Cradle Occasional Table
Metaproject 15 x Icon Design
Fusion 360, Procreate, Photoshop, Hand Sculpting
"The RIT Metaproject initiative pairs students with industry partners to develop products and solutions consistent with the Design is One philosophy espoused by the Vignelli Center for Design Studies. Student output is showcased in a global venue and in some cases, put into commercial production." -Metaproject
This year's client was contemporary furniture group Icon Design, founded by celebrated sculptor and furniture designer Wendell Castle.
Out of the fourteen student projects, the Cradle Occasional Table was one of six chosen by the client to be fully prototyped and brought to ICFF 2025 for industry review and potential production.
Project Brief and Goals:
Humans of all ages and cultural backgrounds have an intimate relationship with furniture products. In partnership with Icon Design, develop a unique furniture solution based on the Icon Design brand, the Vignelli Ethos, and one's own relationship with furniture.
• Appeals to Icon Design’s target market and values
• Sustainability conscious and aesthetically minded
• Feasible for production
• Simple and functional (not overly complex and under-performing)
Cradle Occasional Table
Fiberglass, MDF, Veneer
At a crucial point in Icon Design’s story, the Cradle Occasional Table aims to embody the core elements of sculptural elegance and playful ambiguity that defines their most iconic pieces. Inspired by sculptors such as Noguchi that blur the line between functionality and art, the form is based on the intimacy of embrace and features a two-tiered shelving system.
Any addition to the Icon collection is, in a sense, a statement of identity. The Cradle Occasional Table follows much in the footsteps of the already strong lineup of fiberglass pieces. In creating it, I aimed to reinforce and redefine this facet of Icon into a full character. While the shape blends seamlessly into Icon’s brand and language, the lower display shelf offers a feature unique to the collection to gently expand the horizons.
Process
Research and Benchmarking
Ideation
To capture an organic, ambiguous feel, my ideation began as physical interactions between shapes that I translated to clay.
Refinement
I translated my most intriguing forms to organic modeling software Womp to present to the client for feedback.
I explored different edge treatments and proportions with the most successful concept. With consideration to a final production method of fiberglass molding, I removed undercuts in the model to optimize a 2 part mold.
Prototyping
The body was cut using XPS foam on a CNC router, finished with hand shaping, joint compound, and spray paint.
Takeaways and Next Steps
"Be okay with not being okay" -Professor Josh Owen
Ambiguity and faith in the design process was a core tenet of this project. Learning to trust instinct and being authentic to my own style allowed me to express confidence in my outcomes and not let insecurity cloud my design.
Understanding Client Needs
As a firm facing a changing identity, Icon Design asked us to visualize their new direction. Analyzing their existing values and shape language taught me to extrapolate and advocate for my vision based on their implied needs.
ICFF 2025
My product will be prototyped at full scale with fiberglass material to be shown at ICFF 2025. There, Icon Design will look for feedback on my piece from industry experts, and consider which pieces they may add to their actual production collection.