Beyond Japanese minimalistic versatility

Abstract

Due to advances in industrial development, we are now living in an extremely consumeristic world. Every day, large volumes of products are purchased while others are thrown away. At the same time, consumers expect products to add value to their lives beyond mere aesthetics and basic functionality. In particular, the market for mass-produced furniture has grown oversaturated in recent decades. Thus, it is very difficult for designers to make a product that is sufficiently different from what already exists. However, regardless of this state of excess, superficial novelty designs are cast into the limelight every year in Milan and throughout the world. Whenever I visit design fairs I have to question whether people truly need new chairs that appear only nominally different from what already exists. Are these products really improving the quality of our lives and do we still need new chair designs?

This Master’s thesis approaches this question by studying the context rather than only looking at the problem from an aesthetic angle, applying the minimalistic thinking of Japanese product design. The methodology investigates the shared values in Japanese and Finnish culture in order to create a new seating product that is both relevant and meaningful in the context of contemporary furniture design.

The thesis first delves into the changing lifestyle in Japan over time and how this affected the development of modern furniture. In many cases, the Japanese brand of minimalistic design thinking is an effective method of finding solutions, because simplification is one way to improve user experience. This thesis aims to discover ways that neutrality in design can be utilised to create new value within product design in general and chair typologies in particular.

This thesis project attempts to find a new relationship between a chair and its end user. Furthermore, my intention is to make a product possessing characteristics that makes the user want to keep it for longer and with greater intimacy. Thus, this thesis explores the simplicity that comes from Japanese tradition, and its application to today’s world and its myriad challenges. Even though the results may not be a perfectly formulated innovative design, the entire project can be seen as an experiment for a new chair typology rooted in the principles of Japanese minimalism.