We had the distinct pleasure to interview award winning designer Masahiko Ito about their original and creative Chair design work. Masahiko Ito is an award-winning industrial designer, that makes our world a better place with their original chair works.
Masahiko Ito ("MI") answered Design Interview ("DI") questions about their award-winning work Saddle Seat Chair. Interview questions prepared by Frank Scott.
MI : Saddle-Seat leverages design to tackle both physical and mental issues that are currently overrunning our culture.
MI : This chair helps especially children to concentrate on studying with good posture. however, it does not force them to get good posture but they can sit more playfully.
MI : It is currently in a process of production soI hope it is installs in schools or facilities for children and they enjoy sitting it.
MI : It was one of my BA's final year projects. It might have taken half year. In the beginning of the project, I researched the problems of current chairs and of sitting then found some problems to school chairs.
MI : Because most of current school chairs tend to be cared about manufacturing costs rather than comfort for children.
MI : It would be produced this year or next year from UK. One furniture company is currently making a prototype.
MI : There are lots of various kind of chairs in the world today but I thought schools chairs still had not sorted out children's requirements or issues. Those aspects pushed me to design this chair as a result.
MI : I researched lots of schools chairs especially Robin Day's chairs.
MI : Targets are mainly children. So I hope schools and parents would be interested in this chair.
MI : You can sit on this chair with various way and one of main way of sitting is like horse riding. That's why I named it Saddle Seat.
MI : Luckily my school has a big facility for metal and wood working. Therefore, from the beginning I made full scale prototypes with lots of machines as well as pen and sketchbook.
MI : It helps people to sit with good posture playfully rather than to force them to get good posture.
MI : I visited local schools and observed students and also I got some feedbacks from them and teachers.
MI : Most of chairs consider manufacturing costs very carefully because schools installs lots of chairs at once. So I designed it for stacking with a few materials which is easy to be processed.
MI : It should be known by lots of people in the world who have some problems or stress to sit. That's why I submitted this international competition.
MI : I learned that how important to research and find problems. That helps designers to create new innovative things.
