This thesis takes an interdisciplinary approach to research how design rationale may improve practices for participatory design in urban planning. Knowledge on sustainable development, participatory planning in public sector, design rationale and innovation are brought together to form a cohesive understanding for the matter of citizen dialogue and participation. 

To further gain knowledge on the subject a case study is done following the planning of a consultation at the urban planning office in Norrköping by participatory observations. Furthermore, semi-structured interviews are conducted with civil servants from Norrköping and Norrtälje, discussing the theme of citizen dialogue and municipal capacity and competence for its performance.

The knowledge contributions addresses the specific case study at first hand, but are also applicable in some general sense. The study shows that design rationale can be of use and inspiration to address issues of culture and mental models in public sector, as these as believed to stand in the way of forming a more innovative and adaptive public sector that can design better practices for dialogue and participation. Design thinking and attitude can bring openness and human centred perspectives, among other things, to public organisations. 

For the case study in question it is suggested that the urban planning office would benefit from implementing and trying out ways of working that are more in line with design thinking and attitude. It is also suggested that they might benefit from employing an experienced designer to be part of planning procedures, as expert designers can adapt methods and tools for participation to design case specific activities. To employ a more case specific and local approach to participatory practices is proposed to bring better results, both in terms of its democratic breakthrough as well as its impact on social sustainability. 

Overall, this thesis offers contributions to design knowledge, knowledge that in turn can be important for the area of sustainable development at large. 

This thesis project examines both inner and outer circumstances of knowledge in an attempt to emphasize the importance of personal reflection. I search for answers on how to communicate feelings through colour and form by studying Mark Rothko and the abstract expressionism. A personal reflection is made parallelly to expand my own understanding of the subject and my own role in relation to it. I also explore painting as amethod of deepening my understanding of Rothko.

Mark Rothko is both subject of study and tutor as I give myself the task of translating his art into my own design.

The result offers thoughts and ideas on the significance of the work of hand, the use of colour and the meaning of intention, which I claim are important aspects when aiming for emotional results. However I also reflect upon the fact that the communication remains individual and that it is therefore problematic to confirm success in this matter.

The 3rd Swedish Symposium on Furniture Technology& Design was held in Stockholm the 16th through the19th of September 2022, this time arranged by MalmstensAlumni in collaboration with the Swedish History Museum,Skokloster Castle and LiU Malmstens.

Contents:

Foreword page 6Ulf Brunne, Chairman, Malmstens Alumni

Woodworking Tools and Techniques – Technical and Aesthetical Aspects of Furniture Design and Cabinetmaking through the Ages page 7Johan Knutsson, Professor in Furniture Culture LiU Malmstens, Sweden

From Tool Marks to Work Practises page 14Hans Piena, Curator of Domestic Culture, Dutch Open Air Museum, The Netherlands

Characteristics of Japanese Woodworking Tools page 21Kenji Komatsu, Woodworker/Artist, Wood Workshop BYHAND, Japan

A Reconstruction of an Early 16th Century Tondo Frame page 29Iskander Breebaart, Senior Furniture Conservator Rijksmuseum, The Netherlands

Wave Mouldings and Ornamental Lathe page 37Josephine Erckrath, Cabinetmaker and Furniture Conservator Møbelarkitekt Tyge Axel Holm, Denmark

Dutch Moulding Planes from Skokloster Castle, Sweden page 42Jaap Boonstra, Furniture Conservator, Amsterdam Museum, The Netherlands, Pol Bruijs, Furniture Conservator, Private Practise, The Netherlands

Mahogany Spheres – Reconstruction of an Artistically Crafted Element of a Writing Cabinet by the Berlin Ebenist Joseph Schneevogl (1795–1864) page 54Prof. Dr. Angelika Rauch, University of Applied Sciences, Potsdam, GermanyDipl.-Rest. Jörg Weber, Head of Workshop, University of Applied Sciences Potsdam, Germany

Construction Features that are Typical for Marquetry Cabinets by Jan van Mekeren page 60Paul van Duin, Head of Furniture Conservation, Rijksmuseum, The NetherlandsIskander Breebaart, Senior Furniture Conservator, Rijksmuseum, The Netherlands

Australian Timbers and Contemporary Woodworking page 68Evan Dunstone, Dunstone Design, Australia

Woodworking as Means for Understanding and Developing the Human-Technology Relationship – Discussed Through the Work of Cabinet Maker Thomas Tempte page 74Andreas Nobel, Professor in Furniture Design LiU Malmstens, Sweden

The Future of Furniture Craft Education – a Churchill Fellowship page 80Joseph Bray, Head of Wood School Sylva Foundation, UK

Applied Information Technology and Mathematics in Woodturning page 86Ulf Jansson, Engineer and Woodturner Private Practise, Sweden

My thesis I study structures and joints. It is about lifting your eyes and looking at compositions on a larger scale to find new solutions to old problems.

