Modular T.O.T.E.M. — Oh She Designs

T.O.T.E.M.
Entryway Furniture

Client
Créapôle ESDI
(Graduation Project)

Scope
Concept Creation, Ideation, Design, User Experience, User Persona Development, Prototype Development, Stop Motion Animation, Presentation + Final Look.

Discipline
Product Design
Stop Motion Animation

Central Questions:
Home Entrance Experience

How can the entrance of a home be reimagined?
What does this transitory space symbolize?

Note: This project primarily caters to European markets and is suitable for compact spaces. The content has been mostly translated into English but may still contain some French elements.

House vs Home

What distinguishes a house from a home?

The Danish concept of ‘hygge’ makes all the difference.

First Contact

The entryway is a passage between the outer world and the inner world.

It is the first
contact you have with your home.

Everyday Actions

We practice rituals as we leave and upon our return, as we move from the social space into the intimate space of our homes.

User Personas:
Five Lifestyles and Their Rituals

In developing 5 user personas with distinct rituals, I was able to analyze countless subtle and specific actions that take place at the entryway in-between moments of transition: what do we take with us, what do we hang up, what do we put on, what do we take off, etc.

The Five Personas were:

Clément the Adventurer
Selena the Animal Lover
Robin & Claire the Bobos
David the Nocturnal
Leila the Welcoming One
(rituals outlined below in French)

I looked into specific items, actions, and rituals my personas practiced upon returning and before leaving, broken down per season since our needs change, year-round rituals, and specific actions associated to their lifestyles (motorcycle riders, pet-owners, etc).

Finding Inspiration:
in Nature’s Forests

As I wanted to create a moment of intentional pause in this in-between space, often associated with a return to nature, I drew inspiration from nature itself. I studied products that have metaphorically imitated nature such as Andreas Bergsaker’s Blossom, Mushi, or Piedistallo.

From Idea to Carpentry Workshop:
Ideation + Product Development

Using the User Persona insight I aimed to design a structure that would assist us during our transitions between two juxtaposing worlds and welcome our personal belongings that journey with us every day. I used nature’s forests and details as inspiration to sketch, doodle, create paper models, and after a long exploration period, I landed on a modular hybrid product design.

During the development process I traveled to Egypt to find artisans to collaborate with. I prototyped TOTEM with a local carpenter. For a small but important detail in the ‘nest’, I found the last hammered copper artisan in the streets of the Khan El Khalili bazar.

After prototyping the product, I transported it back to France. This is where the communication of the product came into play: how can I intuitively present this hybrid product and explain the functionality?

With endless compositions to create, reflecting the personality and needs of the user, I created a simple stop motion animation to portray the vast variety of designs you could create with these simple pieces.

The Final Look — T.O.T.E.M.
A modular product that changes with your needs

The result is T.O.T.E.M. a hybrid product that combines furniture and small objects to optimize the use of vertical space in smaller homes and allow us to customize and personalize its setup however it suits our homes and our needs.

Features:

multifunctional hybrid product
designed to optimize use of vertical space
no visible nails, just interlocking wood
personalize it’s set-up to suit your space
adaptable piece of furniture that can evolves according to your needs
hammered copper detailing inside ‘nest’ piece, to engage your auditory memory