it is easy for shipping. For storage, it can be stored laid flat and stacked or it can be hung on a wall to save space. The reason for not having a back rest because I wanted to have a design that is very minimal as folding chairs should be and wanted the form to take centre stage with the idea that it can look almost transparent in a way. The missing back rest does not effect the comfort of the chair.
- Design Challenge
- The hardest part of this creative challenge is making sure that the frame is strong enough to support the chair - that is why stainless steel came to mind which is a solid and strong material to work with and if painted correctly with powder coating, it can minimize on corrosion. Using stainless steel means the cost is higher but still doable for a mid range product. We showed it on social media and the response was great with lots of enquiries on this product and also a manufacturer in New York wanted to produce them.
- Project Duration
- I started this project out of necessity on January 11th 2022 and did some research on materials, forms and fittings throughout for 2 weeks. The design concept was done in Toronto, Canada but manufacturing will be done in Indonesia.
- Operation Flow
- The operation is simple, folded chair can be operated using one simple movement by unfolding the chair. The ease of this chair and the simplicity of it makes it a timeless piece, and the fact that one can hang it on a wall to reduce storage space is ideal for small apartments or homes.
- Research
- When we were working on a commercial project recently and we realized there aren't any good looking fun folding chairs that are good for commercial use such as cafes, bistros, or even public spaces. I embarked on finding a solution for this but also wanted to make sure it can be easily shipped in a flat pack format. We spoke to a few manufacturers and because of the groove we wanted to make sure the corrosion is at a minimal since we wanted this to be a contract furniture which is why the frame is rounded so that accumulation of water is not possible. I used colours that are bright ad cheerful because most folding chairs are either white or silver/chrome finish, I wanted the chair to be fun and exciting which can brighten any interior or exterior.
- Inspiration
- The Memphis chair is an updated modern take on the folding chair. The simple yet elegant design is handcrafted in rustproof stainless steel in powder coated finish. Inspired from a paperclip and childhood candies, I wanted to create a folding chair that is minimal but yet substantial with attention to detail like the grooves around the chair frame. Anchored together with exposed brass fittings and screws for that extra special touch. The chair is stackable, therefore making it easy for storage (hung) and comes in 5 colours and can easily be shipped in a flat pack.
- Image Credits
- Images #1 to #5: render by Katie Zhang
video credit: Katie Zhang
Colors of Memphis Folding Chair
Design Interview about Memphis Folding Chair
The main principle of this chair is to have a folding chair in the market that looks good, works well with contract but is also fun and elegant in design. The inspiration came from a paperclip (shape) and childhood candies (colours).
The main focus is to make sure that it is easy to store away or shipped as that's a key factor to consider especially if you are manufacturing an item for production. The design aspect has to be minimal and timeless so that it will always be relevant at any space and time.
I plan to collaborate with a company that would produce this for mass consumption because I think it works so well in commercial spaces such as cafes, hotels, public spaces or even schools.
Funny you asked as this didn't take that much time at all. I was thinking how can I design a folding chair that looks good but at the same time can even look fun and make you feel happy. That's where the colours came in, inspired by love heart candies. It took me about 20 minutes to come up with the idea and the rest was making sure the functionality and durability is strong.
I was sourcing for folding chairs for a particular project and found that most folding chairs on the market is not very good looking, so I decided to design my own. At the point, I decided that it should be very minimal in design but let the colours and shape of the chair take centre stage.
Currently we can produce them ourselves working with a factory in Indonesia but we do plan to sell or lease the production rights with a big company if they are interested.
Like I said before, I realized there aren't any good looking fun folding chairs on the market.
yes of course, I worked with another team member to make sure the technical details are correct and that it is strong enough.
Mid range market customer. This item was never intended to be expensive.
It's very minimal in design and you can hang it on a wall!
Memphis - according to ancient Egyptian meaning " A good place to live" - very fitting for a folding chair don't you think?
Autocad, Rhino.
The fact that you can hang it on a wall to save space.
I worked with another team member who helped in the 3D rendering and technical drawings.
The material for this chair is either steel or Aluminum. Aluminum is great due to its lightness in weight which is a bonus for shipping however, it may not be a durable as steel. We are experimenting with both.
I did a search to see what's out there in terms of folding chairs on the market. I find that most of these are bulky and not very good looking style wise, so decided to design it myself.
Making sure the chair passes the strength test! As I intend to sell these as contract furniture.
I submitted another design for competition during 2020 during covid with a covid inspired theme and we won the bronze price last year for it (HQ Table). This year, we decided to try our luck again.
I learned that when designing a product, less is more, the less complicated a design is the better it is. It means that it is user friendly, cheaper to produce and less liability usually.