The ShelfShifter is a homegoods product that allows for customization and connection to the user. This product was developed with Gage Kime and it was based upon the research of Erin Shaw and Jude Gill. The ShelfShifter was created for the OSU Design Winter Market and the process included coming up with two homegoods concepts and later focusing in on creating 10 of the same product and selling it at the Winter Market. Our final concept that we ended up creating and selling using sustainable practices was the ShelfShifter, but we developed it alongside another concept called The Lumilayer. Our goals for this project included integrate research from peers, create marketable and meaningful homegood concepts, use sustainability techniques, stay under a materials budget of $100, and create an interactive market space.
Erin and Jude's Research
Erin and Jude conducted their research at Lynd's Market and we based our ideation based on creating new affordances and echoing the appeal of organic/irregular shapes.
Concept Ideation
To begin our concept ideation for our homegood we were to sell at the Winter Market, we started off with a collective brainstorm on sticky notes and small sketches. This led us to two potential ideas which were The Lumilayer and The ShelfShifter
Concept 1 Development - The Lumilayer
The Lumilayer was an upcycled lamp that focused on reusing and layering kitchenware to create moveable and customizable lights. These lamps were able to be pinched from their default position to create a lamp that can be directed in different ways.
In addition to our concept development of The Lumilayer, we had to demonstrate our understanding of time, budget, and market in relation to this concept. This concept was not moved foreward with when deciding which product to create and sell at the Winter Market.
Concept 2 Development - The ShelfShifter
The ShelfShifter is a customizable shelf that can be moved around to create any configuration. It allows each user to adjust it to their needs and wants. At this stage, we knew we were going to use reclaimed wood and fabric.
Similar to The Lumilayer, we looked into the production costs of the Shelfshifter as well as the present market and our possible interactive selling space.
Prototyping the ShelfShifter
As we decided between concepts, we wanted to experiment with different ways of creating The ShelfShifter and the potential processes that went into creating it. This was our initial plan but it developed in various ways during the process.
Making 10 ShelfShifters
Our process of making 10 identical ShelfShifters started with cutting out all of our pieces. It included 30 planks with channels, a bit more than 200 wood slats, and 20 pieces of fabric. We then created a jig that helped our gluing process and making sure each product is the same. With this jig we were easily able to put together 10 products knowing that they would work every time. After this, we experimented with packaging and how we wanted our sleeve to look.
Branding and Packaging
To create a visual aesthetic and branding for our shelves we focused on creating a logo along with a slogan for the base of our work in packaging/advertising. We also created a poster and a packaging sleeve template that represented both our product and the Winter Market.
The ShelfShifter
The Shelf-Shifter is a customizable shelf that can take multiple forms to display what you like in the way you like. Designed to mount on the wall, the Shelf-Shifter allows you to make your wall your own. Made with reclaimed pine-wood and tote bags, this shelf gives old materials a new life. We all have things we are proud of whether it be books, baseballs, photos, trophies, or anything else, the Shelf-Shifter will fit to anything you need. With the Shelf-Shifter, you can shift your stuff your way. Our interactive market space allowed for the shelf to be moved by customers in multiple directions and experiment with the display of different objects.