Author ········· Seung Jun Sim (Peter Sim)
Meduim ········· Solidwork / Keyshot / Photoshop
Published ········· Fall 2020
Language ········· English
Material ········· Pine Wood / Stainless Steel / Fabric

THE TENDER CHAIR

MUJI^® inspired outdoor lounge chair design collections

“To be confident in a simplicity that feels in no way inferior to splendor.”
-Ikko Tanaka, First Art Director of MUJI

The majority of MUJI furniture contain distinctive design. Within a concise design concept, MUJI always requires a high-quality product at “lower than usual” retail prices. MUJI has a straightforward strategy for indoor lounge chairs, but I did not feel it suited outdoor lounge chairs. The key focus is still the concept of concise and simplicity but the mood of vacation on top of it. The lounge chair is always the design opportunity, but extra preference for relaxing to allow customers to feel relaxed at home.

Design 1 (Flowing Nature)

An outdoor lounge chair is a piece of furniture that allows people to use it outside and have comfort. Since many contemporary people are too busy living their own life, they always desire a vacation to rest. MUJI has a distinctive and straightforward outdoor lounge chair. However, the purpose of the outdoor lounge chair needed to show up adequately. When people have a vacation, they usually go to the pool or camping or even to the front yard of their house. Considering this environment, if the chair has a mood of natural resources, people would feel they are on vacation anytime. The material of bentwood and nature's perspective will make people think of holidays.

Environment Rendering

The movement of the wind inspires the overall flow. The first insight and imagination through the word “vacation” ends with the term “nature.” The personal perspective of the “nature” movement motivated how the chair is curved in and out. Adding on the ergonomics of how people are most comfortable to lay beside the bed, the lines inside the chair are the flow of how people would sit down once they are in the chair. The chair is made with curved wood, which provides nature but also shows the mood of chillness by having small spaces in each wood pattern.

Design 2 (Ideal Adjustable Chair)

The material of rubber string most describes the outdoor lounge chair. The Stretch of the rubber gives the most comfort to many people. Compared to the solid shape of the lounge chair, the rubber takes a form that depends on everyone sitting there. Due to this comfort, the designer utilizes rubber or stretching the material in an outdoor lounge chair. With the simplicity of MUJI, I thought a combination of steel tube material, rubber, and clarity would give a mood of comfort without consideration of environment and design.