I have been inspired by materials and structures that are far away from the wood industry and the material wood. I have systematically collected structures and joints and analysed them. With further sketching and testing, they have been modified to work as wooden joints and structures. It’s about acquiring a ”wealth of perspective” that allows you to see solutions to your own field in your surroundings, which could lead to new innovative wooden structures. This is a method which not only works for the furniture industry but a lot of other fields that could evolve in studying solutions outside their own framework and tradition

The result ended up in prototype with a joint inspired from a socket/wall socket. The joint is intuitive and demountable which could lead to increased understanding of structures and joints for the user and a greater appreciation of the craft.

In my thesis, I explore the challenges faced by current waste management systems and how design and innovation can promote sustainable behaviours to contribute to a better world. With a focus on circular design and behavioural design, I examine how these principles can be integrated to create an effective and user-friendly waste sorting solution for the home. The report highlights five key words for the design process: usability, aesthetics, practicality, accessibility, and flexibility. These keywords will guide the development of a waste sorting solution that is not only functional and aesthetically pleasing but also motivates and facilitates waste sorting in the home environment. 

By leveraging insights from behavioural design and circular design, I aim to address the issues with inefficient waste sorting and contribute to a more sustainable future. 

The result is an innovative waste sorting furniture piece that combines functionality with aesthetic design. It is designed to fit seamlessly into the home and make waste sorting more accessible. The furniture features several compartments for different types of waste sorting, each part clearly marked for easy identification. The materials are sustainable and carefully chosen to support long-term use and minimise environmental impact. 

The conclusion of my work shows that a well-considered combination of behavioural design and circular design can create effective solutions that not only streamline waste sorting in homes but also encourage a more sustainable lifestyle. 

I have in my thesis compared the strength of mortise and tenon joints and dowel joints in wooden furniture. I´ve made the comparison based on five parameters: the dimensions of the tenon or dowel, the fit of the tenon or dowel, the compression of the tenon or dowel, the number of tenons or dowels and the gluing of the tenon or dowel. The bigger question has been, “is the mortise and tenon joint or the dowel joint the strongest?” The goal has been to go through different theories regarding these two types of joinery and making a foundation to help cabinet makers and designers to make conscious decisions regarding their choices of these two types of joinery. Through studies of literature and visiting workshops I´ve gathered knowledge that lies as a foundation for a test of strength of different joinery made in the material testing facility of Linköping University. The test was based on a scenario of joining the back leg and side rim of a chair. The test shows, from the given definitions, that mortise and tenon joints are without exceptions stronger than dowel joints. It also shows that double tenons better will distribute the load and make for a stronger and tougher joint. Dowel joints will get tougher with an increased number of dowels but it will not necessarily make for a stronger joint. The fit and compression of the tenon or dowel will affect the joints strength.

I Kina ökar konsumtionen i takt med välfärden och det finns ett behov av en mer hållbar attityd i landet, både för konsumenter och producenter. Det blir mer och mer viktigt för vår globala hälsa och miljö med hållbar design. I den här rapporten försöker jag förtydliga vad hållbarhet innebär genom att förhålla mig och mitt examensarbete till den kinesiska marknaden.

Hur skulle en hållbar möbeldesign tänkas se ut för en kinesisk marknad?

I mitt examensarbete fokuserar jag på våningssängen. Det är en möbel som är lite bortglömd formmässigt men som trots allt verkar sälja väldigt bra i Kina. Jag hoppas kunna hitta en mer stilren lösning som också är mer köns och åldersneutral än de våningssängar som finns idag. Mitt arbete börjar med att försöka skapa en generell förståelse för landet som helhet och att leta efter likheter och olikheter mellan våra kulturer som kan ha betydelse för min frågeställning. I min designprocess utgår jag från olika designstrategier som fungerar som en checklista för utvecklingen av min möbel. I en funktionsanal listar jag sedan önskade funktioner som alla har egenskaper att påverka en bättre global miljö eller mänskligt välbefinnande.

Mitt slutgiltiga förslag, Tortoise, är en våningssäng ämnad för unga familjer i Kina. Den är i första hand tänkt att användas i barnkammaren för en familj med 1 till 2 barn eller för en familj som ofta får besök av mor och farföräldrar, men kan lika väl stå i ett kombinerat gästrum/kontor. Sängen kan vara en stabil och rolig klätterställning på dagen, en mysig soffa för en eller flera på kvällen och en mysig och fantastiskt skön säng på natten. Sängen ser kanske inte ut som en sköldpadda, Tortoise, men den har egenskaper som stämmer väl överens med sköldpaddans symbolik, som värnar om trygghet, stabilitet och ett lång liv.

 Genom mitt examensarbete med sängen i fokus har jag lagt grunden för en framtida verksamhet på en arena utanför Sverige, i en annan kultur med andra förutsättningar både beträffande kundunderlag, produktionsvillkor och attityder till hållbarhetsfrågor. Detta har också varit mitt syfte med uppgiften på längre sikt.

