YOUMIN VINCENT KIM
SOAK Charging Side Table
ART CENTER COLLEGE OF DESIGN
SOAK Charging Side Table
SOAK Charging Side Table
Soak is innovative charging side table with emerging technology without losing its essence beauty of piece as furniture. Top and legs are constructed from solid maple. A wireless charging station is located at the inside of top.
2. The Brief: Summarize the problem you set out to solve. What was the context for the project, and what was the challenge posed to you?The functionality of an electronic device is merged within the design of the furniture that allows it to visually speak as a side table with a hidden element as a charging station, which pushes forward thinking in creating a new identity for furniture that is necessary with the development of technology today. Even with many developments and creations of this idea of fused furniture, the perception of such combination is distracted by the idea of not having a concrete niche for such products because the result of such designs convey a disconnection between its function as a electronic device and its aesthetics as a furniture piece.
3. The Intent: What point of view did you bring to the project, and were there additional criteria that you added to the brief?The intent of this project was to find a proper solution to bridging the gap between these perceptions; electronic device and furniture. Soak is a solution to not only change the perception of this vague placement, but by elevating the design and focusing on the element solely as a furniture piece allows this innovative side table to give a clear message to the audience that this in fact is a multi-functioning furniture that showcases a new form of technology and a qualitative execution that is relevant for this generation.
4. The Process: Describe the rigor that informed your project. (Research, ethnography, subject matter experts, materials exploration, technology, iteration, testing, etc., as applicable.) What stakeholder interests did you consider? (Audience, business, organization, labor, manufacturing, distribution, etc., as applicable)Developing the appropriate form required the synthesis of knowledge of structure, human behavior and existing common environment. Many mockups and tests were conducted to meet these needs. The form of soak is fully developed for its functionality. The partially cut table shape is not only expanding the wall-touching surface to reinforce the stability, but also generating half cut leg for height-adjustable plug, located at cut section. The section of the leg also provides more wall-touching surface, with the section of the tabletop, to reinforce the stability. Height-adjustability of plug provides flexibility to use the table at almost any indoor space with wall outlet, even in different heights.
5. The Value: How does your project earn its keep in the world? What is its value? What is its impact? (Social, educational, economic, paradigm-shifting, sustainable, environmental, cultural, gladdening, etc.)Soak is a solution to not only change the perception of this vague placement of combination of electronic device and furniture, but by elevating the design and focusing on the element solely as a furniture piece allows this innovative side table to give a clear message to the audience that this in fact is a multi-functioning furniture that showcases a new form of technology and a qualitative execution that is relevant for this generation.
The leg emerging from the wall to accommodate the main power plug is an artistic solution to the inelegance of wired products. Our daily need to repeatedly charge our digital devices can now be achieved casually by leaving them on a side table. A thoughtful and functional object design that surprises you by the advanced technology embodied within a playful yet elegant form.