THE

INCREDIBLE
PICK

1
A GUITAR STOOL PROCESS DOCUMENT BY KEVIN RUSTAGI, 2018.
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GLAMOUR
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MORE GLAMOUR
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MORE GLAMOUR
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USE CASE
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28” H x 26” D x 24” W

Solid maple Legs & Ring
Maple veneer plywood seat base with edging from maple plank
Birch plywood cushion plate embedded
3” high density foam
High grade synthetic leather (ivory + black)
Acrylic paint (Chalk-it + Liquitex) & Polyrylic Semi-gloss finish
Elmer’s wood glue + Plastic Wood + (6) 2” all purpose screws + (3) 2”
10-24 beveled bolts + (3) 10-24 T-nuts + (3) felt pads

NOTE: Cushion barely reaches 28” & compresses ~2” for my weight.

DIMENSIONS & MATERIALS

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OK, so…
There are two things I’d like to clear up straight off.
1) I did not set out to create a guitar stool. I was persuaded to.
And once committed, I went all in.
2) For the design of the stool, I did not seriously attempt to
design a guitar pick into the stool. This was entirely
unintentional - there are only so many shapes, etc. etc. There
will be more rationalization and explanation that you can
regale yourself in in later pages.
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But I digress…
The main takeaways include…
1) Focus is everything. As you will see, I decided to change my
design halfway through the quarter. This was a big deal.
2) I am a purist when it comes to materials and letting them shine.
3) Iteration was essential. I basically did 5 versions of the guitar
stool in the end. And though I’m very happy with how it turned
out, each iteration taught me something, and I kind of wish that I
could have done one last one. As my first wood-working
project, I learned a lot! about different tools and techniques.

MORE OVERVIEW
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And also…
A little last context on the class.
1) This functions as something of a masterclass in product design.
The students who take it are serious about their designs, and so
are the professors - John and Craig my year.
2) Therefore, you must also be too. But you’re reading this, so here
you are.
3) I feel humbled to have learned with people who are clearly
focused on design as something that they want to excel at. I
often felt out of my comfort zone, and after a while, learned to
take feedback in stride.

EVEN MORE OVERVIEW

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Finally…
Because remember! Above all!
This is YOUR CHAIR!!!

And though everyone has thoughts, which

are essential, but it is up to you to execute
your vision and bring it to life.

So, with that - I hope you enjoy reading

this process doc as much as I enjoyed
writing it.

IF you have any questions at all, please

don’t hesitate to call: 1.832.638.1208
or therustagi@gmail.com

All the best of luck and courage,

kevin.

MAKE IT YOURS.
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What I wrote down early in

the quarter…
1. Is the design what it wants to be?  Some might call this honest design.  Anthropomorphizing the design helps me
to lend it a sense of perspective.  Does it fulfill its truest purpose in the truest sense of the word?

2. Sexy.  Evocative. The hotness.  Does it scream – wow?  This doesn’t have to be shiny at all, but again, it’s about
curves – that ‘it’ ‘wow’ factor.  This boils down to – ‘I know it when I see it’ – back to being a fulfilling expression of
itself.

3. It should actually work.  This is mostly self-explanatory.  Actually functioning is important to me.  Unapologetic –
not needing hand-holding – standing on its own.  Some might call this robust.

4. A little bit of humor.  A wink and a nod.  My past 5-6 years of design, public speaking, and creative work, have
been awfully serious.  I am striving to bring back the youthful charm, humor, and lightness into my play.

5. Evolutionary.  Da Vinci said, Art is never finished – only abandoned.  I agree.  I tend to take, for better or worse
and much to my chagrin, a highly iterative approach to my design.  I’m reminded of a quote from Google’s early
days: We didn’t care if you didn’t use the site. You could always use it tomorrow. Tomorrow [it] would be better.

This is always my hope for my designs. That – if I can’t Nikola Tesla-style design it fully in my head – that I can
simply iterate my way to success.  It’s messier, but often far more successful.  I must allow the process to evolve
the product, and perhaps the process itself.

DESIGNER’S STATEMENT
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CHAIR IN A WEEK
BUILD. REBUILD.
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I wanted it to be lounge-y. Then it broke. Sad joints.

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So, I re-designed it.

On the
encouragement of
a classmate, after a
whirlwind build
cycle, I reattached
the top with a
better joint I
designed.

A ton of screws
everywhere - this
was clearly a
learner.

Note: this chair

base was very
unstable when
tilting back…
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INSPIRATIONS
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my drum throne
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PROTOTYPING THE LOUNGE

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I wanted a lounge chair to journal in.

