Design Proposal Tribeca Sleeper Sofa

Kelly Jo Kokaisel

MCAD 2010

Kelly Kokaisel owns the copyright for this document and all its contents. This proposal should be considered private and confidential and may not be shared with any third party without the prior written permission of Kelly Kokaisel.

Executive Summary Timeless design | Authentic handcraftsmanship | Serious comfort

When it comes to furniture, Room and Board believes quality and style should always go hand in hand.

Room and Board partners with small, family-owned companies that share their commitment to quality and sustainability. Room and Board prides themselves on offering a collection of furniture that's 80 percent American made, and provides the kind of service we'd want ourselves if we were making important decisions about our homes.

Client | Room & Board Handcrafted American-made furniture and accessories. Timeless, elegant, practical pieces. Furniture that will journey with you as your needs change.

The Present Situation

Market | Minneapolis | Chicago | Denver | San Francisco | New York | Santa Ana, Calif. | Washington D.C. |Boston |Seattle |New Jersey |San Jose, Calif. |Miami | Dallas Clients of Room and Board are the target audience for this product. The average customer is 40 years of age, middle to upper middle class, and has a keen eye for design. They are particular about what they want, and will wait to buy until they find it. They may have a small or large space, and may require versatility. They are coming to Room and Board to shop because they appreciate the aesthetic, comfort, quality and great customer service that Room and Board provides. Need | Alternative to the Sleeper Sofa Create a product concept that provides an innovative alternative to the traditional sleeper sofa. The standard sleeper sofa design has not changed much over the past 50 years, and it’s inherent issues makes them rather undesirable to today’s modern consumer. They are heavy, bulky, and uncomfortable. They are rather inconvenient to pull out, the bar is always in your back, and the mattress is rather thin. The mechanism in which the sleeper sofa pulls out with needs a total redesign. Room and Boards products are environmentally friendly and produced domestically, the sleeper sofa redesign must meet these requirements.

The Innovation

Dimensions | Studio Sofa H: 25'' | W: 80'' | D: 35'' | SH: 19'' | O: 80 X 70

Dimensions | Sofa w/back H: 34.5'' | W: 80'' | D: 35.75'' | SH: 19'' | O: 80 X 70 Manufacturing Information This design could be manufactured through Room and Boards current vendors. Assembly Information

This design could be assembled through Room and Boards current vendors. The optional back rest accessories are simple to assemble by the customer. Merely slide the aluminum back rest bars into the slots underneath the sofa and place the loose back pillows in front. Materials Information Frames | Built using quality materials and reinforced. Aluminum legs and back rest. Solid wood is responsibly forested maple, cherry, oak and walnut. Certified sustainable kiln-dried hardwood frame. Cushions | Back cushions are foam core wrapped in down feathers. Seat cushions are multilayer soy- or plant-based polyfoam wrapped in fiber-down blend and encased in downproof ticking. Fabrics | Natural fabrics. Upholstered in 100% cotton weave or 100% bison leather with stain-repellent treatment and topstitched detail. Foam | Eco-friendly flexible foam made with BiOH®. This foam uses soybean oil polyols to replace a portion of petroleum-based ingredients used in traditional polyurethane cushions. Lifetime of the Innovation The quality and life duration of this design is equivalent to all other products sold at Room and Board. Sustainability Timeless, well-crafted furniture is an investment in the future of your home and the health of the planet.

When you choose furniture designed and built to last, you don’t have to worry about it breaking or going out of style. That means less waste, less energy consumed and more money in your pocket. –Room and Board website. This design adheres to Room and Boards current sustainability ethics.

The Plan

Creative Strategy This design was inspired by Room and Boards current designs, best sellers, customer feedback, and customer service interviews. A painting of a man on a lounger by Francis Bacon also had an influence. In this painting the seat cushion of the lounger had slid off to the side, and inspired me to think, ‘why can’t it be that simple?’ This aha moment inspired the idea to have the top cushion simply slide off and be placed to the side of the bottom cushion to form a larger sleeping surface. Legs underneath the top cushion flip down and align the top cushion to the height of the bottom cushion. The bottom cushion is equal in comfort to the top cushion. The optional back cushions are of a density that can be used as sleeping pillows if desired. The top cushion can stand alone and be used as a 2nd sleeping space also if desired, giving a unique versatility to the product. The various options of this design stand it apart from anything currently on today’s market.

Technical Strategy The frames of the seat cushions are made of a lightweight aluminum that allows them to be easily handled and moved by one person. Cloth webbing and lightweight foam adhere to this necessity as well. The high density foam is specially chosen because of its structural integrity, retaining its shape, and also for its unique softness and comfort. The aluminum feet are flat and wide, allowing them to fold easily on the top seat cushion, and are modeled after the existing Chelsea line of furniture sold through Room and Board. The back rest bars and cushions are sold as an option, allowing a customer a choice in styles or needs.

Tasks Client consultation and Project Brief

• In-depth discussion with the client to determine requirements was completed on two occasions, once at MCAD during the project brief, and once at Room and Board.

• Project brief, presentation board, and scale model due Thursday April 15th, at which point 5 finalists will be chosen. Presentation boards and models will be on display in store for almost a month. Customers and employees of Room and Board will vote and decide a winner.

• Formal awards presentations will take place Thursday May 13th at Room and Board.

Design direction and development One design provided in person on April 15th. Sign off either by email or in writing.

Implementation One design concept will be provided. Design will be outlined in presentation board and project brief. A scale model of the design will accompany this.

People George Mahoney | Instructor Kelly Kokaisel | Designer Room and Board | Client If chosen, for a period of one year, Room and Board will retain the rights to the design. Room and Board will hold exclusive manufacturing rights during this time. The design will be manufactured exclusively by Room and Board until they discontinue the product, at which time the right of the design will return to the designer.

Time Proposal, Drawings and Model due Thursday, April 15th 2010 Winner to be notified Monday May 3rd 2010 Formal award presentations will take place Thursday May 6th 2010

The Prototype Refer to Drawings & Model

Conclusion Thank you for the opportunity to provide a proposal. I hope my design solution meets the needs and desires of Room and Board and its customers.

Team Biographies George Mahoney | Faculty, Furniture Design | MCAD Owner, Furniture Design Studio | Solv Kelly Jo Kokaisel | Design Student | MCAD Contact Details George Mahoney 2501 Stevens Ave South Minneapolis College of Art and Design Minneapolis, MN 55044 gmahoney@mcad.edu Kelly Jo Kokaisel 1259 Landmark Trail South Hopkins, MN 55343 kkokaisel@mcad.edu 612.987.4889