In this degree project, I explore how one can work with design processes in furniture for a school environment with a broader focus than the furniture on the market today. By focusing on children in a classroom, all with a broad spectrum of different needs, I hope to design school furniture that suits more individuals. I have started this particular design process with the perspective, and working method, of "design for all"; and produced a piece of furniture that can be placed in a school environment in today's classroom. My hope is to be able to design school furniture that includes features which can stimulate and assist the student's work.

The further purpose of this project is that I want to immerse myself in the world of today's pupils, getting to know the environments that the furniture they use is placed in. My hope is that this will aid me in my further desire to then work on creating customized furniture in my professional working life.

My working process begins with a theoretical investigation where I make on-site visits to schools, have conversations with educators and with a physiotherapist named Ulrika Myhr, with whom I have also collaborated, as well as dialogue with supervisors. With a chosen focus on the ages of 9-12, which constitutes the Swedish school system's later primary school years, I work on-site with access to a fourth-grade class and classroom, consisting of two mentors and 34 students. There, I have a dialogue with the students and teachers about how they view and use their working environment. I then make my own analyzes from those results which leads to a proposal for new furniture intended for the classroom I worked with.

I then move on to a practical investigation where I have an on-going dialogue about ergonomics with Ulrika Myhr, and I test how ergonomics and design meet in the form that ultimately becomes my design.

My conclusion shows that it is difficult to include all necessary functions in a piece of furniture while still satisfying the needs of all students, even if you design it from the perspective of "design for all". But on the other hand, it is possible to design for more people than is currently being done. I also conclude that having involved the students themselves in the design process has shown that they clearly know what they want, and their opinions have given the results of my work a greater legitimacy in its relevance.

The primary objective of this study is to examine the viability of developing a chair with a significantly reduced carbon footprint. The research explores two distinct approaches for achieving minimal material usage in the construction process: one involving a minimal amount of wood, and the other utilizing solely wooden waste. By employing the technique of steam bending, a robust, lightweight, and durable structure can be achieved. Additionally, by harnessing the binding properties of mycelium, waste wood materials can be molded together to form a solid composite. This thesis will document the design process of two chairs that employ these two methods.

Through the selection of six representative typical Swedish chairs from each era, I present manufacturing techniques and how the craftsmanship has affected the style of the chairs over time. My main source material is the objects themselves. I chose to analyze the constructions and what can distinguish them apart in techniques, material choices, aesthetics and design. The main part of my work has been to find out what are the most occurring damages and its causes. Most damages from renaissance to biedermeier can be linked to the mortise joint. Through interviews with experienced conservators and with my own experiences as a cabinet maker and conservator, I discuss the concept of the ultimate chair design in terms of stability. I have come to the conclusion that the most solid chair is the eight to twelve framed chairs from the Renaissance, but the chair must be adapted to the intended use.

This is an exploratory work where I would like to draw attention to a craft that is quite unknown by people in general today. As a cabinetmaker I have examined a related craft, woodcarving, with the purpose to learn more about the technique and spread knowledge about the possibilities of the craft. One question I would like to lift is how woodcarving can be applied in modern furniture and products. My approach is that hand carved decorative elements can add value to a product, and that this ought to be possible to practice in a small-scale production. In my work interviews with active woodcarvers, practical tests and literature lead to a process to create a form. The work resulted in a collection of products with wood carved decorative elements, which in a variety of degree are suitable for a small-scale production.

At the same time as my bachelor thesis is expected to begin, one of the most serious pandemics in modern times hit Sweden and the world. All previous plans must now be compared against the new conditions created by the pandemic and all citizens must adjust their priorities accordingly.

Out of this crisis, my curiosity about working in a home environment was resurrected. Large parts of Sweden's population are in self-quarantine and countless artists, cultural workers, designers and architects now work from home with their hands-on craft.

With my bachelor thesis, I want to gain a greater understanding of the needs of people with creative professions working from home. The goal of the project is to create a workbench that enables and improve physical creative work in the home environment.

Through web-based services, I contacted users who work from home and found out what is important to them when it comes to their work situation. Based on the users' answers and my research, I designed and produced a piece of furniture that meets many of the requirements that I identified in my work.

My research shows that the most important function to fulfill is stability, a lot of material storage and that the furniture is perceived as more open than screend off.

The aim with this work is to seek new potential in the use of textile materials in furniture design deriving from humanistic values. The aim with this work is also to investigate if textile have the ability to increase the objects value to its user and surroundings through the issue: Does the use of textile material in an unconventional way in furniture making have the ability to enrich its relation to room and user/owner?

The ambition with this work is to apply a use of material in a way that in the future may bring desirable consequences in line with the outside world’s demand for good processes and products. The work begins with a theoretical background study that in part includes David Ericssons artistic development work “Friends of Wood” and Jessica Hemmings book “Warp & Weft – woven textiles in fashion, art and interiors”. The theoretical study also includes an interview with Johan Knutsson, professor in furniture culture where a historical backward-looking is being held on storage furniture and cabinets historical development and its relation to mankind and environment. Thereafter a practical investigation takes place in form of the development of a wardrobe as an object for the thoughts and ideas of the work. A special focus is being concentrated on the accomplishment of making a piece of furniture that through its meeting with both user and surrounding is salutary.  The conclusion of the thesis shows proof of newfound potential in textile material and new areas of cooperation between different professions in furniture making. The experience of the result and the interaction with the furniture is proof that textiles can create stronger bonds in furniture’s relationship to rooms and user/owner.

