✅ Deliverables
3D design via Fusion 360
Physical prototyping and testing
Product photography
Product videography
Embedded Files
Eleanor Mk. II is a portable, flat packed 3D printed stool with mechanical spring cushioning and a retro design inspired by classic American muscle cars. It pushes the integration of functionality with design and style; a reflection of car design’s ability to extend beyond a vehicle’s basic function, turning a mere means of transportation to a bold statement of personal expression.
Retro design meets
contemporary functionality.
Yep,
the seat cushion is a leaf spring.
Eleanor’s design, inspired by the front grill of classic American muscle cars, is more than just for aesthetics. The seat cushion, which looks like a grill, is actually a giant leaf spring as one might find in the rear suspension of a truck, with two additional linear springs in the center of the seat. This allows not only a cushioned seating experience but also has the mechanical purpose of using the weight to press the legs more firmly to the seat structure.
Portable.
Easy to assemble without tools.
Take it anywhere.
Two vents on the seat top reveal storage for a reinforcement plate, which is used to strengthen and brace the leg assembly. The two spaces on either side of the seat cushion serve to hold nested parts which make up the legs, which can be neatly stowed away for the stool to be flat packed. In this configuration, Eleanor can fit in a tote bag for any on-the-go adventure or even used as a booster seat or seat cushion! With two sets of identical leg parts and no tools required for assembly and disassembly, Eleanor is simple, easy, and quick to put together. See the assembly video below.
Flat Packed
Assembled
Optimized for
3D Printing
Eleanor is optimized for additive manufacturing; no supports are needed, all parts can fit on one print bed (for faster, more efficient printing) and the entire assembly fits in a cube, which can be proportionally scaled up or down to fit any size of 3D print bed; for example, the stools in the images were printed in a 10”x10”x10” 3D printer and a 12”x12”x12” 3D printer. Eleanor was designed to be accessible for anyone with any 3D printer.
Early Ideation
Early ideation started with sketching different ideas of stools, while keeping in mind the criteria of flat-packability. Eventually, I landed on the idea of nested legs within the seat itself, which fulfilled the functional requirements. When the aesthetics revealed to resemble the bonnet and grill of a classic American muscle car, I knew this idea had to be iterated.
Physical Scale Prototypes
Parallel to sketching ideation was physical proofs of concept through scale functional models. These three concepts evaluated similar nesting mechanisms but different methods of attaching the legs to the seat cushion. The middle concept was the most successful in testing and moved forward to becoming the basis for the final design.
Mk. 1: First Prototype
The first version of Eleanor had was a proof-of-concept that was enough to be functional. However, it lacked stability and strength and needed more refinement in terms of proportions. The idea was there; it just needed to be perfected.
Final Refinement
The final Mk. II version of Eleanor required pushing the ideas of Mk. I to the max. The new design update features new, sleeker proportions, increased leg thickness and reinforced stool stability on top of new retro-inspired colorways. By adding an additional plate between the legs, it increased resistance against forces in the xy-plane. This led to a design that still occupied the same print bed volume, but was much stronger than the previous version.
Conclusion
Eleanor was a design sprint that took an enormous amount of time, dedication, and prototyping. This image shows all the prototypes and spools of 3D filament used in the process. The in-between prototypes and failures along the way were necessary in creating a refined final product that works.
A failed prototype that deformed after extended UV exposure in the New Mexican sun.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse