| Title |
A Study on Design Features of 'Nendo' Furniture |
| DOI |
http://dx.doi.org/10.14774/JKIID.2015.24.3.068 |
| Keywords |
Nendo ; Oki Sato ; Furniture Design |
| Abstract |
Nendo, which was established in Tokyo in 2002, is a design company established by Oki Sato, which is gaining reputation as a new design group representing Japan through numerous design tasks encompassing diverse design sectors, such as architecture, interior, furniture, graphic, and products. This study was conducted to investigate the formative features of Nendo furniture by reviewing 133 pieces of Nendo furniture designed for the last ten years and identify the general characteristics of Nendo furniture by reviewing the time of launch, product launch type, and furniture type. As a result, the design features of Nendo furniture are as follows: First, the shapes of basic materials including boards, lumber, and bars are maintained intact and Nendo furniture has simple and moderate design without complicated or decorative elements. Second, Nendo furniture has simply embodied a design characterized by simple transformation, minimization of furniture elements, and rearrangement. Third, Nendo presents new and simple furniture differentiated from other pieces of furniture using optical illusions. Such expressions of optical illusions which are hardly found in preexisting furniture are a major feature of Nendo furniture. Fourth, a majority of chairs of Nendo cause optical illusions with the minimized size. In addition, their top boards made of transparent glass and mirror cause optical illusions with the properties of materials. In short, design of Nendo furniture is characterized by formative expressions, expressions of optical illusions, and differentiated use of materials. Fifth, Nendo keeps launching new furniture items in various exhibitions. As a result, Nendo makes furniture with its own unique characteristics based on its diverse studies and experiments which are applied to furniture design in a realistic way. In summary, design of Nendo furniture is characterized by simply embodied design based on small differences in daily life, minimalism with simple and moderate shapes, and its own witty uniqueness based on formative expressions, expressions of optical illusions, and use of materials differentiated from other furniture brands. |