Designing a Coffee Table : The Development of a Coffee Table for Maze Interior AB: From Idea to Final Concept

Abstract: This is a master thesis project performed with Maze Interior AB in Stockholm in the spring/summer 2019, via Luleå University of Technology within product design. It is further part of the Master Programme in Industrial Design Engineering in the course D7014A with the purpose of designing a new coffee-table concept for the less spacious homes. The assignment was additionally about developing an aesthetic coffee table that meets the needs of Maze, the market and the intended users. Other desired qualities were a sustainable and Scandinavian design that is of good quality as well as works with Maze’s existing product range. The project came about because of a perceived lack of smaller tables on today’s interior market and as a result of that, a mutual interest was found in developing a coffee table. As the coffee table is sometimes considered the heart of the living room, it puts certain demands on the product experience, which was explored in this thesis project. The project consisted of four main phases, namely the Conceive & Inspiration, Design, Implement and Operate phase. Examples of methods used, leading up to the results, included a literature review, various analyses of Scandinavian design, the market and Maze, online surveys, interviews, ideation, building a full-sized prototype, CAD modelling, stability calculations etc. The project resulted in a final coffee-table concept named Öglan and an alternative version of it presented in the collection Mono 19. Öglan is a contemporary coffee table with personality due to its playful yet elegant loop shaped leg. It furthermore fulfils the objectives and aims of the project; an innovative, aesthetic, Scandinavian rooted and sustainable coffee table of high quality for the space efficient home. Lastly, Öglan caters to social, ecologic and economic sustainability with its flat packaging, timeless design, material choices, functionality and its tried and tested durable construction.