I thought about how I put my feet up on the desk and type on my laptop.

As you’ll see in subsequent pictures, I went from a pipe cleaner model to 3d

printing/foam cutting, to a big wooden test rig with an 8’ sheet of styrene from
TAP plastics.

One of the main issues was the lack of lumbar support and the challenge of
knowing that I really had the curve I wanted. Balancing aesthetic and functional
form was going to be pretty tricky.

I hoped to address some of this with an absolutely insane upholstery job -

which they largely agreed to - but that shifted the timeline WAY too early - see
upholstery for further details.

I do feel good about making a really quick/dirty rig setup where I could change
the block positions easily and mark the rig.

Lastly, I enjoyed carrying around the 3D printing prototype and playing show-
and-tell to get good feedback.
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USE CASE
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My good friend, Niroshan, taking one for the team, when we bought the Styrene.
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The prototype was adjustable, both in back tilt and super quick and dirty taped
blocks, as well as a curved back support that adjusted height-wise.
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PROTOTYPING THE STOOL.

AGAIN. AND AGAIN….
AND AGAIN.
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I’ve always loved music.

I’ve been playing drums since I was 12, and guitar … recreationally
(read: struggling)… since age 18. And though I’m a much stronger
drummer than guitarist, I love the music that can be evoked from the
guitar as an instrument.

While I have a fantastic drum stool I bought in high school, I don’t /

didn’t have a guitar stool. After playing the guitar for a friend whilst
sitting on the edge of my bed, I sought to rectify this.

I wanted to be able to prop my foot up (music places actually sell

individual foot stools for this), and sit on a really comfortable stool.

Aesthetic considerations were also high in that I knew I’d be looking

at this most of the time, as it would be in my living room.
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I made this stool 5 times.

And I wish I’d been able to do it a 6th. By iterating, the design really
did teach me what it needed and allowed me to try out different
processes and tools.

In addition, I was able to slim it up and really refine the look (the
duron prototypes were especially helpful for this.)

Note: the first was a wooden rough prototype to attain geometry

(and a not fully assembled metal one, which I’m not tallying). The
next two were Duron - one half-scale (not depicted) and full-scale.
The fourth was poplar and not fully assembled. And the last was my
final.
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Bigger decisions and approach.

Fewer parts. All wood. Using Mortise and Tenon joints.

Trying like heck to find precision where I could get it, but ultimately
remaking the seat to get a tight fit.

Ultimately, knowing that wood is a natural material and that this

execution will be imperfect (this is my first big woodworking
project.)

Still, imperfection is hard to stomach…

I sought to bring curves and a natural feel to this design. I wish I’d
had more time, but I am glad to have done it. See below for the 150
- 200+ hours (I honestly didn’t count.)
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This is the steel I

experimented with.

I never did weld it together.

Bending that tubing into a circle
was SUPER tough. And it
physically beat me up.

I actually got a little afraid of

going to the PRL that week, just
because of the physical strain of
bending that dang tubing.

I kind of am curious as to what

it would have really looked like
assembled. The circles were the
top and bottom.
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This wooden geometric prototype was built knowing very little about wood-working, though I did
use a basic mortise and tenon joint without knowing what it was. I built this in 3 days. And then I
added a cushion too it (see Outsourcing section.) Note: the holes were to be able to test out
different footstool heights.
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User testing.

I just sat there and played for

an hour or so.

I also checked the angle of

the seat. Turns out flat is just
fine.

The uneven pavement in the

PRL was good for testing this
out.

I also tested the foot stool

height with the movable foot
peg - I made it even higher
for this final test, yielding my
geometric constraints.
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I hit my head/ear on the

wooden protoype.

This left me woozy all week, and

though I luckily didn’t need
stitches, it set me back a bunch.
Lots of extra sleep where I wish
I’d been in the shop.

WATCH OUT and stay careful!

I just forgot the legs protruded
so much.
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Hand sketches were key. The one on the left I did right before going to bed, and the one on
the right I did at lunch for a friend when I was closer to the final design.,
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These are a few more sketches done before going to bed. I tried to get as divergent as possible.
It was a big step to go from just side profiles to a more 3-D look.
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A tangible brainstorm for the

legs.

I did this on the scroll saw -

which I promptly broke.

