A design tool for generic multipurpose chair design

Abstract

Product classes share the same basic abstract layout, despite their great diversity. The present paper intends to (de)code the variety of types embedded in the class of multipurpose chairs. The contribution of this research is the development of a generative design tool, to be used at the conceptual chair design stage. A framework of five stages is proposed: (1) sample definition, considering chairs with a large diversity of types; (2) analysis of the syntax and semantics of the class through ontological classification; (3) development of a generic shape grammar, innovatively applied to product design; (4) implementation of a digital tool, that provides an interface to manipulate the chair components visualized in a 3D digital model; and (5) user evaluation of the program, in order to draw conclusions on the usability and usefulness of the tool and to collect inputs for further developments.