Industrial Design 2023 University of Alberta
This design was created for a furniture design course where we were instructed to design a side table for an existing furniture company. With these instructions, I chose an Australian design group called TIDE Design which predominantly focuses on producing solid wood house wears.Their designs feature seamless joinery, and value intentionality in all their work.
Formally speaking, TIDE showcases geometric and organic silhouettes that invite the interaction of these shape families. As for finishes, the designs aim to highlight the raw material, therefore, TIDE utilizes various finishes ranging from faint to transparent, such as oils and waxes.
Within my Interpretation of TIDE's design language, I set out to create a side table that incorporated visual movement and an interaction between shapes. This goal was mainly achieved through the table legs, where the organically shaped pieces are grounded by a central joint from which more upward arms reach to support the tabletop. The final design feels light and thoughtful, highlighting the beautiful oak through clean joinery.
These slim legs and arms were hand-cut with a template and a flush-trim bit on a table router. As for the table's surface, once the solid oak boards were glued into a sheet, the round shape was created via a CNC router. After the components had been made, the legs were joined with a domino or a mortise-and-tenon joinery method. Finally, the piece was finished with 3 coats of a clear top oil following the assembly.