My thesis explores how, as a designer, I can utilize decorative elements in the design process and how these can contribute to creating a personal narrative and identity as a designer. My work questions the development towards the clean and minimalist through literary texts as well as personal reflections and discussions where I analyze myself as a creator and the significance of ornamentation in my creative process.

This work focuses on the decorative elements that drive my creative process forward. By combining literature studies, sketch work, and self-reflection, I have drawn from personal stories to explore how ornaments and patterns can be used in the design of a furniture collection. The exploration leads to a final result that is not a concrete narrative but rather an abstract interpretation.

The physical work draws stylistic inspiration from the Art Nouveau movement and employs techniques such as marquetry, wallpaper design, and textile printing to create decorative furniture that forms part of my personal narrative. The story of transformation is represented through images and patterns based on three wallpapers, which then serve as the foundation for the design of three pieces of furniture. I believe that furniture should mean something, and one way to achieve this is by giving the furniture a voice, a story.

The work represents transformation through three stages of life: childhood, adolescence, and old age. The conclusions highlight the importance of integrating personal and cultural references into the design process to create unique and meaningful works, primarily for me as a creator, but with the hope that it may also be meaningful to the viewer. The work concludes with reflections on the lessons learned and potential future directions for further exploration within decorative design.

This thesis invites you the reader on a journey through a design process. It started with a simple question of how I would go about making a piece of furniture based on a play but became a deep exploration into my own way of working and a psychological analysis of someone who does not exist. Based on August Strindberg’s play A Dream Play, I have tried to design a piece of furniture that solidifies the character “The Officer”. After analysis I decided this furniture to be a cabinet. I have combined my previous experiences from theater analysis with furniture design to try to answer the questions: How do I go about creating a piece of furniture that will personify/concretize a character from a play and at the same time summarize a dramatic work? What does a working design process look like for me?

The character “The Officer” is proud and tightly wound with a hard exterior but hides an inside that can be compared to that of an innocent child. My cabinet should reflect this, and it became a piece of furniture where I tried to challenge the definition of what a cabinet can be. The cabinet has a traditional exterior that gives glimpses of an interior scene, or drama, that can be found inside.

Exploring my design process was the purpose of this essay, and in this exploration, using a A Dream Play as a starting point turned out to be a suitable allegory. The design process has at times been chaotic, illogical and tumultuous, just like the play. But just as it does in the play, patterns, connections and depth emerged, as it has in my design process and in that I have gotten to know my own creative process in a deeper way.

This project is an introduction to studying the relationship between furniture and spaces from a phenomenological point of view. The purpose is to get a deeper understanding of this inter-action emphasizing character, expression and atmosphere. This is done through analyzing two concrete spaces and designing furniture for them and inspired by them. The designprocess is used in the project as a method with the aim to increase spatial comprehension. The two chosen rooms that are analyzed and designed for are the Church ofVårby Gård from 1975, by Swedish architect Harald Thafvelin. Together with the foyer of a former highschool on Kungholmen, Stockholm, from 1960 by famous architect Léonie Geisendorf. The church is analyzed using Peter Zumthor’s phenomenological theory on ”atmosphere” whereas the former highschool is analysed more intuitively. The project has an experimental character and is pervaded by the discrepancy between theory and practice. The result is three prototypes inspired by the rooms in terms of expression, atmosphere and function.

In my thesis work, I have tried to find out what factors are important when you want a

wooden spin top to spin as long as possible. I identified the factors that seemed to be the

most important, and then conducted quantitative tests on 16 different spin tops, all handturned

from a solid piece of wood.

I came to the conclusion that the height of the tip and the weight of the spin top where the

factors that were most important for the ability of the spin top to spin for a long time.

Linseed oil bath was also something that had a positive effect on the swivel time.

After my three years as a student at Malmstens, I have grown an interest towards spatialities and its influence on people. It have subconsciously sought me into situations where furniture becomes something more than sitting, but being multifunctional, smart and having psychological values. In my work Stimulating Waiting I have investigated the situation of children in waiting rooms in health care.

In one of my previous design projects I worked with children's storage furniture, something I thought was very fun and challenging, because children look at the world differently than adults. In my thesis project I want to gain more understanding and deeper knowledge of children's products, as well as the situation the child is in. I have also chosen to explore how a waiting room could look in its spatial design to stimulate the child. My question I have worked with is; How can I create a stimulating situation for children in the healthcare environment?

