A brief Mood of the workspace the chair was to be used. Special attention being payed to the African pattern and a traditional narrative. The use of scaffolding and durable wooden materials was an important part of visualisation as it would form part of the environment it was in.

Precedent designer maker products were viewed with various materials being considered. Aurelien Barbrys' stool (top left) was a leading inspiration in my design as I strongly believed that it contained the appropriate traits relevant to an industrial looking product. Alternatively seating arrangements that tesselated into one another were also a strong direction I intended to follow.

After extensive concepting in the drawing form, three final concepts were focused on and explored. Each having a unique African Narrative that would tie in well with the theme of the Museum. The above shows an inspiration form coming from a literal African Drum. However the literal form was not as appealing as the other concepts.

ZARAFA development stages. This concept was furthered into a final product but the refinment process consisted of deciding different forms, seat materials and metal tubing or extrusions. This also delved into some of the mechanical assembly that would be required with the final product. However it was important to gain a robust feel with the entire product. 

The final design focused on more unnatural forms rather then a direct narrative with an African theme. Materials such as prominent South African wood and cork were explored in the hand renderings. Other patterns that were viewed in the Mood board were used as an exploration of tesselation.

Renderings generated by Solid Works were created along side engineering drawings to be used by the designer maker. The design did change slightly after consulting lecturers, the Zarafa stool bears its name from African languages depiction of a giraffe. In its form, characteristics can be linked to the slender and tall shape commonly assosciated with the giraffe. 

Exploration into surface finish was experimented with in the Solidworks rendering section whereby powder coating fineshes as well as painted surface finishes were explored. A final surface finished texture was agreed on. A powder coated tubular steel base with a sealed plywood seat. 

This render looks specifically at the wooden seat and how well it ties into the powder coated metal base. 

Renderings depicting several barstools at the MOAD barcounter, the plywood theme used for the seat works well with the entire ethos of the Museum while the tubular steel bears direct relation to schaffolding and the industrial sector.

The final product Presentation page after a photgraphy shoot in the MOAD industrial warehouse which had previously undergone extensive renovation.