My Client’s Pain Point: From Problem to Product
BTAF DESIGN

My Client’s Pain Point: From Problem to Product

Every great 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 starts with 𝗼𝗻𝗲 thing 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁. In this case, my client sought more than just a chair & table she wanted a piece of functional 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 heritage crafted with 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲. This is how I transformed a need into a statement of 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁.

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፩.  𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝘆 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁’𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀

Through 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲 client interview, I discovered 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻:

"𝗔 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻, 𝘄𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗼𝗹𝗱, 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 & 𝗹𝘂𝘅𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀." This wasn’t just furniture, It was 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆. The design needed to feel like 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗲.

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፪. 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 & 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Inspired by 𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘀, known for 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘀 and 𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 & 𝘀𝘆𝗺𝗯𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗺, 𝗜 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. These pots once carried water, food and even jewelry representing value, beauty and purpose. I rebounded this form in the chair’s backrest and table’s base, blending ancestral aesthetics with a contemporary twist.

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፫. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: 𝗦𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗹

Ohhh! This is what I truly love. Sketching ideas to bring concepts to reality! I highly recommend that every Designer and Engineer do this before going into a CAD program, I put pen to paper. Sketching is where emotion meets structure. After multiple ideations one final sketch emerged a confident balance of tradition and modernity.

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𝗦𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗹

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፬. 𝗘𝗿𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰𝘀 & 𝗗𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀

Taking the client’s exact body measurements, I personalized every curve and angle. Comfort was nonnegotiable this chair was not mass produced. 𝗜𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗲.

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፭.  𝟯𝗗 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀

I digitally modeled the design in SolidWorks, ensuring every joint, surface & component was ready for real world production. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗲𝘀! 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱.

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𝟯𝗗 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀

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፮. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲

Oak (hardwood) was selected for the 𝘄𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 due to its 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁. For the 𝗯𝗼𝗹𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝘂𝘁 connections, 𝗔𝗜𝗦𝗜 𝟭𝟬𝟰𝟱 (𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘂𝗺 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗹) used, known for its strong 𝗺𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 and 𝘄𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆. The analysis was performed under a 𝟭𝟮𝟬 𝗸𝗴 𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 (~𝟭𝟮𝟬𝟬 𝗡). 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗱,

  • 𝗠𝗮𝘅 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 ፡➼ 0.1054 mm minimal and safe.
  • 𝗠𝗮𝘅 𝘃𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀: ፡➼ 34.19 MPa is lower than the yield strength of the material shows the chair is not predicted to yield and Safe.
  • 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘆𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵 ፡➼ 351.6 MPa show minimal deformation and safe.

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𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀 Result

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፯.  𝗥𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Using KeyShot I brought the design to life placing the chair in modern, ambient environments. The final render evokes 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗺𝘁𝗵, 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 & 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲.


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Front View Render
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Front View Render
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Back View Render

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𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀

This project wasn't just 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁. It was a celebration of identity through design.

From hand sketch to high fidelity 𝗖𝗔𝗗 model, from ancient symbols to modern ergonomics this is how I translate emotion into form.

Design is not just what it looks like. It’s how it feels, connects, and lasts.

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  Tools That Empowered This Journey:

SOLIDWORKS ፡➼ For precise 3D modeling & Static Analysis

KeyShot ፡➼For high end rendering.

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Want more case studies like this?

𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿: 𝘽𝙏𝘼𝙁 𝘿𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣 𝙏𝙖𝙡𝙠

 ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━━━

𝗔𝘀𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲!

© Birhan Tafesse

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿 | 𝗖𝗔𝗗 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗿

〃★──〃★───〃★〃★───〃★───〃★ 〃

#FurnitureDesign #CAD #SolidWorks #ProductDesign #AfricanDesign #Ergonomics #EngineeringArt #StaticAnalysis #KeyShot #DesignCaseStudy _______________________________________

 

Your creativity and design mindset are truly exceptional. You turn ideas into impactful solutions—brilliant work! 👍

Martina Matković

Automotive 3D concept and engineering artist

1w

Wow, very impressive work and presentation!!

MOHD IMRAN KHAN

Industrial Design Engineer & Freelancer (Fiverr/Upwork)

1w

amazing work Birhan Tafesse

Like
Reply
Ayush Galphat

Founder- Scrutiny | Product Management - Founding Team Blaash.io | MLSA ß| Ex Stockgro intern| Ex Dev. intern at AICTE| Technical Writer| PR team Co-head DEV CODE

3w

Well Done on the Design and creative thinking

Nouran Hassan

Concept Artist | Visual Designer | SUSI Exchange Alumni at U.S Department of State

3w

very nice i like it!

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