the story of how I fell on my ass...
That's just how this stool came to be designed. I was hanging curtains from my 10 ft. tall wall and needed to reach up to 9 ft. to place the curtain rods. I had no stepping stool, so I grabbed the only thing that would do the job, a Vasagle Counter Stool. As you can see, the straight legs at a 90 degree angle makes for a very narrow base, so that should you lean just slightly too far... that being said, it was a bad situation, and had I landed on that stool an inch or so too the left I would have a much worse semester, most likely spending it in a cast. Though I needed one, I feel step stools were quite unattractive and have to be stored away only to be pulled out every now and then for certain tasks.
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Thinking about my experience, I thought to myself how can I make a counter stool that also functions as a stepping stool? I want to prioritize aesthetics and functionality and go for a clean look that could fit in many home settings.
How can I reimagine and redesign the way we traditionally use mundane objects?
Where can I fill a need?
PROCESS
I started by first sketching out a couple of different ideas for a stool that could transform into a stepping stool. I wanted the design to have a wide base to help with stability, and have a handle attachment somehow incorporated into the design of the stool. I wanted to challenge myself in trying to keep the stool's design as simple as possible, and believed that further details would present themselves as I designed the functionality of the stool.
DECIDING FORM THROUGH FUNCTION
After considering all models and sketches, I decided to go forward with what I thought of as the "butterfly looking stool". I thought it had the most potential for folding into itself and its's form implying the function and dynamic movement I was after. Now, I just needed to further establish some detail and think about how this form would transform. Where would the steps go? How would they disappear? How does the handle emerge?
FURTHER ITERATION AND TROUBLESHOOTING
After building a mid-fidelity model it was time to further establish some functional details. I discovered I needed to address the single bar that the steps rested on and change its shape to something that would not rotate inside the track. A system would also need to be made inside the steps in order for it to smoothly move in and out of position. Hardware was also going to have to be designed that would allow the steps fit underneath the seat. This next phase of the process continued to explore new details that would need to be added to the form in order for it to function, all while trying to keep the stool as simple as possible.
PLANS OF ASSEMBLY AND BUILDING THE FINAL MODEL
FINAL MODEL AND DYNAMIC FUNCTION
NEXT STEPS
Even after many hours of work, research, and troubleshooting, there are still steps that can be taken to fully finish this project. A few more important detailed parts must be added at the bars of the stool for it to glide down. But after most of the physical troubleshooting, this stool would next need to go into user testing and feedback. However, I appreciate this stool for it simply being an exercise in pushing the bounds of our everyday objects around us, and reimaging their uses.