It was cool to do this by hand

- I wish I had done more
iterations just using a knife
and posterboard.
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Lots of brainstorming - the initial curve was created by interpolating points off the left edge of the Gibson
Explorer - a design I really find attractive. I also contemplated a waterfall design. Top-left is my first product
design project ever, which, funnily enough is quite similar as it was a jig-sawed curve of natural wood (birch.)
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The first full-scale prototype. This was done after a 1/2 scale prototype the weekend before.
Getting the tenons in was SUPER difficult - didn’t realize the notches were off by .050” Also,
hot glue is a wonderful invention. This was definitely a 2-person assembly job.
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The poplar legs all cut, and

not yet routed.

Excellent practice - I credit

this with the elegance of the
final legs.
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This file took hours to make properly. For the actual engraving, I was always engraved on the side that would
have material removed, allowing me to check as I DADO blade’d away the material. This was engendered after
John and Craig suggested it. I actually forgot how they explained it and had to re-figure it out. I laser cut duron
pieces, and then realized I should actually just laser engrave directly on. It was a tight fit, but it worked! The
bottom is tilted because the wood was imperfect. Also, the screenshot is imperfect because my computer is
having trouble rendering it well, showing a) how complicated it is, or b) how a 13” MacBook Pro is limited.
 42

The laser-cut guides were

essential.

Though I forfeited them on

one part by accident, the rest
were absolutely essential. I
was able to nail the last 4
almost perfectly.

The lines there - yes - are

laser engraved. NOTE - I
checked the position of the
laser twice before cutting.
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A full look at all the laser cut guides I made, along with the poplar legs and some of
the maple scrap on the left.
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After a super intense evening of DADO-blading - actually gluing the blocks together - I did the top and
bottom half first (top view) for a few hours - and then glued them both together for a solid 20 hours
clamped. Sacrificial pieces were key, of course. Note: the middle pieces of the ring, which don’t
intersect legs, are resting on top of the pieces that hold them from underneath that do intersect
legs. This type of lap joint setup works in part because there are an even number of sides. I also just
tripped over it while designing the file, and it makes perfect sense and works well, though I would wager
that the glue is strong enough to hold such a large overlap joint regardless.
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I love this curve. SO much sanding - beyond the spindle and belt sander - sanding by hand as well. RIGHT up to
the knife-traced line. Then I ended up routing the edge to curve it - which took a ton more time to sand after
due to unpreventable (to my knowledge) rip-out - tearing up the edge. Still, I’m glad I did because, though I
contemplated leaving the hard edge, I love the curvy approachability and softness the design ended up with. I
filled all the gaps with wood putty, save for one, which I did a wood insert on, mallet-ing it in with glue and then
sanding it down just hours later. I’m reminded of the Michelangelo quote: Every block of stone has a statue
inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.
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Getting ready to cut the final

legs on the band saw.

Again, so glad I had practice

doing this before. I ultimately
approached the line by about
1/16” on average, sometimes
less.
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Showing the legs FINALLY assembled, but sadly, losing the tightness of the fit. Part of this may
have been due to the fact that I forgot to sand them to the ‘exact’ same height, and was also
super exhausted.
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These clamps look really cool - and it was a fun idea to glue the ring in. But this was wishful
thinking as I had filed too much away and there is no really good way to do this that I know of
without a jig - either the mortises OR the clamping. I didn’t have the time for either - though I
wish I’d had a second crack at the joints - I did them cursorily on poplar, but not fully assembled.
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This is a small note, but

important.

I did make hole plugs to cover

the screws I ended up using
to screw the legs in.

Though there was some

splintering whilst drilling the
clearance holes, I like that
there are no visible fasteners
in this wooden design.

3/8” diameter.
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I had two seats made.

This first one was simpler and they

turned it around in <2 days!!!

It let me test and check during

final assembly. Also, I didn’t have
to sweat getting it dirty too much,
though I did want to have it as a
backup.

The second design was created in

part to address the directionality
issue: where is the front of the
stool? It’s the circular piece - and
the new seat points directly at it.

Creatively, the color combination is

based on my guitar, and
coincidentally matches piano keys.
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So glad to have found this long piece from which to cut the edging veneer. Use all
parts of the buffalo. I wanted the edge veneer to complete the aesthetic. I swore I
would never do edge veneer, but he who never changes his mind…
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OUTSOURCING
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I knew I wanted to get the upholstery done professionally from the get-go.

That said, I did try a sample myself, and was mildly pleased with the results of
about 1.5 hours worth of work. In the photos that follow, you’ll get a chance
to see the upholsterer I worked with, in San Mateo. I found Mario and Carrie
through Yelp, and more importantly, I spent a lot of time hanging out there over
lunches. I must have gone up there 4 or 5 times total throughout the quarter.

