Postur
A sustainable height adjustable desk to minimise sedentary behaviour in the work place.
Why?
"Sitting down is the smoking of our generation" - Harvard business review
Research showed that current desks of this type have been designed with little or no thought devoted to materials, function and style, let alone any form of sustainability. By performing a life cycle analysis of a typical desk it was possible to highlight many opportunities for improvement when it comes to the manufacture, distribution, use and end of life of the product.
How?
With 'Postur' I created a product that combines responsible design with aesthetics that match the requirements of professionals who want practical, adaptable and elegant design whilst still caring for the state of our planet.
After completing a range of concept sketches of mechanisms I decided on a 3 limbed "angle poise" style that pivots on a base. This design allows the desk to be extremely flexible in its layout. Not only can the height of the work surface be drastically adjusted but the entire structure can be folded down for space saving either in use or more importantly during transport, greatly improving the carbon footprint produced during the distribution of the product.
Postur was designed to be modular in its construction to allow for easy replacement of broken parts. Material choice was also used to improve "Postur's" sustainable credentials, with an effort made to use materials that fulfil the mechanical properties needed without sacrificing on aesthetic.
Postur's insert can be swapped out between Cork, Leather, Wood or Cutting mat material. This customisation allows the user to upgrade the desk depending upon their particular style or needs. This eliminates elements of aesthetic and technical obsolesence allowing the user to grow the product creating a bond, in turn increasing the product's life span.
What ?
Alas all good things must come to an end, so what can be done to close the loop? The concept devised fundamentally changes the process of 'just buying' a desk and turns it into a service. Postur would not only be for purchase... Customers would be able to rent it and pay for it as they need it. This cost would not only include the use of the desk but cover the delivery and all subsequent transport of Postur to anywhere the customer requires. This means a replacement and maintenance schedule could be agreed along with the possibility of refurbishment and releasing to new customers when previous ones are finished with it.
This not only reduces initial product costs for the customers but allows the company to maintain their assets resulting in a high intensity of product use resulting in a saving for the company and a product that is inherently sustainable.
