Imagine this: a Mobile Home Office that has a foldable bed, an in-built side computer, and a pillow that doubles up as speaker and telephone.
Looks unconventional, right? And picture
them repackaged and placed on a floor setting for nomadic workaholics.
"The Platform"
This daring mix of work, play, and rest, met the approvals of judges
at the prestigious Gregory Design Awards 2000. The creative mind behind
this is former student, Oh Wei Siang. For him, winning this award - first
prize to boot - was no mean feat.
The competition had attracted 46 aspiring designers from 27 educational
institutions, from the likes of universities in Australia, Brazil, Germany,
Singapore, the Philippines, Hong Kong, China, Ireland, Finland, New Zealand
and Spain.
Named as "The Platform", the entry was spot-on with the design requirement: an office on the move for an auditor needing to work from home, office and clients' stations. Students had to come up with something that was transportable, keeping in mind costs and the environment.
The theme was close to heart of the TP graduate (Diploma of Product & Industrial Design, 2000), because he was always frustrated by the lack of workspace and had often resorted to working on the floor.
At first, he toyed with the idea of designing around a carpet. He later used a tatami mat. And, slowly from there, the concept took shape.
 |
He
explained, "Ideas need to flow and develop into practical and
innovative products. What I did was called the design process. During
the design process, I worked closely around design specifications
stated by the organizer."
Once the concept was firmed up, he
tested materials for the Platform. He said with a grin, "I
got friends to test out the Platform for me. They helped me decide
what I need to improve on." |
| A bird's-eye view of "The Platform". |
The Gregory Awards is an annual design competition, organized by EcoDesign Foundation, Australia. This competition invites both Architecture and Industrial Design students around the world to enter. The aim is to design a portable future office, taking into account ecological issues.
Said Wei Siang, "The proposed material is lumber-recycled plastic. The Platform's modular concept plays a part since the user could expand and contract his working area. In other words, being versatile helps too."
Said Ash Yeo, a former lecturer of Wei Siang, "Design is about operating in character, values and attitude. Wei Siang must have realised that it was not essentially knowledge content we were working on, but a resilience of character to be flexible in dealing with design constraints and knowledge opportunities. I was amazed when he grasped this. He went all out for it, and was handsomely rewarded."
The prize is $4,250 and that all-important 'recognition' which has enhanced his application for further studies. Let's not forget that Dr Tony Fry, a tireless well-known champion for sustainable designs, chairs EcoDesign Foundation.
Watch out for more great works in the pipeline, as this bright young man takes the next challenging step ahead!
*Pictures courtesy of Wei Siang