Overview:

This design is about a fusion of furniture and living reminder, seamlessly blending into your surroundings. Inspired by the tranquility of Asian gardens and the art of flower arrangement, it transcends mere illumination. This dynamic companion responds to significant moments and messages from loved ones, ensuring you stay informed. Through subtle cues like movement and motion, it prompts healthy habits like hydration and stretching during long work sessions. Additionally, it serves as a weather and air quality indicator, with desktop colors representing temperature variations and sound cues guiding window ventilation.

Whisper Garden

Timeline: 2023.1 - 2023.5

Tool: Wood Milling and processing, Bent lamination, Soldering, 3d printing, CNC, Glass blowing, Procreate, Rhinoceros, Keyshot, Fusion360.

Skill: Concept development, Technical drawing, Woodworking, Veneer crafting, Prototyping through software and hardware, CNC, 3D Printing, Metalworking, Glass manipulation.

Academic project

How can furniture have personalities and expressions, expressing and visualizing data using physical displays while remaining "calm and unobtrusive” ?
How can we design emotionally durable solutions for a supportive and delightful home experience.

Design Question

Design Development

Building upon the inspiration from Asian gardens and the concept of furniture as a work of art, this design creates an immersive experience that engages users in a playful and creative manner. The incorporation of interactive lighting aims to establish a meditative and natural atmosphere, providing a soothing ambiance that enriches your daily life. Inspired by the harmony of flower arrangement, the lights mimic nature's randomness, turning on when plugged into a table surface and radiating soft, warm light from the center, inviting contemplation and tranquility into your space. This design is not merely a piece of furniture; it's a dynamic, intelligent companion enhancing your environment and well-being. And this innovative creation becomes a living reminder seamlessly integrated into your surroundings. It goes beyond providing illumination; it's a dynamic companion that responds to the changing weather, observe your behavior, softly and subtly altering its color, create movement, and produce sound to keep you informed.

Design Concept

Materials

-Soft maple
-Handblown glass
-Small components produced by 3D printing
-Electronic circuits
-LED light bulb
-Self-made softmaple veneer

Dimension

20(length) * 20(Width)*23(Height)

Wood Finish

Odie’s oil

Mood Board

Early Shape Iteration

Ideation

Light reminder: This feature offers a gentle glow for messages and a pulsating flicker for urgent alerts, transforming furniture into an elegant communicator by seamlessly blending technology with aesthetics
Working companion:This feature serves as a work assistant, using a rising light bulb for behavior prompts and incorporating water sounds to remind users to stay hydrated, offering a comprehensive and supportive approach to well-being.
Environment Alchemy:This feature integrates environmental cues into the furniture's functionality. A clear bird song signifies good air quality, suggesting optimal conditions for window opening. Additionally, changes in the desktop surface color, transitioning between blue, orange, and red, convey variations in outdoor temperature.