What I’ve learned over time, is that building rapport not only lets them trust
me, it also shows them how much I care about making this design beautiful. I
engaged them by showing them sketches whenever possible, talking about the
class, and listening to crazy stories they had. It was a lot of fun. I was very
responsive and also called them a bunch too, trying to be as courteous as
possible all the while.

Looking back, I’m glad an outsourced component as it is far more realistic when
it comes to my professional efforts beyond school.
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In the end,

I was very glad that I’d changed designs as they were much more comfortable
making a stool design quickly, and I wasn’t pushing my fake deadlines (which
ultimately became real deadlines) too hard.

Also, the value of a good upholsterer cannot go unnoticed. I mistakenly labeled

the T-bolts the wrong way in my seat base, saying up instead of down. Mario
overrode me. On the next page, you can read a copy of the absurd, but fairly
accurate yelp review I gave them.

In the end, I decided to go with someone who had done this 10,000 times vs.
me - this saved time and ended with fulfilling the vision I had.

Note: this cost not a lot, but it did cost drive time to San Mateo. They also
helped me source materials (which I had to do through them, or pay a $50
surcharge.)
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the YELP review

I got you. I will cover your a^%.

This is what Mario said to me when I told him that the prototype cushion I made wasn't working for me.  And he did.  110%.

Mario is a busy guy - he upholsters people's furniture for a living.  So, when I approached him about doing a crazy project for a build-a-chair-class at Stanford (this is a real
thing, I promise - ME263), I wasn't sure if he would bite.

He and Carrie, who delightfully reminds me of a mix between a sunflower and Jerry Seinfeld, helped me put the project together.

And they followed my crazy whims to the ends of the Earth.  First, it was going to be a massive chaise lounge.  Could we add lumbar support?  What kind of materials?  They
prefer to use their own, which I understand.  We puzzled over it like we were planning the moon landing.  Should the lounge velcro on?  Should there be creases? A multi-part
cushion or a single massive piece?  Carrie was full of ideas, and going in to visit them was so key.  Mario stopped by and we reviewed.  The craftsman saw the challenge and,
while noting its difficulty, heartily accepted.

Weeks passed as I prototyped and realized the insanity of this project. All along, Carrie was keeping in good touch, dutifully reminding me how this project would take time as
we were nearing my deadline.

Then - a plot twist.  My professors dissuaded me from the lounge chair, and it instead, became a guitar stool.  I'm a drummer, and so I lacked a legit guitar stool. First world
problems, I know.

Anyway, back to Mario's!  I brought them the wooden discs as requested  (though they offered to make these for me too.)  I'm pretty sure I gave Carrie a splinter, but it helps
that she moonlights as a superhero, so no matter.

I clearly marked the top and bottom and asked for two different designs.  The first - if they could turn it around quickly for the class? Yes!  Holy cow Batman, Mario turned it
around in less than 48 hours!  I dropped it off Tuesday morning, and I was back to pick it up on Thursday afternoon. Flawless victory.

Was there an extra charge for the quick turnaround?  No sir.  In fact, the prices were very reasonable.  Their work is worth more than they are charging, no doubt.

And you know what?  This was my first time making a chair, but I'm pretty sure it's Mario's 10,000th time.  And so, he ignored my top and bottom marks, noting that I was
wrong (first time, remember?) - the special magic screws (T-nuts I'm told they're called), go the other way.  Mario did the right thing.  He DIDN'T follow my instructions -
thank God!

The cushion was/is amazing.  He was even able to go for 3" tall foam, when we had agreed that it was unrealistic.  Boom!

And here's the incredible epilogue.

The 2nd design, to really wow my friends and Professors: it was pretty tricky, with a drawing of a guitar pick and two different colors on the top.

I gave Mario a drawing I did on my computer, but not a fabric pattern or anything snazzy like that.

It is gorgeous. He did an amazing job.  It is SO close to what I drew - curves and all.  What an artist.  In all the hustle and bustle, Mario happened to misalign the complicated
design (which, again, was so well done) with the screws, and he immediately went to work to fix it - 'I'll call you when it's done.'

2 hours later, my phone rings.  Expedient, excellent, masterful.

To quote the famous Daryl Hall and John Oates - Carrie and Mario - 'You make-uh my dreams come true!'

Thanks again so much for working with me on this project.  I worked like hell to finish the stool properly and make it beautiful in large part because my work needed to
match how epic yours was.