Through a learning stage where I investigate how children look at rooms, toys and fears, I have acquired experience in designing for children. In my world analysis I have gathered facts about waiting rooms in healthcare and how the requirements for furniture in healthcare looks in different parts of the process. I have also made study visits, conversations with competent people and a survey to gain an insight into how the waiting rooms are used. Based on my inquest, I present a room proposal as well as a furniture group that I designed for the children and their curiosity, where the imagination sets the definition of the objects.

In this thesis I wanted to investigate asymmetry and use that word to design furniture and objects. I wanted to investigate how the asymmetry could manifest itself and I laid a great foundation in literature. With the research I proceeded into a sketch and model process which then led to two selected forms that I would produce in full scale.

The work is related to a ten-week long span of time and I regard the work as a whole as a sketch and a basis for further studies at master’s and doctoral level. I found that asymmetry can manifest itself in different ways in design – a material asymmetry, an asymmetry in the relations of shapes to each other and that a certain symmetry is required to be able to discern the asymmetry, the deviating. The result is two pieces of furniture that show how far or how short one can take the word investigated. The two objects comprise symmetrical elements placed in an asymmetric relationship to each other.

Examensarbetet som behandlas i rapporten undersöker hur en produktutvecklingprocess kan se ut för en nyskapad möbel. Undersökningen fungerar som en fallstudie, där relationen mellan producenten Swedese AB och formgivaren Jonas Forsman har exponerats för att förtydliga en process av detta slag. Undersökningen har möjliggjorts genom att Jonas Forsman presenterat ett förslag på en matsalsstol för Swedese och mig, som sedan har analyserats, utvecklats och vidareutvecklats under resans gång för att på så vis synliggöra relationerna som uppstår under en möbels tillväxtfas. En process från skiss till första prototyp har genomförts som på ett tydligt sätt påvisar relationerna inom en produktutvecklingsprocess, där synliggörandet av dessa relationer svarar på undersökningens frågeställning; Hur kan en möbels konstruktion utvecklas utan att dess ursprungliga ide går förlorad? Samarbetet mellan Swedese, Jonas Forsman och mig har möjliggjort ett examensarbete om hur en produktutvecklingsprocess kan se ut där undersökning av konstruktion och framväxten av en första prototyp på ett konkret sätt visar komplexiteten i ovan ställd fråga. En fråga som har flera olika svar och där svaret nästan alltid inte kommer vara det nästa lik.

In a world with focus on rational solutions and intellectually based decisions, aesthetics values can be de-prioritized. Therefore, it could be argued to be relevant to give creativity and shaping a greater place in a design process in order to create furniture design that last over time. The goal of this study is to create a functional and user-friendly display furniture for the commercial space with the aim of challenging my own ability to design a rational furniture without losing focus on aesthetic. The design process started with a method called form follows text in order to freely create form without being affected by specific function requirements. Furthermore, observations of an A-surface is made together with an interview in order to gain knowledge about specific functions that are considered important in a display furniture. This resulted in a sketch phase where the previous sketches were developed to fit the requirements. The result is a modular display furniture that is flexible and with the ability to create space. 

The reason to write about cellulose lacquer is that from year to year there are more and more furniture withsuch transparent coatings that come to the conservation and restoration workshops. The furniture comesmainly from the 1950´s and 1960´s (when it was one of the most common type of transparent finishes) butalso from the 1920´s and 1930´s. Today the furniture from the 20th century has become antiques and soughtafter on the market. Therefore, they are still valuable with their original coatings that would need to be protectedand preserved.This type of transparent finishes causes many problems for the conservator, but I have concentratedon how to partially improve the lacunae that you can interpret here as a break in continuity, gaps in transparentcoatings (the word comes from Latin – lacuna, lacunae).Earlier, the most common method of restoring a furniture with damaged transparent coatings was toremove the old and add a whole new one. In modern times, it is obvious that it is not very environmentallyfriendly and healthy to clean up and add new nitrate cellulose laquer, with conservation attitude is better torepair old finishes that are original. One should learn how to handle such transparent coatings problems.Therefore, there is a need to find methods and materials that help fill gaps effectively. I have also evaluatedthem based on preserving and restoration ground rules.Through practical experiments, based on written sources as well as on my and my supervisors experiencein this area, I have presented and evaluated some methods of filling lacunae in my bachelor thesis.

Genom detta projekt söker jag efter tillståndet som kallas för flow, som kan förklaras som ett meditativt tillstånd som kan uppkomma genom att till exempel utföra ett hantverk. Som studium av detta har jag valt att fördjupa mig i ett hantverksmoment som utgörs av den traditionella tekniken att tillverka tageldynor. Jag har valt att tillverka flera dynor för att öka chansen att föra in hantverket i mitt muskelminne och därigenom automatisera processen som ökar chanserna att infinna sig i flow. Ytterligera en faktor till valet av just tageldynor som medel för min efterforskning var att de innefattar ett flertal repetitiva utföranden då dessa sys med många stygn, vilket jag ansåg kunde vara ett bra kriterium för mitt eftersökande av flow. 

Kan en möbeltapetserare arbeta med återbruk av modernt producerade möbler?

