Our design prompt was to create and produce a centerpiece for a Montessori school that would serve as a multi-purpose classroom item. We hoped that what we devised could be a chair, a table, an art surface, and a tunnel, for the children to utilize for their own enjoyment. We first brainstormed a chair, table, and easel-hybrid item that could double as a crawl space. We then realized that we wanted to incorporate a more organic shape into our design, since that is a major value of Montessori education. 

    Our first iteration was a wooden table that folded up in order to form an easel. We liked that this initial design was so simple, yet versatile and multi-­functional; however, we thought that the shape should resemble better something from the natural world.  To produce the first iteration, we designed all the pieces of the table on Rhino and laser-cut them. Then, we cut out dowels in order to simulate the legs of the table. We also used hinges from the shop to create the fold-up easel part of this iteration. 

    For our second iteration, we took many layers of cardboard and produced a vertical box. Then, we hand-carved an organic shape, one resembling our sketches. While this iteration was closer to our desired natural shape than the previous iteration, the cardboard was uneven and inexact. On a life-size model, these factors could cause great discomfort for a child using it. Also, the tunnel in this second iteration was not as pronounced as we wanted it to be in order to allow the children at the Montessori school to fully enjoy the various aspects of our special piece of furniture. 

    Our third iteration was essentially the cardboard model of the second iteration, after being translated into the Rhino autocad laser-cutting software. This model did not exactly reflect the design we had in mind, because the edges of the prototype were uneven on the top, making it difficult for a child to sit on a full scale model of our design, as we had worried would be the case. 

    The fourth 3D printed iteration is a better representation of the design that we had hoped for because we were able to maintain the organic shape that we desired, while also making the seating area flat and comfortable for a child. Despite our accomplishments, the fourth iteration was not an ideal design because it would not stand up properly, alerting us to balance issues that needed to be corrected in our next iteration. 

    The fifth iteration of our design improved the balance issues that were present in the previous iteration. In addition to correcting this stability issue, the fifth iteration also featured an improved seating area that would better conform to a child's body shape. In addition, this improved design featured a more pronounced tunnel for the children at the Montessori school in which to play. 

    Having finalized our design aspects in the fifth iteration, we decided to design a final one-­fourth scaled­-down wooden model of our design, using the Rhino software, and laser­cut it. 

    We laser­cut two long pieces that would run through the length of the piece, and many cross-­section pieces to mimic the assembly on a life-­sized product. We were inspired by other designs that had a similar cut­ as well, because this style would further add to the natural shape of our design. Utilizing all of our ideal design aspects, the final scaled ­model was successful and, if we had had more time to mill a full scale model, the full scale model would have functioned properly.