Highly, highly recommend.

- kevin rustagi.
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Above, you’ll see the laser-cut

template.

I was able to trace this on the

router table to get a really clean
circle. It’s a dangerous tool, but a
powerful one when used properly.

Router-cut blank with T-nuts

 Cut out the foam, double-sided taped on, and went for it, 57
stretching vinyl over and stapling with an electric staple gun.
All hail the room 36 foam cutter band saw blade.

the upholstery try on the initial prototype The sample I tried

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Mario’s Bon Decor in San Mateo, left: with Carrie, right with Mario
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Weirdly…

I actually found a pretty close

replica to the stool design in
the back of Mario’s shop.

What a coincidence!!

I like mine better…

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TRICKS & PROCESSES

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Tricks.

Honestly, just aligning with something other than my eye was the biggest lesson
I learned.

Getting the trapezoids for my lap joints on the DADO blade was largely just
drawing lines and lining those up with the hole in the table saw. Getting the
edging veneer cut for the seat was using the guide for the band saw.

Even cutting the curves for the legs was following a line that was knife-traced
from a laser-cut template. Following that line was SUPER intense. Also, once I
sanded those away - especially with the trapezoids, guess what? They’re GONE!

I loved that I could use the router to follow laser cut templates for 3/4”
plywood - and wish to a certain degree - that I could’ve done that with the legs
and ring (but it was ‘fun’ to do them by eye somewhat.)

The biggest trick, though, is to ALWAYS try whatever it is on a sample piece

or two, or three. Practice makes better. Always.
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Processes

I learned how to use the planer, joiner, belt sander, spindle sander, the
band saw to a ridiculous level of precision following curves, the
router table, and the chisel. Not to mention the table saw, lots of
sand paper, a new type of finish, and the hand planer/scraper (still
not sure what it’s called). I also learned about clearance holes for
screws, and even plug cutters. You will have seen some of these in
the process photos. I’m sure I’m forgetting some - certain things like
how to use a spade bit without having the drill leap out of my hands
- it was never that hard in high school.

But we’re not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy.

It’s just amazing how many tools are in the shop, and how much I //
you can learn by asking a shop TA, and taking a scrap piece and
having at it.
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NOTE on Photos below.

I tried to take as many photos as I could, but there were literally

hundreds of tiny decisions and at least dozens of operations done.
The photos below are a smattering of things that happened, but are
certainly not all-inclusive.

I wish I’d gotten photos of me chiseling. I must say that it felt very
Tony Stark (that one scene in the first Iron Man movie when he’s in
the cave - yep, like that.) It was all fun and games until I swiped my
left palm with the mallet and had trouble opening my water bottle
the day after. Fortunately, it was just a flesh wound.
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Basic adjustments with the

Hand Saw

I needed to trim the legs on

my 1st wooden prototype.

Sometimes, it’s as easy as

marking off a line using a
business card (read: parallel 2”
or 3.5" ruler), and cutting that
line.
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LOTS OF CLAMPING…

In this case, using the template

to cut out the tenons (read:
holes for plugs) after spade-
bit-drilling them. Note: I did
end up remaking the seat
with custom placement for
these tenons in the end due
to systemic error.

Luckily, I’d made a second

laser-engraved plywood piece.
Always have a backup!
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Loving that DADO blade,

I was going to have to make

those Lap joints somehow.
And this was it. That angle
gauge on the right was pure
magic too.

Lining up the tiny marks on

the sides of each block with
the hole for the blade was
accurate to within .2 degrees,
I swear - and after a little
practice it was EVEN closer.

The height was also more

reliable than I gave it credit for.
Remember to tighten that
setting!
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Because I didn’t trust the

DADO height…

I was about .020”-ish

(probably less, I think…) off
between blocks on my ring
joints. Never fear! The
magical power sander is here.

This was one of the easiest

things to do - it just took
about 1 hour to do well. The
ring was SO flush after.
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Sometimes, you’ve just got to

put your back into it.

Jig sawing the interior of the ring

not only required me cutting a
hole out of a piece of donated
plywood (thanks Roy!), but also
using everything I had strength-
wise.

