Shift: An articulating sitting to standing school desk

The idea behind Shift was the concept of allowing people flexibility with their work environment. What I wanted to challenge myself to do was having that same idea be available for younger students.

In short, I wanted to create a desk that could physically fit every student.

Exploration

From the initial research, I could tell that what might be best for both the students and the teachers was a type of desk that could be adjustable enough to grow with the student. After sketching out some ideas,I moved from building smaller one-eighth models of potential desks to full-scale ones borrowed with parts from IKEA.

Modelmaking

One feature I decided on at this point in the design was a movable, singular unit of the chair and the tabletop controlled by a underlying gas piston, which allowed adjustability of the seat and tabletop. In addition, the tabletop could swivel, tucking the seat underneath and transforming the unit into a standing desk.

Features

1. rounded curves with two wheels for pushing around the classroom without looking shopping-cart-esque
2. a hook next to the seat is provided for the school bag for easy access
3. piston is controlled by a handle underneath the seat, which the student can move while either sitting on the chair or standing next to it
4. everything rounded off to erase sharp corners.