Violaine de Pourtales
Feedback from Mid Review

Person 1:
I am looking to offer a line of furniture that is of high quality and flexible or multifunctional for people who can afford it. My designs for now are too conservative or timid and that i need to think more of what is my ideal. The person explained what is heirloom furniture. My design will need to be super efficient.

Person 2:
Have to consider crumbs and spills when you are using the dinning table to make sure that nothing gets on the work on the desk. Should consider materials carefully, should be light weight to make it easier when moving homes. I should think about the movement of people in an apartment, and reflect that movement in my design of my dinning table/ desk. To think how the form of my table can dictate the movement of the people. I should think about how it can unfold or change from dinning table to desk and to get inspired by nature, how flowers open and close, to look at animals as well. My design has to be well made and for it to last it needs to have the criteria of durability and comfort.

Person 3:
For my furniture to be heirloom it will need strong joints, mortis and tenons, it will need to be solid with strong wood like ash, maple or walnut. I need to look at shakers furniture and the encyclopedia of furniture. My furniture will need to be classic, strong and modern for it to last. Something simple and calm.

Person 4:
Look at japanese design how their furniture is built and also how they move it and use it. They don't use as many furniture as americans does for example, they use less and therefore it is easier to move around and move homes. I need to design something that is of today about the specific time of today and so to think about sustainability. I need to look at furniture that has nesting. Finally i should think about how in one piece of furniture i can have the most about of surface space possible.

Person 5:
I need to look at companies who produce products to last like L&L bean or any company that makes products that are meant to last or be passed down. I should research how these companies started and why. Perhaps i can think of the after service of my furniture, if a leg is damaged for example, there can be a service that fixes it. Components can be replaced or fixed.
I need to look at how people sit around a table in different countries, if i am think of big cities like new york city and other big cities like in japan for example, people sit differently around a table. Lastly, i should research how many multifunctional furniture does well today.

Person 6:
That i am tackling too much, i should focus on either the multifunctional aspect or the lasting aspect, that it is too much to do both. There is enough to figure out in a piece of furniture that wants to do two things and that in most cases multifunctional furniture doesn't do both things well, that is only does one thing well and that people are to lazy or never end up transforming or changing the piece of furniture. However lack of living space is a problem and what i am seeking to do with the dinning table and desk is a good approach and that i should focus on that and not the lasting aspect of it. Today people don't buy furniture that is expensive because it is made of good materials like hardwood and people don't really think of passing it down to future generations or fewer people than 50 years ago. People make less money today than before and i should take that into consideration.

Conclusion:
All people i spoke to were interested by my focus and likes the multifunctional aspect and lasting aspect however the multifunctional aspect was the clearest to people and most people saw it as my primary concern, in addition people said it can be lasting if it is well built and with good materials. I want to continue working on my dinning table / desk idea and want to keep in mind the lasting aspect of it but perhaps my main focus is not for my furniture to be heirloom, perhaps it will still end up being heirloom because i want to use strong materials. My target audience is people who can afford it, who wants well built furniture that doesn't break down easily. I will create multifunctional furniture, to help the problem of tight living space and to make it easier when moving homes because there will be less furniture to move.