My running form atrophied

during this class, but my arms
got stronger. The most
important part was keeping
enough downward force on the
saw to prevent chatter and
actually seeing the blade to
prevent over-cutting. Thank
God it worked and didn’t kill
me or the project.
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Lasercutting the ring guide. These laser-cut templates were ESSENTIAL. The middle piece
was a stabilizer I designed that got left - thankfully - on the cutting room floor as I chiseled
the seat, fortunately, pretty tight and mallet-ed it in. (ok, it’s really tight.) And I dripped wood
glue in the edge of the tenons after screwing each leg in with one screw from the top.
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Showing the spindle sander to do the inside of the curve. This took a lot of time and I ended
up even going back and fixing a flat spot on the curve on the spindle sander after I had
removed the guideline with the router. No pressure! By then, I’d luckily had over 1.5 hours
of practice. Sadly, when the table caught the edge of the ring it threw it in to the table -
twice. Only go one way - THEN lift up and come back and go again. Lesson learned.
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A small look at what chiseling - CAN - look like - note: it was MUCH cleaner from
above - as seen in the closeup on the right. Sacrificial material beneath was key.
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I am so proud that I had enough time to pull this off. Cutting edge veneers actually called for
planing/joining two right angles, a complex table saw cut of a piece of scrap I thankfully found and
then rocking the edge guide on the table saw - the strips were <1/32” and curved quite well.
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Tape is magic.

I used a lot of the Mechanic’s

tape (Nitto) and this green frog
tape, especially at the end. Here
you can see me finishing off the
clamping job - which was okay,
but not perfect, on the edging
veneer.
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Lots of hand-sanding.

By the end, my right pinky was

having trouble behaving holding
the sandpaper. Remember to
take breaks!

I wanted to really feel the

material, and there’s no better I
way I know of than sanding by
hand.

I recommend O’Keefe’s
‘Working Hands’ for getting
hand moisture back in order.
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One more tape photo. This is a guide for doing the paint touchups over the wood putty
(which was a really gross dark yellow/brown after finishing with Polycrylic. I did the curves
on the corners by hand (not guided by tape.) I wanted to have some hand-done work
involved (akin to the sanding work.) Note: I ended up mixing the two paints I had after
testing on a sample piece I had kept.
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COSTS
 77

ITEM SOURCE COST

Vinyl + Synthetic leather Mario’s Bon Decor $136.81

Duron Room 36 $50

Lumber and fasteners for Prototype #1 Home Depot $49.72

Poplar and Maple plank Aura Hardwoods (missed the student discount!!!) $118.65

Maple Plywood and Rough cut ply for testing Bruce Bauer Lumber and Supply $53.58

Polycrylic and unused dowels Home Depot $47.28

Birch Plywood for seats and fasteners Ace in Menlo Park $32.25

Upholstery Work (Black:110, Two-tone, 150) Mario’s Bon Decor: Labor $260

Paintbrush set Amazon.com $6.52

Acrylic Paint + Brush + Painter’s tape (quick Michael’s $18.90

release)

Chalk-it Furniture Paint Chalk It Shop in Mississippi thru amazon.com $13.95

Felt feet Landlady (Home Depot sourced) $0

Gaffer’s tape 3M 6910 amazon.com (used <1 yd) $0.80

Final fasteners with backup options (2” 10-24 bolts Ace in Menlo Park $6.09
for countersunk holes)

TOTAL COST $794.55

Note: these were all the specific receipts I could find… Still, I feel like I spent more. I
probably did. This doesn’t, of course, count the cost of my time or the guidance I got.
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MATERIALS
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What materials did I consider? Why did I choose what I did?

I considered steel, but ultimately chose wood for it’s versatility and
availability of tools. Not yet knowing how to TiG weld (only
Oxyacetylene), I wanted something I could sculpt.

Maple is a wood that wasn’t too expensive and is very light. In

addition, as I later remembered/discovered, maple is used for a LOT
of musical instruments (some of the best drums are made with
maple, which I knew growing up), and I discovered that many guitars
have maple tops. The first Fender Stratocasters had maple necks.

My bedroom in this crazy basement has maple floors, and I’m sure
that influenced me as well. I absolutely love the color, and knew
from choosing the plank at Aura Hardwoods that I wanted to show
off its natural beauty. (this is definitely a trend for me, and something
I did with my 203 project, clear-coating the mild steel.)
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More on materials.
As for the plywood, the upholsterer made it clear that .75” was ideal. I also wanted
‘nicer’ plywood for the seats and the stuff I got from Ace was pretty solid in that it had
a high number of layers and was fairly flat.

I later found out that plywood is a stiffer choice than natural wood, and so it’s a good
thing I used it for the seat base as well. My mother was visiting and helped me source
the ply, finding maple veneer ply at Bruce Bauer. While I was initially disappointed at
the 2 layers of MDF and 1 layer of ?pine?, it actually made it MUCH easier to chisel.

