Cardboard Chair Design Brief

The student will be able to:

1. Design a successful human supporting device.

2. Work in a team based environment.

3. Construct the supporting device in a restricted time period.

4. Show respect for a quality product through construction.

5. Demonstrate its ability to function in a real world situation.

6. Assess the effectiveness of the solution.

Problem Statement
Problem Description

Chairs are found everywhere. They come in nearly an infinite variety of designs and
are used for many different purposes. Most chairs are made to permanently occupy
space until they are thrown away. Since most chairs are made of a variety of highly
processed materials discarded chairs or their materials are rarely recycled. The
primary factors determining the cost of a chair are its size and the cost of the
material it is made of. Workmanship and brand name, style and aesthetics and
market also play a part in determining the price.

Your job is to design and build a chair.

Personnel Requirements

This is a group project. A group is three or four students.

Constraints

• Only one chair per group

 • Before final construction you must submit the following for instructor
approval:

o Sketches

o SketchUp drawing

o Rapid prototypes

o A ¼ scale prototype

• All the chair parts must be made from the corrugated cardboard provided by
the teacher.

• You may only use no more than two sheets of cardboard, each 4’2” x 5’7” (or
approximately 40 square feet) to make all parts of your final chair.

• The chair must be the color of the cardboard. No color may be added.

• No adhesives or non-cardboard “connectors” of any type may be used to

make or assemble your chair.

• The chair must have “back” for sitter to rest against.

• The chair must support a person of at least 150 pounds in normal classroom
use for 30 minutes

Tools, Materials, and Equipment

• Engineering Design Process • Cardboard

Reference
• Utility knife
• Engineering Notebook Creative
Brief • Scissors

• Cardboard Chair Structures • Rulers

Handout
• Manila folders
• Cardboard Chair Structures
• Note cards
Worksheet 2
• SketchUp
 Procedure and Timeline (Engineering Design
Process)
Use the Engineering Design Process reference page for a summary of each step. To
ensure you earn full credit use the Engineering Notebook Creative Brief and
information located in the Assessment Rubric for a summary of required elements.

1. Define the Problem – 30-60 minutes

 Review the design brief

 Summarize the problem in your engineering notebook

2. Research the Problem – 30-60 minutes

 Read and complete questions in the Cardboard Chair Structures Worksheets

1 and 2 questions in your engineering notebook

 Use the Internet to find ideas and information

 Record at least three URLs, sketches, and notes from worthwhile websites
along with your thoughts

3. Develop Possible Solutions – 30 minutes

 Everyone should brainstorm 3-4 sketches in their engineering notebook.

 Create several design ideas from note cards and test them for structural
integrity.

4. Choose the Best Solution

 Unanimously choose your top design.

 Use SketchUp program to create a 3D computer drawing of your top idea.

 Attach them into your engineering notebook.

 Get instructor approval of the design.

 Create a ¼ scale mockup from manila folders based on your drawings.

5. Create a Prototype

 Create your final working model.

 Practice safe and conservative building techniques.

6. Test and Evaluate

  Select a team member that fits the required criteria to test the chair.

 Use the cardboard chair in a normal classroom environment for 30 minutes.

 Keep mental track of comfort, functionality, stability, and other ergonomic

characteristics.

7. Communicate

 In your engineering notebook record/answer the following:

1. Compare your chair to several others in the class.

2. Constructively criticize your design or those in the class.

3. Identify strong points of your design.

8. Redesign

 In your engineering notebook draw a sketch of an improved design. What

would you do next time? Support your changes or lack of changes with
examples from your class experience.