I vårt examensarbete har vi arbetat med återbruk av några utvalda produkter ur Ikeas sortiment. Vi har med vårt yrkeskunnande som möbeltapetserare och vår miljö som utgångspunkt velat skapa uppgraderade möbler av det människor tröttnat på.

Resultatet av detta arbete är en liten kollektion redesignade möbler. Möbler att älska och att slita på under många år till.

The aim of this thesis is to explore how theoretical studies on handicrafts may be rewarding and usefull for a craftsman. The aim is also to explore how quality is defined within crafts and to explore different aesthetic qualities that can be achieved within the craft of cabinetmaking. In addition, the aim is also to broaden the view on how skillfullnes may be expressed within the craft of cabinetmaking. The work begins with theoretical studies of two craft philosophers - David Pye and Soetsu Yanagi. Then, their ideas are applied practically through the making of two pieces of furniture. Aesthetic expressions characterized by randomness, imperfection and irregularity is specially sought after. The conclusions of the thesis shows that theoretical studies may be benefiting and rewarding for a craftsman.

In this degree project on laser cut marquetry I investigate two problems: The vacuum pressure forfixing the veneer flat, and a better and more quality-proof method for producing marquetry in thelaser machine.Through theoretical research, comparisons and practical experiments, I have come to the conclusionthat the best solution for vacuum fixation is a custom adaptation of Donek Tools’s vacuumtable.Through my comparative tests I found that the desirable quality of the laser cut marquetry isachieved safest through the lasercarbontechnique.

“The suit is sewn in silence” is an investigation of the role of the textile artifact in death rituals (such as funerals and memorial services) and how it can increase the performative effect of the ritual on the participants and give them increased agency in the ritual space. In addition to the question of the thesis, the work is based on a number of intuitively formulated hypotheses that have emerged in my craft practice. They concern the relational properties of textiles, their potential to offer the participants of the ritual a greater opportunity for physical engagement, and the possibility of biodegradable materials, used in a ritual context, to reduce the existential distance between people and the physical world around us.

The methods are several: on the one hand, a physical embodiment through the making of a burial coffin made entirely of soft, biodegradable materials – a textile ritual artifact whose norm-breaking character exposes the boundaries within contemporary ritual spaces. It is made using techniques derived from traditional furniture upholstery in an exploratory, experimental process. The second method is to give the design a historical and contemporary context through literature studies and interviews. These methods are in dialog with each other throughout the project, resulting in the writing of this text. Writing is itself a third method: bringing together the theoretical and the practical perspectives and putting them into words is the final phase of the search for my own understanding of what the project is really about; why I felt the urge to make my own coffin, that the practice of a craft has much in common with ritual practices, and that a more vibrant death culture can have an impact on people's values and willingness to transition to a sustainable way of life.

Based on these theoretical, practical and artistic investigations, I come to the conclusion that textile artifacts can have a potential to enhance the ritual experience of mourners, provided that the textiles are loaded with meaning through, for example, connection back in history. A physical interaction with the artifact is also required within the framework of the ritual. The performative function of the ritual – its ability to bring about a transformation for participating bodies, both living and dead – can thus be strengthened through an increased element of textile artifacts. 

Genom mitt examensarbete har jag fått möjligheten att jobba med företaget Organoclicks biokomposit OrganoComp® . Materialet är ett miljövänligt alternativ till dagens plaster och består i huvudsak av cellulosa, havreskal, vetekli och molekyler från räkskal. Organoclick har som mål att forska i materialet tills det har tillräckligt goda egenskaper för att ersätta plaster.

Under mitt arbete har jag kommit fram till att det finns en stor potential för materialet inom formgivningsbranschen och listar flera ingångar där vidare designprocesser kan utveckla morgondagens miljövänliga produkter.

Den praktiska delen av arbetet resulterade i två produkter, en skärmvägg och en golvlampa där jag har lagt fokus på form, morgondagens material, teknik och återbruk.

This project has been a study about the design and manufacturing process and how the result turns out when the form follows recycled and waste material based out of two aspects; rationality and aesthetics. The aim was to build a mobile house that accommodates furniture and interior items, all made from recycled and waste materials only, found and collected over three years. The purpose was to challenge and develop my own thinking in design, construction, aesthetics and manufacturing. An analysis of how the design turns out when it has to balance between rationality and aesthetics in relation to materials, function, construction and ergonomics.

Vi utforskar vulsten, ett återkommande moment för möbeltapetserare, och från ett nytt och ej funktionsgivet sätt placerar vi den på ram för alla att se.

När en tapetserare ska ta sig an momentet vulst så utgår hen från hur en, i möbelsammanhang, stomme är utformad och vilken sorts vulst som passar till just den möbeln. Ramarna för hur vulsten skall se ut är nästintill förbestämd då ett slutgiltigt resultat ofta ska återskapas eller restaureras i äldre objekt. I nya möbler finns ingen mall och på så sätt lite mer frihet hur vulsten kan utformas men funktionen är densamma. Vulsten ska hjälpa stoppningen att ge slutgiltig form, karaktär och känsla till möbelns slutgiltiga uttryck. Det som vulsten har gemensamt i båda fallen är att den alltid är dold.

