Charlotte Hanks Greenham

I built the shelf. Standing 7 feet tall, it maintains the exact proportions of the original instrument.

Ideation for a shelf design project felt aimless and undirected, until I went to the symphony.

Using the given materials: wood, 1/4" and steel rod, I designed a form that would suggest the upright bass.

Waeg Table - A family dinner table design with a form that promotes unity and inclusivity--even of Spot

Problem Identification - Family dinners are on the decline with destructive reprocussions. How can furniture design promote unity?

Brainstorming - 40 Concepts - After researching trends in family togetherness, I stepped back to think, to ask questions, to brainstorm. I generated more than 40 concepts which embrace unique approaches to interaction.

Market and Design Research - With a thriving $40 billion a year industry, pet products have an opportunity for financial and transformational success. Conversations with dog owners revealed enthusiasm for the dinner table concept. I studied existing pet products, noting their visual language. I then articulated my findings in words and collected furniture examples whose designs conveyed the essence of those words. Then I began to translate that understanding through sketching.

Translating Research - Initial concepts pursued connectivity through branching structures. Seeking a gentler feel, forms moved from rigid geometric to rounded organic; then slimmed down to active and animated. Yet, none of these forms successfully integrated the dog's ledge.

Examining Function, Refining Form - Circular shapes brought unity. The emerging J-shaped body made the dog's ledge an integral part of the animal-like, playful form.

It All Comes Together - Functionally, the table is designed to be easily and efficiently manufactured, safe, ergonomic, adjustable and able to accommodate two dogs.

Waeg Table - Eating Together - Formally, Waeg is designed to communicate a waggish union, with a body that playfully connects the canine to his family and a glass top with a shape that appears to embrace the dog while leaving a void to indicate where he "sits." Created for the happiness and health of all its users, the table was dubbed Waeg.