Joy and playfulness are often dismissed as frivolous and childish despite having positive impacts. I designed a task chair that encourages joy and play in adults and questions the dichotomy between play and work through movement, color, shape, and texture.
By increasing affordances—or the number of ways an object can be used—through a set of cushions, this chair can be used in many ways and thus encourages play and movement, which can increase creativity.
Color is closely tied to emotion, so colorful cushions contribute to joy.
Angular objects can unconsciously have a negative effect on emotions, so round forms create a sense of calm and playfulness.
Through a soft texture on the cushions, this chair encourages sensorial stimulation, which can promote joy.
To make the chair practical for work, this design is ergonomic through adjustability, lumbar support, and support for an upright posture.
Model made at 1:4 scale of polyurethane foam and finished with spray paint