Design Case Study: Highchair
My Role: Front-end innovation, design inspiration, iterative sketch exploration, concept refinement, CAD development & visualization
Developed during my tenure at Empire Group, this front-end design program was created for an entrepreneurial client aiming to disrupt the commercial juvenile market with a premium highchair tailored for modern and boutique restaurants. Tasked with elevating a traditionally utilitarian category, I spearheaded the concept phase from initial inspiration gathering, ergonomic mapping, and rapid sketch ideation through to concept refinement, advanced CAD development, and high-fidelity visualizations. The resulting design seamlessly blends Verner Panton's iconic cantilevered visual language with strict hospitality performance standards, serving as the definitive design asset used by the client to pitch for investment and funding.
Partnering with restaurant owner and entrepreneur Donna Doscher, Empire group sought to explore what the restaurant highchair of the future could be.
DESIGN OBJECTIVES
Working with the client, we looked at the current commercial highchair category and defined some clear design objectives for our new design.
REFERENCE & INSPIRATION IMAGERY
We looked at classic furniture and high-end domestic highchairs to bring a modern aesthetic to the commercial restaurant highchair.
CONCEPT IDEATION
After iterative sketch phases, our client was drawn to the concept of a single cavity plastic molded chair inspired by the “Panton” chair (pictured bottom right).
CAD REFINEMENT
Bringing the concept into CAD, we began implementing engineering and manufacturing considerations into the design, while also further developing the aesthetic.
FINAL CONCEPT DESIGN
This “Panton” inspired restaurant highchair is a single cavity, anti-microbial injection molded plastic, commercial furniture piece. The overmolded grips provide comfortable maneuvering along with a color pop design detail. The angled seat pan lifts the child’s knees and the “cradling” side walls encourage the child’s posture into a proper seated dining position. Integrated into the seating is a 5-point harness for extra restraint and peace of mind. Last but not least, the crotch bar contains a secure, easy to clean, track for mounting Ipads and smart devices for the child’s entertainment during the restaurant experience. Did i mention it stacks?
