The Fidget Chair is a task chair designed to help users cope with stress and allows movement to stay focus while reading, working or simply relaxing.

CONCEPT

My intent was to design a versatile chair that helps users with ADHD maintain focus and accommodate movement. The Fidget Chair was developed after designing a spherical form, which highlights mobility and enables users to use it as either a stationary seat or for gentle rocking.

RESEARCH

Studies from UC Davis Health show that people fidget when bored, stressed, excited, or intensely thinking. While sitting, movement tends to help people have longer attention spans and maintain emotion.

PRECEDENTS

Polar coordinates represent a system distinct from Cartesian coordinates. In this system, points on a plane are defined using a fixed reference point, which is known as the pole. Instead of using distance along axes, polar coordinates describe a point by it’s length from the pole and the angle it makes with a reference direction. This method allows for the representation of curves and circles.

MATERIAL MANIPULATION

The Fidget Chair incorporates three distinct cardboard manipulation techniques. It utilizes Slotting to connect the circles, forming a spherical shape for the chair. Jointing is utilized for the side supports and backrest components to hold the chairs form. Finally, Laminating is applied to enhance the strength and support necessary to bear the weight of the human body.

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

Building the cardboard chair was an intense yet rewarding experience. It started with material manipulation studies that inspired the concept of The Fidget Chair, defined by its unique sphere-like shape achieved through slotting. To improve functionality, I added side and back supports using joint pieces slotted into the sphere edges for stability and lumbar support. The backrest’s uneven support joint edge allows for gentle rocking, enabling comfortable fidgeting. Finally, I slotted the seat into the backrest, resting it on the sphere edges to create a practical, inviting space for users to sit.

DESIGN SOLUTION

To design the Fidget Chair, I started by researching the seating body dimensions of both men and women. By analyzing the mean, median, and mode of the key measurements, I focused on the range from the 5th percentile of men’s dimensions to the 95th percentile of women’s dimensions to determine the average body size. This makes the chair accessible to most users. After numerous trials and iterations, I then created a sphere-like shape using a slotting technique, which formed the chair’s core design. However, after creating the chair, the sphere-like shape emphasized movement, which made it difficult to build a multifunctional chair rather than a typical stationary one. From there, I focused on developing the rocking motion and ensuring the backrest provided enough support for fidgeting and proper weight distribution. This way, users can sit in the chair regularly or use their legs to rock it gently.