Genom ett formsökande i det traditionella tapetserarhantverket samt på ett inspirationsbaserat plan har vi tagit fram ett antal prover på olika varianter av vulst. Vulsten har fått möjlighet att förändras och formas med hjälp av olika stygntekniker. Med ett syfte att på ett visuellt och icke funktionsbaserat sätt synliggöra en tapetserares dolda hantverk vill vi påvisa ett annat sätt att förhålla sig till detta specifika moment och det givna hantverket.

This work examines how designers, through using waste material from the furniture industry, can design new furniture for series production. How we, through this can prolong material life cycles and thereby reduce the amount of waste in the furniture industry. In addition, the opportunities and challenges within this method are discussed. The aim is to break conventional design processes and to discover unconventional ones. All in order to actively work towards the goals within Agenda 2030. Through a collaboration with the furniture manufacturer Wigells, the possibilities and challenges of using their waste material for furniture design are investigated. The report consists of an initial research based on the UN's sustainability goals, Agenda 2030. It also includes examples of previous similar projects such as Marie-Louise Hellgren's and Stolab's stool Lilla Snåland. The phenomenon of greenwashing, as well as tools for handling sustainability in a design process are discussed. Next follows a material focused design process. Through practical research, form searching and material experiments, furniture categories, concepts, dimensions, constructions and shapes are determined. Three furniture prototypes are presented and analyzed in the final part of the report. The conclusions show that there are different ways for a designer to work with waste material. Depending on which part of a furniture production the material comes from, the result can be affected in different directions. Both in terms of models for production and sales, form expression and furniture category. The risk of contributing to greenwashing through this method is established, but a conclusion is that it comes down to how the communication and external marketing is handled. 

Gångjärn i trä är ett sätt att utveckla och bidra till en hållbar möbelkultur och visa på trämaterialets stora möjligheter. Jag gör en omvärldsspaning kring användningen av trägångjärn; historiskt och i samtid, studerar trä och andra materials olika egenskaper samt tillverkar olika prover med trägångjärn varefter jag utför tester på dessa.

Det har visat sig att hög precision på segmentens diameter är en avgörande faktor för en lyckad och effektiv tillverkningsprocess samt att placering av centrumstiftet har en påverkan på friktionen och är tillsammans med materialval det viktigaste att tänkta på för god slitstyrka och funktion över tid. Resultaten pekar också på att centrumstift av trä kan vara en bra ersättning till stål, att bivax är ett lämpligt friktionsminskande medium och att fisklim har klarat samtliga tester lika bra som ett PVAc-lim under samma förhållanden.

Is it possible to design and build furniture without sketches, drawings or mesaurement tools?

In this bachelors thesis creativity, memory and spatial ability is studied by banning the most essential design tools. Instead of translating ideas into drawings and then build according to them, thoughts are translated directly intophysical objects. The tool for this study is the kitchen sofa. An example of this type of furniture is designed and built based on the question “how is one’s spatial ability affected by refraining from sketching and drawing in a woodworking project?”.

The sketch and the drawing’s effect on design is critically analysed and compared to other tools for communication such as oral language and text.

The thesis as a whole consists of two parts. One is the the practical work; building the kitchen sofa and the finished result. The other is this report.

In this thesis, I have explored in my design process how closely textile furniture can be integrated into a circular furniture flow with removable materials that can be sorted and recycled. By starting from an existing frame, I investigate how separability for effective sorting can be combined with aesthetic change in a way that can influence our relationship with our furniture. In a world where we prefer to discard fully functional furniture rather than care for what we already have, this feels urgent.

With the goal of trying to influence this mindset now, we can face the government's new textile sorting requirements in year 2025 without guilt. 

My conclusion shows that it is possible to meet these requirements in a design process with simple means, but it can be challenging to implement if it is not considered from the very beginning of the design process.

Through a clear sketching process followed by in-depth sewing tests, the result has culminated in two pieces of seating furniture whose materials and constructions approach the future of circular production for textile furniture.

Our common urban landscape has traditionally been designed with men in mind. Manyplaces are perceived by women as threatening and exclusionary, while some simply do nothave anything that appeals to women and girls, and therefore becomes something theychoose to refrain from.This is a problem from an equality perspective as it causes women and girls to be restrictedand excluded from parts of society, something that affects many levels, and which the UNGlobal Action Plan Agenda 2030 intends to amend.My bachelor’s thesis is about designing outdoor furniture for a specific location underreconstruction in an area in Västerås. The furniture’s are designed to promote a sense ofsecurity and reduce exclusion with women and girls in particular in mind.The starting point for the design process is feminist urban planning and previouslycompleted projects where there is clearly a feminist approach, since that according to manyis the most effective way to actually create common places that in practice appeals to, andare used by everyone.The result is a product range that allows for a great deal of variation in furnishings and issuitable for many different types of places around our common urban landscape.

