Bronze Garden and Outdoor Furniture Design · 2024
Omni Multifunctional Chair
by Chenyang Yu and Xinyi Huang
- A' Design Award 2024 Bronze Winner in Garden and Outdoor Furniture Design
- Awarded April 15, 2024
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 30,397
- Verification code B42B7D0F77 · Verify this award
About Omni Multifunctional Chair
Omni is an outdoor furniture piece designed to function both as a seating and a tabletop through rotation. Its form features curvy silhouettes and organic shapes. With consideration of human interactions and ergonomics, Omni is designed to offer optimal comfort in various seating positions, while also providing a suitable height for table use when rotated. Lightweight, Omni offers effortless rotation, movement, and arrangement, providing enhanced flexibility and comfort for outdoor experiences.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Omni, an outdoor furniture piece designed to function both as seating and tabletop through rotation. Its form features curvy silhouettes and organic shapes. With consideration of human interactions and ergonomics, Omni is designed to offer optimal comfort in various seating positions, while also providing a suitable height for table use when rotated. Lightweight, Omni offers effortless rotation, movement, and arrangement, providing enhanced flexibility and comfort for outdoor experiences.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- When in chair position, Wide 20.5 inch x Depth 28.5 inch x Height 27.5 inch
- Tags
- Chair, Table, Movable, Convertible, Outdoor, Exterior, Public, Multifunctional, Ergonomics, Curve, Armchair
- Production Technology
- Rotomolding, Recyclable Thermoplastics, Recyclable Polyethylene
- Design Challenge
- Adjustments of the curvature and shapes
- Project Duration
- Designed Feb - May 2021, Philadelphia, USA
- Operation Flow
- Omni offers a unique rotational feature, allowing a seamless transformation from a chair to a tabletop with a simple 90-degree rotation. Its lightweight construction facilitates easy movement, rotation, and arrangement, enabling users to create diverse furniture sets tailored to different activities. This design promotes human interactions and sparks user creativity. Additionally, the organic curvy shapes of Omni provide a range of sitting options, ensuring comfort and versatility for users to find their preferred seating positions.
- Research
- We looked into the typical forms and arrangements of public seating, examining the interactions between individuals and public seating, as well as the limitations in functionality and aesthetics commonly associated with such seating.
Ergonomic considerations guided the adjustment of curvature and shape, optimizing comfort and usability. Feasibility studies using scaled physical models helped validate and enhance the design concept. - Inspiration
- Omni draws inspirations from the growing appreciation for outdoor experiences in the context of pandemic and post-pandemic times that many traditional indoor activities are now being transferred to outdoor settings. Designed to enhance human interaction and expand outdoor possibilities, this versatile and flexible piece combines seating and tabletop functionality, addressing limitations both in functionality and aesthetics of traditional outdoor arrangements.
- Image Credits
- Xinyi Huang
Chenyang Yu
Colors of Omni Multifunctional Chair
Design Interview about Omni Multifunctional Chair
An outdoor furniture piece that can function both as seating and as table top. The design research process for Omni began during the pandemic, with a primary focus on understanding the evolving needs in the furniture market. A comprehensive market research study was conducted to identify the specific requirements of the pandemic and postpandemic market. The findings revealed a growing demand for outdoor furniture due to the increased popularity of outdoor activities and a heightened emphasis on comfort and flexibility. Through an extensive study of public spaces, particularly public parks and college campuses, we meticulously examined the diverse activities taking place. Our observations allowed us to categorize these activities into two distinct types based on the desired furniture requirements: work and leisure. Building upon these insights, our research delved into the typical forms and arrangements of public seating, examining the interactions between individuals and public seating, as well as the limitations in functionality and aesthetics commonly associated with such seating.
Seating in public space that provide flexibility, functionality and aesthetics. We want to achieve a public furniture piece that serves both as seating and table top, is movable and aesthetically elegant. The piece can be placed outdoor and arrange freely into sitting and tabletop positions. Effortlessly rotate to switch between seating and tabletop modes, or effortlessly move it around outdoor spaces to create diverse seating arrangements or functional clusters that cater to different occasions and gatherings.
Promote and publicize the idea. Working on perfecting the prototype/
6 months to a year
The pandemic drove us to view the world differently and found the market for such a original furniture piece that is currently missing from the market.
We currently hold to rights to ourselves and we are actively looking for companies to take over production.
Research into the market and find the demand to be filled, along with our interest in the organic form.
For the production method, we looked into Panton Chair.
General public.
There is no similar concepts. It's a unique hybrid, serving as both a tabletop and a chair, cannot be classified by any existing categories. Its complex organic form also bear no similarity to any of the existing piece, and makes it distinct from the traditional public seating/table.
"Omni" is a prefix derived from Latin meaning "all" or "every." It is often used to convey the idea of being all-encompassing or universal. This piece is omni in it is both a table and a chair, is movable to go everywhere, and is for everyone in the general public.
Rhino, Maya
Its originality in both its function and its form. Functionally, it's a unique hybrid, serving as both a tabletop and a chair, cannot be classified by any existing categories. Geometrically, its complex organic form also bear no similarity to any of the existing piece, and makes it distinct from the traditional public seating/table. It can be placed outdoor and arrange freely into sitting and tabletop positions. When utilizing alone, Omni can be arranged into different compositions to serve various kinds of needs. The curvature offers comfort to a wide range of sitting positions from sitting to reclining. The arrangements are only limited to users' creation and imagination.
Chenyang and Xinyi
For our technology, we prioritize lightweight materials for easy mobility, durability for outdoor use, achieving organic and elegant forms, and ensuring ease of mass production. Our vision drove the technology aspect.
We looked into the market demand for outdoor activities, and lots of other furniture pieces for production method.
Prototype production. It is hard to convey the idea.
We want to see this piece promoted, publicized and populated in the public spaces to introduce some fun, beauty, and flexibility to brighten up the public space beyond the traditional seating.
This project challenged us to think creatively and push the boundaries of conventional design, leading to personal growth and development as a designer. During the design process, we learned the importance of versatility and adaptability in creating innovative solutions. We also honed my skills in material selection, market research and ergonomic design to ensure both functionality and aesthetics.