There’s more than a handful of reasons why the humble bicycle is an object of obsession for many an industrial designer or engineer. Aside from the zillions of proportion variations, material combinations and CMF studies that go into the design process, it is also one of the few objects that can be designed for users to feel a seamless relationship with.
More recently, UK-based product designer Jan Waterston channeled this bicycle–inspired relationship between user and object in the form of The Velo Chair, a bent plywood chair inspired by the shapes of modern bicycle designs.
“(The) relationship between body and object is echoed in bicycle design with tubes flowing seamlessly into one another, constantly changing shape, to improve function and aesthetic,” explains Waterston. “The Velo Chair is a response to modern bicycle design with its components seamlessly wrapping around the user, constantly changing form for comfort and then blending into the next component, leaving the user feeling at one with the chair.”
Made from Ash, the unique and modern take on bent plywood has unsurprisingly earned Waterston some much-deserved attention. This week the chair was announced as one of only a handful of international product designs shortlisted for the 2016 Wood Awards recognizing outstanding design and craftsmanship.
