Janu. is a Personal Project that I worked on During Covid. This Page shows the highlights of the process, for in-depth information please refer to my Portfolio on each of the headings.

Process

Softwares

Duration

Concept

JANU 

Ergonomic Seating


01

Research

02

03

Analysis & planning

02

03

04

Design

prototyping

testing

Define

2 months

Define

Posture has been a significant focus for years, especially with the rise of remote work. This chair is designed to naturally align your body into a healthy posture, making slouching more effortful than sitting upright. It also prevents the shortening and cramping of hip flexors, a common issue when legs are kept perpendicular to the body for long periods. Additionally, this versatile piece can be used as a table for your laptop, offering multiple functionalities to suit your needs.

Design

This chair is designed to optimize posture and comfort by maintaining the hip flexors at an angle greater than 90 degrees, alleviating pressure on the ankles and knees by redistributing weight into the chair. It supports the lower back by keeping the spine aligned vertically and utilizes the knees to stabilize the upper body. The design enforces a 90-degree angle between the head and shoulders, ensuring proper alignment. Additionally, it can position the hip flexors at a smaller than 90-degree angle, allowing the user to lean forward as a counterbalance, which is ideal for activities like eating or playing board games.

C M F

I envision this product being produced with materials that ensure it is 100% recyclable. Cork, unlike plywood, poses no risk to trees as only the bark is harvested, allowing the tree to be farmed sustainably for nine years before each harvest. This makes cork an actively eco-friendly material, capable of being recycled infinitely. Similarly, steel is 100% recyclable, allowing it to be reused with the same quality repeatedly.

The design features oak plywood cut with a CNC mill, an avocado leather seat top, and Velcro straps to attach the seat top to the wood base. The structure is reinforced with 8, 10/24 binding barrels attached to 4, 5" threaded rods, ensuring durability and stability.

Prototyping

Something to take not of, was due to the form, we had a lot of material wastage. Future iterations will involve redesigning the form, to get the most out of the wood. During the pandemic getting access to a CNC mill was a challenge, but we managed to get the training and finally had parts that we could put together.