I prototyped out of duron and poplar because of versatility and cost, respectively.
Evidently, poplar is also pretty soft, which was helpful.

Lastly, I chose synthetic leather due to an allergy to the tannins in leather coatings.
Had I more time, I might have tested certain leathers from the likes of Herman Miller
- they returned my call, but time was of the essence. I’m very happy with the
synthetic leather - 95%+ of people can’t tell that it’s synthetic. I actually haven’t had
anyone think that yet.

I briefly considered Dura-leather - but it was too sheer I felt. I wanted something that
felt more substantive. With the Keyston, I got it. It is reminiscent of the quality I am
accustomed to from pro-level music gear.
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Where did I source these materials?

Aura Hardwoods: Maple, Poplar planks:1.25” thick x ~9” wide x 9-10’ long
Ace: Birch ply (as well as the t-nuts and bolts)
Bruce Bauer: Maple Ply
Home Depot: Basic stuff (screws), plastic wood, Lumber for prototypes,
other fasteners, and Polyrcrylic finish.
Michael’s: the Liquitex paint, painter’s tape for the final joint touch up work
Mario’s Bon Decor: Keyston Synthetic Leather (sourced from their supplier)
Stanford’s PRL: LOTS of duron, wood glue.
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SAMPLES OF THE SYNTHETIC LEATHER

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ONE BIG
SOLID MAPLE
PLANK
… TO RULE
THEM ALL?
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Would I choose different materials next time?

Well, I’m not sure.



I’d like to experiment with steel, and my hands are still really sore from
so much sanding and chiseling in such little time (I built my final prototype
- shown in the glamour shots - in just 11 days, not counting the time to
make the laser cut templates for the ring and seat.

I really am in love with the lightness of the wood. I wish I had bought
another round of poplar, or just had the time to fit it all together. Having
a more expensive wood - and only one plank of it, was pretty nerve-
wracking. It’s hard knowing that it’s all really expensive when I was more
of a novice.

The synthetic leather I really like, but I’m concerned about cleaning it.

I think I would do the plastic wood differently, as it seems to be cracking (.

001-.003” estimated.) I will evaluate caulking fixes once I sleep.
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REFLECTIONS
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So, what would I do differently?

Beyond not getting hit in the head, I would somehow build earlier
and accelerate through some of the questions by saying - hey,
whatever - this may not work, but I’m going to test it out in the next
prototype.

If I’m all about iterating, then let me be all about iterating.

I would, of course, re-scope AS EARLY as possible, realizing that the

big lounge chair was too much earlier, which would give me more
time for iterating. It has been a real challenge in the past to fold
projects, and I would have done it earlier. Change is hard, but
sometimes change is the only thing that will work.

That is essential to remember.

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I would also…

beyond - facing the music on changing the design early on… Just
make sure to spend time in the shop early on. Allergies remain a
key challenge for me, and I had to strategically plan out having a
pretty hardcore mask and ball cap available, as well as showers,
depending on the process.

There is nothing like good design/build time in the shop. That’s

where the action is. There were certainly a few times when I just so
needed to go off and have some me-time with Illustrator, but the
majority of the time, I learned so much more by being around
other people in the shop, asking questions of other students and the
amazing staff.
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Biggest surprises?

I think I was actually surprised by how fast I could pick up certain

wood working skills (see Processes slide). Not to any strong level of
mastery, but rather - what I would call functional mastery - ie. good
enough. Design execution is often a game of ‘satisficing’ - answering
the question, ‘what is good enough?’

While there were so many mistakes, I think I was surprised that I did,
in fact, have some basic level of intuition going in.

The idea of holding onto all my materials, version control, and getting
creative with using as much of my material as possible (more out of
necessity than anything else - really didn’t feel like going and buying
more maple) was awesome. USE ALL PARTS OF THE BUFFALO.

The other thing that genuinely surprised me was just how much the
level of beauty in other students’ designs affected my own. Being
around excellence and drive pushed me to do more, to be more.
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Future Directions?

I was told by a good friend that I could actually copyright this design, so
that could be fun.

Due to the workload in the spring, I likely won’t remake it. I am

considering caulking the leg/ring joints, but we’ll have to see testing over
time.

One other big discovery from Meet the Makers user testing was that
many people stand on the ring before sitting on the seat - that extra 2”
really does it. I almost nailed the 24” height mark for the base, but
neglected to consider the additional 1” of foam that we added. Every
inch counts.

In response, I am considering making a small music box to hold guitar

items that would slot under the front of the ring. Aesthetic
considerations are high and this project is slated for consideration in the
spring. Might be a fun PRL project, in addition to the letterpress letters I
have planned. I’m reminded of the Steve Jobs quote.
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I’m reminded of this quote,

when I think of the tipping issue and wanting to solve it. Sure, I could
provide an instruction to those who might sit on it, but is that really
functional? That extra few inches of height morphs the interaction.

Anyway, Steve Jobs said, ‘Most people make the mistake of thinking design is
what it looks like. People think it's this veneer – that the designers are
handed this box and told, 'Make it look good!' That's not what we think
design is. It's not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it
works.’

It’s an important concept to keep in mind. A ton of work goes into actually
breathing life into a design, and user testing as well can feel out these
unforeseen issues.

Note: funnily enough, I did have a support piece sketched out to support
the circular arc of the footstool-ring - but I thought it was merely to support
the large sweep. I omitted it once I deemed the maple structurally integral.
 91

I already wrote a bunch early in the doc, but I’ll leave you with a few final
reflections.

I learned a lot about myself from this process. One of the main things was the
piece of feedback was that, in the past, my default has been to try and hit home
runs - to bet big with incomplete information and testing.

And this has worked for me in the past - BIG TIME. But it has also seen many a
good project, song, and road race crash and burn. Injuries, hurt feelings, and just
soul-crushing defeat in general.

For this project, I learned A LOT about throttling to different levels of risk at
different times. Also, that design is about answering questions as efficiently and
effectively as possible.

Was the ring structural enough? How do I make it? What materials to use? Some
of these can be answered by basic perspective/choices. Others require
verification through testing. I can’t emphasize this enough. While we can
never fully simulate the real thing, testing often lets us learn 95+% of how to
do it. I’ll take it.
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A few more reflections.

As a designer, I saw, once again, just how useful a growth mindset is. For a while
I felt like Michael Jordan playing baseball. But that’s crap.



We are as good as the work we put in on getting good. Sure, it takes some of
us longer. For me, I see the greed for perfection certainly being the enemy of
the good. It is often hard to remember that the process of design teaches us
things. That the design itself has things to teach us.

I learned that, while, enthusiasm and speed (the likes of which I am using to
write this document) are fun and important, so too, are the worthwhile values
of patience coupled with diligent work.



Good design can be done on the fly. Great design takes time and effort (or,
rather, on the fly, many times.)



Lastly, one thing I really enjoyed looking back was a repeated exercise of solving
puzzles before going to sleep or just after waking up. I kept a notepad by my
bed all quarter, and just before falling asleep, my mind would be working to
solve a few outlying problems. Often, if I was awake (or even asleep - yes, this
project invaded my dreams), the answers would find me.
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Last advice.

I won’t belabor the point as I mentioned a bunch of this in the beginning of the
document, but the main point here is to embrace this process.

If there is something that frightens you about the design (in my case, it was
building the ring), lean into that even harder.

Test and test and test …. and when you’re done, go test some more.

Be prepared to burn a lot of cash on testing materials. It must needs be done, I

believe. Unless you’ve somehow done this before. I hadn’t.

Physical to Digital to Physical to Digital to…. You get the idea. It’s so fun to
iterate back and forth between these. And we live in a world of incredible
tools where you can. I find this process incredibly useful for making things that
our design ancestors may have had a much harder time with.

This is an engineering project, yes, but it is also an artistic project. Find

inspiration everywhere. See how your design makes you feel. Embrace the art
of it. You are an artist, and if you let it, the art will find you.
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THANK YOU
 95

To all of the staff, Professors, and my peers,

They all spend so much time helping us, and it’s wonderful - a real
privilege - to engage in such an academic experience. It is clearly
designed to help us become better designers and people.

I want to recognize and thank everyone who helped.



My friends, classmates, as well as, specifically, Professors John Edmark and
Craig Milroy, Dan Somen, Eric, Kyle, Marshall, and many other PRL TA’s,
and my awesome upholsterers Carrie and Mario.

Design is so much about the people, and I know this project and
experience were that much better from having insightful and interested
people to learn with and from. Thank you.
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Photo credit: Craig Milroy THANK YOU

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EXTENDED CUT
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photo credit: Craig Milroy

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photo credit: Craig Milroy

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photo credit: Craig Milroy

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the illustrious Prof. Craig Milroy

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photo credit: Craig Milroy