One of my most problematic phases in life is when I got a superb idea and I cannot execute it. Often the ideas are too complex or I don't know how to break them down in smaller segments. Yesterday I was reminded of such a moment by a dear friend.
It must have been 6 or 7 years ago when I was involved in the furniture design business. Always on the side I have to admit as I never had the ambition to become a furniture designer who's face is on a glossy. I like the the serious side of design, the process and the design which improves something for people. The side I dislike is the styling side, another "new" sofa but the only thing which has changed is a color, a fabric, the thickness of the legs.
Many years ago I was working on a concept called "Active Office Wear". The concept was and is simple. In our western and eastern world many of us work in an office. Day in day out we sit behind a desk and without much body activity. Ergonomic chairs are actually doing the opposite of what they claim to do. They put you in a comfortable position which gives you even less stimuli to move compared to an old rotten chair. This is a known thing among the ergonomics but off course, old rotten chair do not sell at premium prices.
My idea was manifold but I better tell you how I got this idea. We used to live in a suburb of Helsinki called Maunula. One day I was staring from the living room window and on the opposite apartment sat a man on a bicycle trainer reading the morning news paper. This was it, he can read the newspaper whilst moving his body. I followed him a few times that month and each time he could sit there for 30 minutes and read continuously.
The idea was born...
The followed a long and boring road of contacting companies. I had a good presentation, I had verified the concept with a known and respected ergonomic specialist at the Tampere Occupational Health Institute. But despite his enthusiasm "finally a designer who understands it and has a solution" furniture companies were more interested in fiddling with a millimeter more or less birch plywood for their office desks.
The best feedback came from a large USA based office furniture manufacturer but as happens, the responsible person who was willing to go further left the company and the project disappeared in nowhereness.
And yesterday I received a link of something similar, but not as good :-)