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#NTUDI Product Design Student Showcase Spotlight: Charlie Dicksee

Today’s Spotlight piece features BA (Hons) Furniture and Product Design student Charlie Dicksee.

HIRO by Charlie Dicksee, BA (Hons) Furniture and Product Design
HIRO by Charlie Dicksee, BA (Hons) Furniture and Product Design

While we are deeply disappointed that the summer degree show is unable to go ahead as planned, we are excited that the NTU Design Industries' (NTUDI) Product Design Online Student Showcase will launch on Friday 19 June 2020.

In the run up to the launch of the virtual event, will be sharing a series of student projects from across our BA (Hons) Product Design, BSc (Hons) Product Design and BA (Hons) Furniture and Product Design courses through #NTUDI Spotlights.

HIRO

HIRO is an adaptable two-seater sofa for young professionals that challenges the issues that people face when accommodating guests by providing occasional extra seating. Featuring a removable satellite chair and footstool, HIRO is a versatile seating solution.

The design features a frame that allows the user to situate the satellite chair on either the left or right-hand side. Simply flipping the sofa backrest horizontally changes the orientation of the sofa. This feature ensures that HIRO can change location without restriction.

HIRO by Charlie Dicksee, BA (Hons) Furniture and Product Design

Speaking to Charlie about his inspiration for the project, he said: “From researching how young consumers prioritise price and versatility when buying furniture, it was clear that young people are trying to buy pieces that can move around with them and can adapt to different spaces.

“I wanted to create a piece that supplied additional seating without taking up unnecessary space – ensuring that adaptability was at the centre of the design and was an integral part of the design process.”

Adopting a minimalist aesthetic with a tubular steel frame and felt upholstery, HIRO seamlessly integrates into modern homes. Designed for nomadic living in rented accommodation, HIRO would be sold through modern online furniture retailers like Made.com, featuring a flat-pack assembly system that allows the user to disassemble the sofa for ease of transportation.

Charlie Dicksee

Find out more about the NTU Design Industries' Virtual Student Showcase on our website and follow @NTUDI on Instagram for all the latest updates.

Published on 8 June 2020
  • Subject area: Art and design
  • Category: Current students; School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment