Product design is one of the key topics with which METALAB urban laboratory works within the framework of the New Economy of the Ivano-Frankivsk project.
METALAB’s task in this project is to increase the ability to create and improve products based on sustainability, circular economy, and universal design principles.
In September, the first product design workshop was held, where all these principles were taken into account, and we share the results here. It was a challenge to develop a methodology for conducting such workshops. Still, METALAB has developed a working methodology to implement such formats further and prototype innovative things.
Another format that naturally arose during the workshop — is networking for designers, architects, manufacturers, and entrepreneurs.
Conducting a workshop
Returning to the workshop itself — for two weeks, a team of architects, designers, and technologists developed designs and prototypes of furniture for use in residences inhabited by people with the status of internally displaced persons (IDPs). The team has created a furniture concept that will be used in one of the residential facilities of the KO-HATY project — temporary housing for people forced to leave their homes after the war started.
During these two weeks, the team went through all design stages: analysis of the living conditions of people with IDP status, market research and consultations with other initiatives, consultations with designers and managers of several local industries, and legal consulting.
Main stages
Analysis of needs of people with IDP status. The previous communicative experience with people who moved to Ivano-Frankivsk in April immensely helped the team. Talking and interacting with them, the workshop participants studied the issues and understood the conditions in which people live and what they lack. It was a lot of observation, interaction, and analysis. At the beginning of the workshop, the team understood that there is a need for quality and affordable furniture that can be produced quickly and inexpensively.
Interaction with contractors. It was essential to understand the obligations of the parties prescribed in the contract, how to formalize the legal relationship between the project team and the contractor, the specifics of production, and how to prepare a straightforward technical task.
Copyright and terms of their use. This issue was one of the most difficult, and the team formulated a list of issues that required legal expertise.
The workshop resulted in the developed design and prototype furniture — beds and shelves — which was transferred to production.
The workshop resulted in the developed design and prototype furniture — beds and shelves — which was transferred to production.
When creating a pilot sample of a set of furniture (prototype), the focus was on the following criteria:
- be modular and manufactured locally in Ukraine;
- be compact to meet the needs of organizing small living spaces;
- be adaptable to the needs of specific people who use them;
- be suitable for easy production and balanced in price-quality;
Local businesses must be involved in the production process of both the pilot sample and serial models. After analyzing the price offers and finishing the drawings, the final sketch of the prototype was handed over to a woodworking manufacturer from Ivano-Frankivsk for production.
In October, two manufactured prototypes were received and tested in actual use. After the testing process and, if necessary, making corrections to the sketch, improvements, adaptations, etc., the drawing will be transferred to mass production.
The product design workshop took place within the framework of the project “New Economy of Ivano-Frankivsk (NEF) – support of new clusters of innovative economic activity in Ivano-Frankivsk”, which is financed by the European Union within the Mayors for Economic Growth Facility Programme.