I mitt examensarbete undersöker jag vilken putsmetod som lämpar sig bäst för putsning av infärgat faner utan att infärgat damm fastnar på oönskade områden. Testområdet har varit avgränsat till att undersöka detta problem tillsammans med andra, icke infärgade faner. Frågan är om det finns en metod som på ett effektivt och ergonomiskt sätt garanterar ett bra resultat?

Mina tester utgår från om val av material, fiberriktning och snittyta har betydelse för hur det infärgade dammet fastnar på ytan.

Min förhoppning är att hantverkare och formgivare ska ta hjälp av denna undersökning för att lättare kunna göra medvetna val där infärgade faner kombineras med andra träslag.

Genom intervjuer med andra hantverkare, om deras erfarenheter har ett problemområde kartlagts utifrån vad som är mest relevant för undersökningen. Även litterära studier har gjorts för att bättre förstå träts anatomiska egenskaper.

För att uppnå optimala förutsättningar för att infärgat damm inte ska fasta på oönskade områden visar testerna, genom att kombinera infärgat faner med ett bandporigt träslag som har en radiell snittyta tillsammans med en fiberriktning som ligger i samma riktning som putsriktningen, med en putsmetod där direkt sug över putsytan verkar samtidigt som putsningen ger bäst förutsättning för att infärgat damm inte fastnar på oönskade områden.

Hur kan en konstnärs uttryck översättas i möbeldesign och hur kan detta inspirera till nyskapande möbelform? Min metod och process tog mig med på en resa in i tre konstnärerna Edvard Munch, Henri Matissé och Käthe Kollwitz bildvärld och deras bildspråk, både på ytan och på djupet, i utseende och innehåll. Det är denna dialog mellan yta och djup, tvådimensionellt, tredimensionellt, utseende och uttryck, konst och bruksföremål jag eftersträvat i min möbeldesign. Färg, form, material och tillverkningsteknik i mina tre stolar återspeglar de tre konstärernas bildspråkliga sätt att uttrycka sig och förmedla en estetik. Med min succesivt ökande insikt och kännedom om konstnärernas liv får dessa sinnliga uttryck också en djupare innebörd som jag utvecklat konceptuellt i konkret form. Jag har under resans gång insett att Konsten får mig att se på världen från ett nytt perspektiv.

Den franska "Art Nouveau", italienska "Stile floreale" och den katalanska "Stile modernista" är samtliga olika varianter av den konststil vi i Sverige med ett tyskt ord brukar kalla för jugend. Samtliga har de också en tydlig fokusering på form och estetik, på utseende och yta. Ibland beskrivs Arts & Crafts som dess engelska motsvarighet. Men Arts & Crafts är så mycket mer än en stil. Den är något annat än Guimards entréer till Metro-stationerna i Paris, Laliques smyckeskonst eller Gallés överfångsglas. Det är ett manifest, ett uttryck för en tro på en bättre - mer hållbar - värld, där hänsyn tas till människors arbets- och livsvillkor och där respekten för materialet, hantverket, konstruktionen och framför allt funktionen tydligt avspeglas i formgivningen.

Som vårdare av Siljansbygdens kulturarv har Gustaf Ankarcrona en självklar plats. Hans engagemang för hemslöjds- och hembygdsrörelsen i Dalarna hade effekter även långt utanför landskapet. Som skapande konstnär, arkitekt och formgivare är hans betydelse mer svårdefinierad. Ser man på designhistorien som en linjär utveckling från sekelskiftets olika former av nyskapande jugend och den tyska "Werbund"-rörelsen, via 20-talets klassicism och 30-talets funktionalism fram till efterkrigstidens och folkhemmets skandinaviska lågmälda möbeldesign och inredningsideal faller Ankarcrona utanför. Men om man vidgar perspektivet bortom "tidens design" och det modernistiska projektet, till det som i själva verket fanns i svenska folkets hem av stilmöbler och allmogeromantik var Ankarcrona med de ideal han stod för en aktör med stort inflytande. Och ser man hans möbel- och inredningskonst i ett större sammanhang finns där inslag som också går att knyta till internationella strömningar som Arts & Crafts.

"...de är låga och likna utvändigt gås- eller svinstior, men invändigt syntes de oss visst icke vara otrevliga bostäder. Väggarna och taken strålade överallt av brokiga målningar..." Så beskrev den franske diplomaten Charles Ogier sitt intryck av de svenska prästhemmen på 1630-talet. Knappt tvåhundra år senare, ett stycke in på 1800-talet, imponerades den tyske resenären F W von Schubert av landsbygdens bostäder med deras målade rum, "hvilket man ofta finner hos svenska bönder". Det tycks ha varit skillnaden mellan ett enkelt yttre och ett praktfullt inre som gjort störst intryck på människor utifrån, resenärer från andra länder, där inte bara husens insidor utan även deras utsidor ofta var grant målade - vare sig det nu var på putsytor eller trä.